In the ever-escalating competition for ratings, Reality Television shows continually try to outdo each other, leaving many wondering how far RTV will go to draw viewers. For a longer perspective on this phenomenon, renowned psychic Mary Anne Tussle used her inner vision to see what may lie ahead. She reports that You Lose!- a game show that already exists in the ethers - will likely be on the airwaves within ten years.

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Reality Television has taken the entertainment industry by storm. In the ever-escalating competition for ratings, RTV shows try to outdo each other with seemingly no limits in sight leaving some observers wondering how far RTV will go to draw viewers.

For a longer perspective on this phenomenon, renowned psychic Mary Anne Tussle used her inner vision to see what may lie ahead. She reports that short of a radical shift in the consciousness and values of television viewers, You Lose! - a game show that already exists in the ethers - will likely be on the airwaves within ten years.

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"And now it's time for You Lose!, the hot new game show that puts the real in reality, where you compete to win a million dollars - or die trying. And now, the host of the show all America is raving about, Tom Collins!"

(Tom Collins comes bounding out to center stage to wild applause)

"Hello, hello, and hello! I'm your host Tom Collins and this is You Lose! the show with no in between, where you either leave here rich or feet first. Now, as many of you know, You Lose! is embroiled in a contentious lawsuit which is going to the United States Supreme Court this week, so if you want us to stay on the air, keep that flood of calls, emails, and threatening anonymous letters coming and deluge the Supreme Court and let them know that America wants You Lose! on the air. Now before we meet the contestants and play our game, we're going to take a minute to introduce our legal team."

"Please give a warm You Lose! welcome to Mr. Johnny Puka, whose law firm Puka, Puka, and Puka represents the Chinese Triad; Mr. Abe Murkowski, lifetime legal counsel for the Gambino Family; and Mr. David Schliemann, former US Attorney who now represents anyone who can afford his one million dollar retainer. Welcome, gentleman. We have time for a brief statement from each of you. Mr. Puka?"

"I want to assure all our loyal fans out there that we are confident we will win this case and keep You Lose!  on the air."

"Mr. Murkowski?"

"I say give the people what they want, and they want You Lose!"

"And Mr. Schliemann?"

"It's a done deal."

(ecstatic applause and cheering)

"Thank you for those encouraging words. Now for new viewers a quick review of how the You Lose! game is played. After we carefully screen and pick two evenly matched contestants from the thousands of hopefuls wanting to be on the show, they are given intensive tests to make sure they're physically and mentally sound, fully understand what they're getting into, and their relations won't sue us if they lose. The contestants compete on our rough and tumble obstacle course where anything goes and the one who crosses the finish line and takes possession of the Jolly Roger skull and bones flag first is the winner of the one million dollar grand prize and selects the means by which the loser will meet his maker. Yes, you heard me right, the loser will be terminated right here on the program. That's terminated as in dead meat. This week's termination options are: the Iron Maiden, the rack, being drawn and quartered, or the more common methods of hanging or execution by a firing squad."

"Now let's meet our contestants. From Grand Rapids, Michigan, he's a carpenter by day and a self confessed boozer and womanizer by night, let's give a hearty You Lose! welcome to James X. Collier. Hi there, James, and welcome to the show."

"Thanks, Tom, it's good to be on. By the way, my friends call me Jimbo."

"Well then Jimbo it is. Jimbo, can you tell us what you would do with the million dollars if you walk away with the grand prize tonight?"

"A buddy of mine from the Navy has a bar on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands and needs an investor to expand, so I'll move there, join up with him, and never work another day in my life."

"Now that sounds like a plan. Our other contestant is Bob Kostmeyer from Del Ron, Texas. Bob used to work for Energicom, infamous as the largest corporate failure in history-"

(boos and hisses from the audience)

"-now hold on there, folks, Bob was one of the good guys and was not indicted like his bosses. In fact, Bob, you were another victim of that gigantic scamola, weren't you?"

"Exactly right, Tom. I lost everything when the company went down: my high paying job, my beautiful home, my pension, and worst of all, my medical insurance for me, my wife, and my son Dale, who is eleven and has leukemia and is in desperate need of medical care. I've sold everything else we had and we've exhausted our savings on Dale's medical bills to keep him alive and I'm down to my last ten thousand and we need one hundred thousand dollars pronto or Dale won't live to see his upcoming twelfth birthday."

"My, that's a heart breaker of a story, Bob. So you're willing to risk your own life to come up with the money to save your son."

