By the way, just to keep things clear ... in my earlier post (& other statements similar) about a combined project of SR & SF or any other posters ... I was just being silly. Kind of hard to see in print the silly smile on my face & hear the one little "Ha" I uttered when I typed it.

I loved reading the many thoughtful and well-written posts - of varying opinions - on this board, my favorites being from SeasonedRefinement. And I especially enjoyed the fun threads with pictures, for which Snowflake was well known, and those with puns, funny thoughts and plenty of other comedy.

IMO, SO blew it. They began something good ... something on the "tube" that had real value. They had a niche that could have been developed into something long-term ... that could have rippled out among so many more than those on the show & those who watched.

SO needed a bigger audience to generate more ad sales & make that coveted $$$. Rather than develop what they started & expand on an awesome idea, they chose to duplicate an idea that was already over saturating every channel at all hours of the day & night -- that being the manufactured drama with conflict-loving reality "contestants".

The discontent among the SO fans seems to be strongest from those who found the show during it's first season. They became disappointed & then angry as the show quickly went from helping women to setting up explosive situations in order to bring out then exploit the worst in human nature. But these long-term, loyal fans that found SO in its early airing seemed, for the most part, to have happened upon it accidentally not as a result of well-placed advertising. Once the show proved it had it's own unique audience they could have heavily marketed THAT audience. They wouldn't have needed that much of an advertising budget to reach the target audience who love, and most of all, appreciate the quality and life lessons that could be learned.

But just like too many of the HG on SO, the program in general looked for the easy way to get what they wanted. Sadly, the success of reality conflict programming has proven there is an audience for it, partially because it takes comparatively little to fund one of these shows. But not everyone on this planet who owns a television enjoys watching odd behavior from people who are nowhere near "real" as they strive to do something, ANYTHING, regardless of how stupid or humiliating, just to have the camera pointed toward them. Not everyone likes to come away from watching something on television feeling irritated and frustrated. In the beginning, by the end of each SO show I remember feeling encouraged, enlightened, stronger, happier and I may have even gotten some insights &/or answers. This past season, by the end of each show I felt irritated, like I wanted to slap someone!

Rather than simply adopt the same type reality formula already being used on hundreds of other reality shows, SO could have gone after "the rest of TV watchers". Add together all the people who are home during the day that want something with substance, something positive and you COULD have the numbers SO desperately wanted. There are A LOT of women home during the day looking for something worthwhile ... the stay-at-home mother, the ill or disabled, and the hugely growing population of baby boomers who are rapidly retiring. There are only so many teens & tweens sitting around during the day watching hours & hours of mindless programming, searching for ANOTHER show selling conflict among odd members of society. And, yes, there are stay-at-home mothers, disabled, & baby boomers who watch "reality shows". But, as a general rule, many women stay home with their children because they want to assure the children will be surrounded by the environment they create. Those forced to stay home as a result of a devastating illness or injury often don't want to invite real people into their homes and watch them hurt each other. They have enough of their own sadness, pain, & heartache to pull them apart all day long typically caused by something uncontrollable that stole their life. That's irritating enough! And the baby boomers that are retiring in droves ... they grew up on Leave It To Beaver, I Love Lucy, Bonanza & The Andy Griffith Show. Not as many are searching out reality drama. They've worked hard to make a good living & raise their children. They are now facing disappearing pensions, possible deflated investments, & a troubled health care system that they now (or soon will) rely on. AND for many of them, their children are returning home ... possibly unable to get a job, maybe divorced with children, or as a result of substance abuse problems. Their kids are a product of much of the attitudes driving these reality show. Do you think they are looking for more of it blaring throughout their homes all day?? Doubt it. What about the woman home some hours of the day that enjoys her life, things are humming along pretty nicely? Many would think they would be bored to death searching for drama. I don’t find that normally the case. Most people I know whose lives are generally pretty smooth have usually worked very hard to get to that point. If they loved drama, they wouldn’t have worked so hard at eliminating it. They usually find it irritating and irksome. They aren’t usually bored, living out their days searching for conflict. There are only so many bored, drama-loving SpitUpLisa’s on the planet.

So SO, you have only yourselves, your laziness, & your belief that the world is full of SpitUpLisas to blame. We thought maybe someone had finally come along ready to do good in the world and work to make it the success it could have been, developing a vast audience of good people who will always be working to improve themselves … people who will always have problems just because they are human. Instead, you proved you were as lazy & star hungry as Christie, Jill, Allison, & Christina. And, just like them, you caused your own demise.