It started in the early 1990s with MTV’s “The Real World.” Now, it’s everything from traveling all over the world to being “made” into your true identity.

Every few months a new idea for a reality TV show appears and is surprisingly successful. Don’t get me wrong, I love nothing more than watching Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie make fools out of themselves, or watch bratty teenagers throw the most extravagant sweet 16 parties.

Reality has served the public as a method of feeling better about one’s life because “at least it’s not as bad as theirs.”

Lately, though, from the brilliant mind of Ice Cube, “Black. White.” was created.

The show is about getting new perspectives on race. “Black. White.” revolves around two families, an African American family and a white family.

The idea is for them to understand each other. They understand each other by exchanging races, and then living together in the Los Angeles area.

So it’s pretty much a “walk two miles in their shoes” for the reality world.

The transformation includes everything from hair, makeup and even lessons on how to act like the other race.

“Black. White.” shows the “correct” way to be African American, or the right way to be white.

The idea in itself is interesting and creative, if the results were equally distributed.

Throughout the show most of the conflicts that occurred were related to how the white family acted. They did not quite grasp the idea that racism still exists.

Especially the white dad, Bruno Wurgel, was not at all convinced there was racism. He lived in what the African American family called “the Bruno block.”

“The Bruno block” is the separation of reality and the way Bruno views reality.

For instance, there is no amount of makeup that ever will convince Bruno he is being discriminated against.

He simply does not see it when he walks down the street.

He does not see how different people act toward him with or without the makeup.

The concept of the show is very progressive, but in this world of reality TV, this show does not represent reality.

It is impossible for anyone to enter into this show without preconceived biases.

And it is impossible to know how someone’s life really is with a few weeks of makeup on.

The reality is what you make it to be. Without the history of emotions and experiences, there is no way to know or believe a different reality.

The white family went in thinking racism no longer exists, while the African American family took it upon themselves to educate the white family.

To be quite honest, the white family needed it. The African American family already knew how to act. They knew more of the reality than the white family. They lived in a dominantly white society, so it is hard for them not to view the world as true reality.

This show tried to do something real, and whether or not it was a good show, hardly anyone I spoke to has seen it.

Most people heard about it. They said it was an interesting idea, but did not seem to care.

Why should anyone really care? The show is neither real nor relatable.

Everyone lives in their own little “Bruno block,” and that probably won’t change.

Whether you believe racism does or does not exist, dictatorships are a good or bad idea or whether all Muslims are, egh, terrorists, you will believe what you want to believe.

The younger generation has a greater advantage than the older one. The younger generation might not have been through as much, or have experienced the same things, but it has been exposed to a more accepting society.

On the show, even the white daughter was able to take off the makeup around her African American friends, and they accepted her for who she was.

They continued being her friend and did not treat her any different without the makeup.

This proves that although racism might never entirely go away, there is hope for the future.

There already are enough problems in the world without having to deal with racism as an issue.

It’s surprising that in such a diverse country, race would make a difference; that discrimination exists because of the color of your skin.

Reviews called Bruno’s thinking to be “naïve and ignorant.” Maybe I’m naïve to believe that in reality racism can actually be nonexistent.

Reality? We probably won’t ever be able to live without a “Bruno block” of some sort.

But can’t we just all get along?

Maggie Habashy welcomes comments at [email protected].