"That's it, Tom."

"How about that, folks, is that a real dad, or what?"

(tumultuous applause and cheering from the audience)

"All right. You both know how the game is played, but before we start the contest we have a new feature on this week's program which we hope will add another dimension to the show. We've invited three world class psychics to join us this evening so let's meet them. Don Nardo, why don't you introduce our panelists?"

"I'll be glad to, Tom. First, from Santa Barbara, California, the psychic to the stars, staff soothsayer for The National Enquirer , and George Michael's personal astrologer and skincare adviser, let's greet Tanya Featherbell."

"Welcome, Tanya."

"Hi, Tom, thanks for inviting me on the show."

"Next, from Salem, Massachusetts, a man whose family came over on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock, let's welcome Hiram Josiah Smith. Though many of his forebears perished during the Salem witch trials of 1692, Hiram has followed in the family tradition and has been consulted by several presidents and first ladies."

"So have I."

"Good for you, Tanya. Thanks for joining us, Hiram."

"My pleasure, Tom."

"And our third psychic, Don?"

"All the way from Romania, a woman who can trace her lineage back to Hungarian and Romanian royalty, including Draco the Impaler, Poland's first dog catcher, and the inventor of goulash, and who is part gypsy but which part she won't say... (big laughs from the audience) ...let's have a rousing You Lose! hello for Schmera Czarnukaluf."

"Welcome, Schmera. How was your flight over?"

"It vud have been bedda if it vuz first class."

"Well let's see how tonight goes and maybe we can arrange that next time. Right now we're going to ask our panelists to write on a three by five card the winner of tonight's contest and then the method of termination the winner will choose for the loser. All right, panel?"

"OK, Tom."

"Will do."

"Vatever."

(fifteen seconds of goofy background music)

"Now our charming hostess with the leastess in a teeny weenie mini bikini, Cyndi Cinder - and she is hot - will collect the cards and hold them in her bikini bottom for safekeeping until the end of the program. Don't let anyone get in there Cyndi - oh, ho, ho."

(snickers, whistles, and hoots from the audience)

(Cyndi blows Tom a kiss)

"And now it's time to get to it. Both of our contestants have had pre-match checkups by our physician on duty Dr. Raymond Blathersby and they're both in peak condition, correct, Doctor?"

"They're in the pink, Tom."

"Dr. Blathersby will also sign the death certificate of the loser. And now we go to the You Lose! obstacle course. Ted Knockworthy, radio announcer for the Detroit Demons will call the play by play. Both contestants are ready... and there's the gun. Take it, Ted!"

"All right, Tom. Both men are off to a good start. They've donned Velcro boots and are attempting to overcome their first obstacle, a forty-foot Velcro pad. Oh, boy, are they ever having a hard time of it."

(big laughs from the audience)

"Ha, ha, ha, oh this is too much. Every step is so difficult trying to lift their feet once they're velcroed in. Bob has a slight edge over Jim as his legs are longer and he's taking the biggest strides he can but as he tries to pull ahead Jim lunges at him and throws a vicious elbow into Bob's face and takes the lead. Jim has drawn first blood but Bob struggles to catch up and now he pays Jim back with a powerful kidney punch from behind. Jim loses his momentum and both men are tied as they make it off the pad and take off their boots."

"Next they must scale a fifteen-foot rocky wall with indents for climbing which has been coated with honey and has several thousand bees buzzing around it. And there they go. Oh, they're slipping and sliding... both of them fall off several times and are getting stung from head to toe. What a mess they are. The audience is cheering them on as they both near the top of the wall."

"All right, they've both made it up and over and are racing toward a water tank with barracuda that have not been fed for days. They dive in and start swimming as fast as thy can. The barracudas are instantly on them and the water rapidly turns red. Both contestants are screaming from those razor sharp teeth barracuda are famous for but they make it through. Bob is climbing out when Jim tries to give him another elbow in the face but Bob sees it coming this time and ducks and gives Jim an elbow of his own in the gut. Jim winces and Bob follows that up with a right cross which nails Jim, who goes down on his knees giving Bob a chance to make it to the next obstacle a few steps ahead of him."

