Or is that jaded and cynical? We sometimes can't tell the difference anymore, especially with how often television turns finding true love into a game show. In fact, reality dating shows are so plentiful, they are pretty much their own genre these days. We figured the Loviest Holiday of the Year was a pretty good reason to highlight some of the most memorable offerings and rank them from worst to best, based on three categories. A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila Tila Tequila became buzzworthy after getting tons of friends on MySpace remember that website? Maybe Tila really was looking to settle down, but the way this show was set up --featuring male and female contestants, who were also hooking up on the side -- made that virtually impossible. Honestly, no good can come from a dating show on MTV. Just think about the mayhem that transpires on The Real World when housemates hook up, and multiply that by 100. That being said, it was a new twist on a tired concept -- would Tila choose a man or a woman? How many threesomes would transpire? How awkward would it be that all the contestants had to sleep in one enormous bed together? TOTAL: 8 The Bachelor Sincerity: 3. Sure, it depends on the season, of course. But what guy would turn down the opportunity to openly date and make out with 20 hot ladies all at once, and not even get in trouble for it? The longest relationship between a Bachelor couple -- five years -- was between Byron Velvick and Mary Delgado from season six, but the rest of them have fizzled within months, making any Bachelor pairing an instant butt of jokes. Why can't we stop watching this? Megan Wants a Millionaire Rock of Love reject Megan Hauserman made a career of reality TV for a while. Millionaire was her fifth -- and last. Megan really did want a millionaire. She's said from the get-go on ROL that her lot in life was to become a trophy wife. Her show was shut down after a contestant killed his wife, and then himself. That is so many kinds of wrong, we'll just leave it at that. Never really had a chance to get going, and we're sorry about that. Megan is nothing if not entertaining. We believed Pollard wanted to meet a man, but not as much as she wanted to be a F-list celebrity. Do you really think there's a man alive that could deal with her diva-like outbursts and her omnipresent mother? Over-the-top New York was meant for reality TV, and when she was coupled with a bunch of moronic meatheads that enjoyed throwing punches, it made for excellent viewing. Note: One of those ex-suitors is now married to Jennifer Hudson. TOTAL: 15 Chad Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch Sincerity: 9. In hindsight, we see that the footballer and Dancing With the Stars standout wasn't opposed to becoming a one-woman man, but... He became engaged to Basketball Wives cast member Evelyn Lozada two months after Ultimate Catch was over. As expected, there was some cattiness between the contestants, but it paled in comparison to most of the stuff we've seen on other shows. TOTAL: 15 Flavor of Love Sincerity: 8. We actually think Flavor Flav was desperately looking for someone to love. Granted, Flav was no Prince Charming, but the women they brought on this show were some of the most horrifying people who've ever made it on television. How on Earth could Flav find a suitable mate when producers choose women that poop on a staircase and spit loogies on one another? Besides the living spectacle that is Flavor Flav, the contestants were total train wreck material. We wanted to stop watching, but it was physically impossible. TOTAL: 19 Rock of Love Nobody was more surprised than us when Bret Michaels emerged from relative obscurity into endearing reality show superstar. Finally, after three seasons of Rock of Love, he realized his true love was already in his life and deprived us of a fourth season. Bret Michaels seemed to like the idea of having a steady gal, but always made it clear that his rock n' roll lifestyle meant that he'd still hump other chicks on the road. The first season was a bust, but his relationship with season two winner, Ambre Lake, actually lasted several months -- longer than many pairings from The Bachelor. If this show didn't, um, rock, there's no way it would have gotten three seasons. For that reason, we're sorry Bret has settled down. TOTAL: 20 The Bachelorette Sincerity: 9. Yet, I really, truly believe that the women that get recycled for The Bachelorette, believe that's how it will go down. Granted, there's only one success story to date. The first Bachelorette, Trista Rehn, has been married to her pick, Ryan Sutter, for more than seven years. That doesn't make up for all the other dud pairings, but I believe that's the longest made-for-TV relationship from any dating show thus far, and that counts for a lot. So far, Ali and Roberto are still going strong, too. Dudes just aren't as catty as women, so the goings-on in the house aren't nearly as interesting as when there is a house full of female suitors. But, the hope of Cinderella finding her Prince Charming prevails -- and overall, so does The Bachelorette.
