Tom Long

About the author: Tom Long is a reporter for the Detroit News.

Fads are defined by their ability to attract universal attention—to give diverse people something in common—if only for a short time. America's culture and lifestyle provide the income and leisure time needed to support the development of fads. Moreover, the United States has the complex media mix—television, radio, Internet, movies, newspapers, books, and magazines—required to create fads. While most fads enjoy only brief popularity, reality TV has made a seemingly permanent place for itself in the twenty-first-century American television mix. With its ability to hold the attention of millions of television viewers for several seasons in a row, reality TV is showing itself to be more than a fad.

Tammy Endicott of...