"Now the course really gets tough. Both men have to get on motorcycles and ride them off a ramp and over an alligator pit. If they land in the pit it's all over as the walls are fifteen feet high. They're revving up and they're off! Looks like they've both got the distance - but Bob lands sideways and takes a spill while Jim maintains control. Bob gets up but he's looking woozy and - what's this? JIM HAS TURNED AROUND AND IS HEADING FULL SPEED AT BOB! As the rules say, there are no rules and anything goes. Bob sees him coming but he can't get out of the way fast enough and the bike smashes into him and knocks him down. Jim screeches to a stop before he goes flying into the alligator pit, does a wheelie u turn and jams back toward the next obstacle, the fire walk. Bob staggers to his feet in obvious pain and JIM IS HEADING FOR HIM AGAIN! Oh, no, look out, Bob!"

"Oh, my word, Bob has drawn some strength from somewhere and just as Jim's about to slam into him and finish him off, he jumps to the side and grabs Jim's hair as he goes by and pulls him off the bike! Now they're raining blows on each other and really duking it out. Jim gives Bob a kick below the belt and Bob goes down holding himself. Jim races to the fire walk, looks at it for a second and then runs through it as fast as he can, his feet smoking all the way. He emerges with charred tootsies but determined to go on."

"Bob's fallen far behind and he better get moving to have a chance at winning. Bob grabs the motorcycle and starts driving through the fire walk! Is that legal, can he do that? Tom Collins shakes his head yes - anything goes on You Lose! A brilliant if risky tactical move by Bob as the bike could catch fire and explode but it proves to be a risk worth taking as it brings him back into contention. Bob catches up to Jim as both men reach the next obstacle, the sandpit filled with razors and glass shards. The bike won't do him any good here so Bob jumps off it and is right behind Jim as they tear through the pit, shrieking as they go."

"Now they're off to the next to last obstacle, the fifteen-foot spinning tube which is nothing like the ones your kids love at the amusement park. This tube whirls so fast you can't even crawl through it and have to ball yourself up and hope it spits you out at the other end ahead of your opponent."

"Both Jim and Bob have done exactly that and are being thrown around violently in the tube, smashing into the sides as well as each other until they both come tumbling out the other end. They're so dizzy and disorientated that neither one can stand up and tackle the final obstacle. Bob is heaving hard and throwing up his guts and Jim is lying flat on his back moaning and holding his head with foaming spittle bubbling out of his mouth and blood leaking out of his ears."

"They both finally regain a bit of their balance and lurch toward the mud pit, but this is not your ordinary everyday mud pit. The You Lose! high-tech mud pit has been specially designed by cutting edge high-tech mud pit experts using a patented mixture of quicksand, molasses, leftover human fat from liposuction, and secret ingredients so it will grab you and suck you down if you're not strong enough to pull yourself free of its grip."

"Both men are fighting for their lives as they struggle to get through the high tech mud pit. Bob has an advantage with his longer legs and arms and as they near the finish line which is just beyond the mud pit, with one foot still in the mud he stretches out as far as he can to gain possession of the winner's flag... his fingers are touching it ... he's almost got it! ... but Jim grabs the back of Bob's shorts and stymies his progress ... and now Jim takes a bite out of Bob's heinie! Oh, my word, how utterly barbaric, but Jim's tactic, though revolting, is working as Bob loses his balance and falls back into the pit and Jim jumps up and grabs the flag to become the winner of this hard fought contest! Wow, what a battle and what an exciting finish. I'm exhausted from just watching it. Back to you, Tom."

"Thank you Ted Knockworthy for that thrilling play by play. Our winner tonight Jim Collier, or Jimbo as his friends call him, is being attended to by Dr. Blathersby and his nurse who are disinfecting his numerous wounds and staunching the flow of blood. Meanwhile, our security people have pulled the semi conscious Bob Kostmeyer from the high tech mud pit and are dragging him across the floor to the termination depot. The good doctor and his nurse won't bother tending to his injuries. Dr. Blathersby, can you tell us how our champion is doing?"

"Jimbo will be just be fine. After we finish disinfecting him we'll stitch up the worst of his wounds and bandage his broken ribs to hold them in place till we get him x-rayed. We'll have Jimbo ready for you in about ten minutes."

"Thank you, Dr. Blathersby. While we're waiting for Jim to get patched up, let's consult with our panel of psychics and see how they did. Cyndi, can you bring their cards to me?"

(Cyndi sashays over in her itsy bitsy teeny weenie string bikini, puts her hands on her hips and thrusts her pelvis toward Tom)

"Ah, my favorite part of the show."

(Tom ever so slowly removes the cards from Cyndi's bikini bottom)

"And thank you, Cyndi Cinder."

