Are reality shows cruel?

Are we living in a culture that has made schoolyard bullying a national pasttime?

It seems as though we've become obsessed with watching people make spectacles of themselves on telly.

I, for one, love nothing better than watching someone have a laugh at their own expense, dressed up in a superhero suit - underpants on the outside - trying to moonwalk their way to fame at an Australian Idol audition.

But the line between humour and humiliation have definitely become blurred.

In a vicious cycle that is driven as much by public obsession with ridicule as it is by the increasingly tactless presenters, judges and hosts of these shows, public crushing of the human spirit seems to be our most addictive drug.

Australian Idol judge Kyle Sandilands has spent plenty time in the spotlight for his hurtful, personal comments about contestants but he's far from the only culprit in the belittlement game.

Here's the latest example, from the UK show X-Factor, where an unfortunately plus-size ex-jockey causes hysterics due to the unlikeliness of her riding a horse due to her size. The video was removed from YouTube due to a copyright claim from Fremantle Media

And the effects of it all can be felt long after the TV is turned off. There have been a number of Reality TV related suicides reported, such as in the case of Cheryl Kosewicz of the series Pirate Master, and American boxer Najai "Nitro" Turpin, who shot himself after his appearance in The Contender.

Our fascination with watching people fail is best described on the episode of the Simpsons when Ralph falls in love with Lisa. Bart watches it again and again on video saying: "You can actually pinpoint the exact moment his heart breaks in two."

So, after getting a fix from watching people get knocked down time and time again, you have to wonder: who are the real losers anyway? The mugs having a go on the TV or the drooling laugh-tracks on the couch?

What do you think?