Who am I and what we’re doing here in 2025

Happy New Year! Ah, a fresh a new year, offering a clean slate which we can fill with explorations of new paths and/or dread about what’s ahead. At least right now, I’m optimistic, and choosing joy over fear.

As this year begins, I wanted to share with you my plans for reality blurred in 2025, and also (re-)introduce myself.

The introduction was inspired by Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell. I first followed his lead in 2017 and in 2018, and then promptly forgot in 2019. 🤪 And those were the Before Times.

So, here’s more about me, followed by more about reality blurred.

Who I am and what I believe

A selfie taken on Jasper Beach, Maine, during a visit with friends who introduced me to this beach, which has rocks that sing as the waves come in.

Hi! I’m Andy. I created reality blurred back in 2000; today, I’m 47 and live in Central Florida with my husband and our three cats. Our family grew by two kittens in 2024, so our eldest cat could have some companionship after her fellow adoptee died; she’s not always thrilled with this new arrangement.

I’ve believed in the power of true stories—and yes, that includes reality TV—since I fell in love with The Real World in the 1990s. I was primed for that, since I grew up watching shows like Double Dare.

The power of those true stories ranges from their ability to just delight us with entertainment, like laughing at the laundry mishaps on Below Deck, or to help us understand the world, such as seeing what same-sex relationships are like in a country that still bans same-sex marriage.

I believe “reality TV” includes all unscripted TV, from drama-filled Bravo shows to game shows to competition TV. Here, we cover everything from documentary series to prime-time game shows, all shows that focus on people in different circumstances (though sometimes I break that rule).

I’ve been writing in these pages for almost a quarter century because I love and believe in this genre, and I still love talking about it with people like you. All of my pieces are my contribution to the conversation, never me telling you what to think or believe.

I’d rather just praise and recommend great reality TV all day, but I offer criticism (sometimes, a lot of it!) because I think reality TV deserves to be treated as art. I also believe entertainment has power, and I think those who create it need to be held accountable for their actions when they affect real people.

I learned to love writing in a 9th-grade journalism class, and learned to love producing publications in a 9th-grade desktop publishing class, so I have Mrs. Predmore and Mr. Sauer to thank for setting me on this path.

Me with Mrs. Predmore in the classroom office of Barron Collier High School’s Cougar Chronicle, during the 1993-1994 school year. I’m the one in the hideous 1990s shirt.

On reality blurred, I review shows and episodes; share and analyze news that others have reported; produce my own original reporting. Since there is a lot of reality TV, I cover what I think is important, or newsworthy, and/or fascinating. I’m guided by my own instincts and tastes, which are mine and mine alone (i.e. no one ever pays me to cover anything).

In 2024, reality blurred began hosting Best Evidence, which covers the true crime worth your time, and I am so thrilled Sarah and Eve will continue with us this year. (Check out their amazing year-end coverage.)

While stories on reality blurred mix news and opinion, the accuracy and verifiability of factual information is critically important to me. That includes correcting any mistakes I make and, as a human being, I do make mistakes.

I am especially prone to typos, because I write fast and my brain thinks I’ve typed the right thing, so I always appreciate corrections or heads-up; just send me an e-mail message and I’ll fix it as soon as I can.

I cover all of this and more in reality blurred’s editorial policies.

Potential conflicts and other disclosures

I’ve started including potential conflicts, financial disclosures, and other information on the about page, which covers things like the handful of Disney stock shares I own (a gift from my grandma when I was a kid, because I loved Disney theme parks).

reality blurred is supported—i.e. makes money, and keeps the mortgage paid and our cats fed—in three ways:

• mostly from display advertising, via the awesome Mediavine, which was created by other small, independent publishers who know that both user experience and revenue matter.
• from affiliate fees, which are a tiny percentage of your purchase that I receive if you click an affiliate link, such as on this list of reality TV gift ideas or this list of books by reality TV stars.
• the support of readers like you, who not only fund independent journalism but help keep this site free for everyone.