"You're very welcome, Tom. Anytime."

"First up is Tanya's card. She picked Jim as the winner and predicted he'd choose the Iron Maiden. Congratulations, Tanya, you got both questions right."

"It was a piece of cake, Tom."

"Next we have Hiram's card and he likewise picked Jim and the Iron Maiden. Good work, Hiram."

"Thanks, Tom."

"And finally, we have Schmera's card and she picked Jim as the winner but, uh oh, Schmera wrote the rack as Jim's choice for Bob's termination. Sorry, Schmera, I'm no psychic but I can tell you there won't be any first class tickets for you in your immediate future, say on your flight back to the old country, wherever it is."

"I never make mistake! You ask him vat he tinking ven he write. Go head, ask him."

"Dr. Blathersby, can we get Jimbo a microphone while you work on him?"

"No problem, Tom. I'm finished with the stitches and bandaging up his ribs."

"So, Jimbo, is Schmera right that you were thinking about the rack?"

"Actually, Tom, she is. I came here tonight expecting to win and had the rack firmly in my mind-"

"You see, I yell you, I am right!"

"Don't be a sore loser, Czarnukaluf."

"Me? Sore loser? You, Tanya Tinkerbelle-"

"That's Featherbell, Ms. Dracula."

"You dun't mess vid me, you Hollywood hump, or you vake up in morning vid yur schmukis vere yur face is."

"Now, hang on ladies-"

"Try that gypsy Svengali shtick on me and you'll have gerbils eating their way out of your colon, you Carpathian slut."

"LADIES, ENOUGH! Now just be quiet and let the man speak."

(Tanya and Schmera quiet down and silently send death ray stares at each other)

"That's better. Jimbo, I'm sorry you were interrupted."

"Oh, I didn't mind. That was fun. Maybe we can get them in a mud wrestling ring together."

"Now, Jimbo, what were you saying about the rack? Was Schmera right about that?"

"Well, in fact, yes she was, but I changed my mind just as they were writing out their cards."

"There! You see, I am right, they are wrong."

"This is a real hair splitter, I'll admit, Schmera, and a tough call, but the fact remains that Bob is being prepped for the Iron Maiden and not the rack, so we have to go with what is and not what almost was. I'm afraid the rack is still a wrong answer and you're off the panel."

"You dun't fool vid me, you Tom Collins. I varn you!"

"Well, Schmera with the unpronounceable last name, why don't you just turn into a bat and fly back to your fortune teller's wagon in Transylvania or wherever your roost is before we sic our goon squad on you."

Schmera points her finger at Tom and shrieks: "Schluga mirshta chuchka guntz, shtupken xjartukis fleister gobluminczmb!"

(Schmera stomps out of the studio - Tom turns to Hiram and Tanya)

"Can either of you tell me what she said? I don't think she was wishing me happy birthday."

"I can."

"All right, Tanya, tell me what Schmera's parting shot was."

"It's an old Hungarian curse: May your testicles shrivel like prunes and dry up and fall off your body leaving you less than a man."

"Whoa, that sounds pretty awful. Do curses like that actually work?"

"From someone like her they do."

"What do you say Hiram, should I take it seriously?"

"I'm afraid so, Tom."

"Golly, it sounds like I'm in deep dookie. Is there anything I can do about it? Tanya?"

"Yes, but it will cost you big bucks."

"What's big bucks?"

"A hundred thousand dollars."

"One hundred thousand dollars? For a gypsy curse?"

"How much are your testicles worth to you, Tom?"

"Tom, I can do the same curse reverse for ten thousand."

(Tanya turns to Hiram with a look of disbelief)

"You'll take Madame Blavatsky's curse off for ten grand? Are you nuts, Smith?"

"Tanya, come on now, fair is fair. A hundred thousand dollars is an outrageous price to charge for ten minutes work."

"You dimwit, this guy is loaded. He spent twice that on hookers and drugs last year, didn't you Tom?"

"Uh, gug ... ungh ..."

Tom turns scarlet and almost swallows his tongue.

"But then again, maybe that's why I live in a fifteen million dollar mansion in Santa Barbara while you scrimp along in a studio apartment in downtown Salem."

"My apartment is spacious and beautiful."

"Right, all four hundred square feet of it."

"OK, panelists, I think we'll discuss this further when we're off the air. All right, Dr. Blathersby has finished putting Jimbo back together and Bob the loser is being supported by several of our security personnel so let's have a few words with them. Bob, how do you feel about facing the Iron Maiden?"

