Mediaboss Marketing

War is hell except for reality shows.

Americans may be exhausted by the real wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But we unwind with no fewer than 17 reality shows with "wars" in their titles. They depict so-called wars waged over whiskers, parking spots and cupcakes.

The word has lost so much of its impact that the latest show with a "wars" title thought it needed punching up. "Battlefield: Rhino Wars," debuts Thursday on "Animal Planet."

"It's actually one of the reasons why we used 'Battleground' in the title for 'Rhino Wars,'" Animal Planet president Marjorie Kaplan told TheWrap. "It's a way of saying this isn't 'Parking Wars,' this isn't 'Storage Wars,' this isn't 'Cupcake Wars.' This is really a war, and terrible things are happening out there, and somebody needs to stand up and do something about it."

Animal Planet was near the forefront of the "wars" title trend: It debuted "Whale Wars" soon after A&E's "Parking Wars" in 2008.

Also read: 'Storage Wars' Lawsuit: A&E Strikes Back at Claims Show Is Fake

No one takes show titles lightly. Discovery, for example, which owns Animal Planet, bounces ideas off of an "influencer panel" of 15,000 viewers. Other networks combine research with discussions between producers and network executives.

Sometimes they opt for a new and unusual name, as in the case of A&E's hit "Duck Dynasty." But more often their titles include one of two reliable words: "War" or "wives." (Although there are more "war" shows than "wives" shows, it's close: Besides Bravo's many "Real Housewives," there are "Mob Wives," "Sister Wives," and "Prison Wives," among others.)

Kaplan says the word "war" belongs in the title of "Rhino Wars," because it depicts former U.S. soldiers trying to stop poachers from killing rhinos for their horns. More than 100 South African rangers have died in the conflict, she said.

But she is quick to acknowledge the death toll doesn't compare with the violence in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Continued here:
Reality 'Wars': A Look at TV's Most Overused Word