A special thank you to new Patreon supporters Dan Daranciang, Danielle Stark, Jason Molenda, Laura, Nanita Cranford, and Sarah Schulman. You can join them on Patreon.

If you’d like to support my work, you can also:

• give a one-time donation
• subscribe for $70/year or $7/month

And if you cannot do any of those, that is okay! Just being here is enough.

More disclosures: I love Chipotle and wandering the aisles of Target, and I also love coaching writers and teaching virtual workshops, which I’ve been doing since I left my day job teaching college students in classrooms, which I did for 20 years.

If you’d like to discuss having me work with your group or team, please contact me! And teachers, I’m always glad to Zoom with your classes.

Reality TV is often political, and I’m not even referring to the news from 2016, but things like the way one of its stars used the medium to create lasting change 30 years ago.

So I’ll let you know that, here in Florida, I’m a registered Democrat, an affiliation I’ve kept only so I can vote in primary elections (primaries are closed here, ugh). I’m generally progressive and often unimpressed by America’s political parties, even if they are big tents, so in both recent and past elections, I’ve voted for both Republicans and Democrats.

Other things that may disappoint you: I’m not as in love with Disney theme parks as I once was, because their grab for cash has made them miserable, though I still love roller coasters, and thankfully, so does my husband.

Thrill rides are great, but turbulence on an airplane still makes my palms sweat, and that is not the only anxiety that finds its way into my life. But the older I get, the more I learn about anxiety and ADHD and how to live with them.

That’s probably enough about me for now, though if you’re trying to kill time at work, there’s a lot more about me on my website, andydehnart.com, and on reality blurred’s about page.

My 2025 reality blurred plans

As I shared with reality blurred newsletter subscribers earlier this week (add yourself to the list!), here are my plans for this year.

In the coming months, you can expect:

1. More fun recaps. My coverage of our favorites, like Survivor, The Traitors, and Amazing Race will continue. This year, I did more recaps, and especially loved recapping Below Deck, in part because it’s light and fun and dumb. 🤪 I’m going to do more of that, and experiment with new formats, like shorter, punchier recaps.
2. More behind-the-scenes stories. Some of my favorite 2024 stories were my deep dives into Joe Millionaire and Amish in the City, and I have more of those coming in 2024.
3. More interviews with cast and producers. That’s nothing new, of course; what I’m specifically thinking about for 2025 are 1) interviews with people who were on reality TV years ago and we haven’t heard from recently, and 2) talking more to producers about what their reality is like, as I did in this fall series.
4. 🎧 My new podcast. My podcast re-launches next week, and I’m excited to use that space to informally share behind-the-scenes stories from TV and my writing. All episodes will be on reality blurred, or you can subscribe now in your favorite podcast app.
5. More coverage from other writers. While reality blurred was just me for years, it’s since expanded, such as Sarah and Eve’s excellent coverage and occasional op-eds and pieces from others. I will be actively seeking to publish more from writers who, like me, love this genre and have strong, unapologetic voices—and who can cover stories I, as one human being who sometimes gets tired, cannot do alone!

   I also want to pay back what others gave to me as a young writer, which was an opportunity to write about the things I cared about and get paid while not having to worry about anything other than great writing and reporting.

6. 25th anniversary celebrations! 🥳 I honestly don’t know what these will be yet, but a quarter century of reality blurred is a milestone I want to celebrate. One idea I’m kicking around is a virtual community event for us all to gather—maybe in a Q&A, maybe a panel discussion.Have ideas for that or things you’d like to see? Tell me in the comments!
7. 💬 Improved commenting for regulars. I love that reality blurred has a thriving comments section, especially when so many sites have dumped community features and Facebook is turning into an AI hellscape. For those who contribute frequently, I want to make that even easier, so you can track replies, see what you’ve posted, et cetera.

There they are: my early intentions. I’m sure a lot more will come as ideas and opportunities present themselves.

And I’m always open to thoughts, feedback, and ideas from you; send me an e-mail message any time! It goes right to me, and I try to answer all messages.

Thanks for reading to the end, and here’s to a very happy new year!