"Gee, Tom, I'm really looking forward to it. I mean I can hardly wait."

"Don't project your bitterness onto me, Kostmeyer. Nobody twisted your arm to get you on the show. Any last words to our winner, Jimbo?"

"Well, yes. I was just wondering, Jimbo, as one human being to another, since you just won a million dollars, maybe you could find it in your heart to give my wife a hundred thousand of it to save my son's life."

"Sorry, buddy, no can do."

"You selfish son of a-"

"Hey, hey, hey, Bob, remember what it says in the contract you signed: good sportsmanship and no sore losers, and even though you won't be around, according to paragraph one hundred forty-two we can sue your wife and son for your breach of the rules. If you think they've got it tough now, we can put them on the street. Now Jimbo won fair and square, so you tip your cap to him and take your medicine like a man."

"Right, Tom. Sorry about that. I got a little carried away there. It's just that my son-"

"Enough with the son already. It also says in the contract we can sedate you and our five psych techs are standing by ready to put you down if need be. Boys, say howdy to the folks at home."

Five burly men in white hospital uniforms wave and call out, "Howdy!" One holds a loaded syringe in his waving hand.

"You don't want to go out that way, do you, Bob? I mean if your son is watching, God forbid, you don't want him to see his daddy whining like a little baby wimp loser on national television. What kind of an example would that be to set for the youngster even if he won't live to be twelve?"

"Yes, of course, you're absolutely right, Tom. Billy, if you're watching, just go to bed, son, and remember I did this all for you. I love you."

"All right, now that's much better. Our death squad, as we call them, who are professionals from Ossining Prison in New York, better known as Sing Sing, will take Bob away to meet his maker, but not before having to endure excruciating torment in the Iron Maiden. OK, boys, he's all yours."

Bob breaks down and sobs. Four bruisers in prison guard uniforms lead him away.

"You just hate to see a grown man cry, but that's the way the pasta congeals. So tell me, Jimbo, why did you pick the Iron Maiden for Bob's demise? Hanging or a firing squad would have been instantaneous and more humane, whereas the Iron Maiden will be a long drawn out affair, probably one of the worst exits imaginable."

"I thought it would be more entertaining for the viewers at home."

"It's nice that you can think of others at a time like this."

"And besides, Bob was right. I am a son of a-"

"Hold it right there, Jimbo, we have television codes we have to follow. And remember what it says about no profanity in the contract you signed. That could cost you serious cashola."

"Sorry about that, Tom. Thanks for cutting me off and saving me some dough."

"Well, we can let that one slide, and besides, I appreciate your candor. I've just received word that Bob is strapped in the Maiden and they're ready to start screwing down the lid so those twelve inch spikes can do their job. We have microphones and video cams inside the Maiden so during our credit crawl our viewers who have the stomach for it can see and hear what happens in there."

"By the way, if Bob's family or anyone who knows him is watching, it's time to go channel surfing. That's our show for tonight. Tune in next week, same time, same channel, to see if we're still on the air or if the Supreme Court has pulled our plug. Till then, from all of us here to all of you at home..."

The legal team - Johnny Puka, Abe Murkowski, and David Schliemann - the Sing Sing death squad, the five psych techs, Tanya Featherbell and Hiram Smith, Dr. Raymond Blathersby and nurse, Jimbo the winner and Tom Collins with his arm around Cyndi Cinder all wave and call out in unison:

"You Lose!"

Authors Bio:
Leni Matlin was born in NYC and attended Brooklyn College before moving to California in his twenties. For the better part of his adult life, he has worked as a musician (keyboards / vocals) and played in more bands then he can remember, while living and working in New York, the Bay area, LA, Key West, Costa Rica, Palau (Micronesia), a Caribbean cruise ship, and elsewhere.

His travels have also taken him to Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, and India where he lived for 10 years.

Writing has now become Leni's creative focus and his works include novels, screenplays, and varied genres of short fiction. His interests range from political, social, and psychological themes to the metaphysical, spiritual and visionary. He regularly employs humor and satire to explore issues and events both contemporary and historical.

His eBooks are available at most eBook retailers including

Amazon Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/author/lenimatlin.com

and Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/leni+matlin

A free song and video montage of the Occupy Movement is available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pelhdn8f7qk&feature=relmfu

and a CD of original music is at
http://www.lenimatlin.bandcamp.com