I'm glad I gave up the Housewives franchise when I did.

Reality TV isn't EVIL in and of itself. Plenty of reality TV shows edify. But the shows I particularly watched were becoming increasingly...well...soul-less.

There's a misleading reality TV flavor--a strain, for lack of a better word--that centers around socialite, so-called ballin' celebrity wives.

Rich wives (Bravo's Real Housewives franchise).

Athletes' wives (VH1's Basketball Wives).

Rapper's wives (BET's Tiny & Toya) and several others.

And it's making watchers believe that glam-marriages are praise-worthy status symbols. Girlfriends, fiancés and ex's also receive instant notoriety.

That's not the reason I said "Deuces," though.

I gave up "Real Housewives of New Jersey" when--smack in the middle of a grotesque family brawl--I saw an image of the cross dangling from the glittery, iced-out reception hall decor. The fiasco took place during original cast member Teresa's nephew's (Joey and Melissa's son) Christening.

The cursing, over-the-top emotions and pettiness were enough to make me stop watching. The Christening, I realized, was a matter of tradition, not sacred relationship with the Father.

The image of the cross convicted me. Real Talk.

And then, as I wrote recently on my blog, I just decided that it wasn't enough to simply give up the New Jersey installment; I'm done with the entire Real Housewives franchise....and Basketball Wives and any other true-to-life soap operas.

Perhaps after Real Housewives of Beverly Hills husband Russell Armstrong's suicide, other people will pass up on this viral strain of television programming. At this point, it's irrelevant whether Armstrong originally signed on because he felt a show would be a strategic business move or if he abused his wife. The key here is that the show became a liability not an asset, to the point that the only way Armstrong felt he could escape was to write himself off, so to speak.

Just a few days ago, socialite and "reality TV princess" (as she's now dubbed) Kim Kardashian wed basketball player Kris Humphries in a star-studded, multimillion dollar affair. The event, which has been compared to Britain's royal wedding,will be exclusively televised for 4 hours on the E! Network. Kardashian will allegedly earn $17.5 million from her nuptials.

Reality TV is penning new marriage and relationship mores. Hooking up is the new crush. Engagement is the new going steady.A television show is the new public display of affection.

It's time to turn off the stupid box.