Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

First we lost Nick and Jess. Then we lost Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro, stars of Til Death Do Us Part, who recently “amicably separated” after only 3 years of marriage. Most shocking to me was the dissolution of the union between Travis Barker, Blink-182 drummer, and Shanna Moakler, one-time Miss USA, as Barker filed for divorce after only 22 months of marriage. Stars of Meet the Barkers, they entertained us on MTV with lavish vacations, extravagant parties, and the touching birth of their second child. What stood out more than anything else, though, was that they seemed genuinely in love. Just when you thought MTV couples might still have a chance, Lauren Conrad and Jason Wahler, the young stars of "Laguna Beach" and The Hills, have broken-up.

While all of these couples seem to have MTV in common, there is obviously no such curse on any reality-show couple. Perhaps the problem with their reality shows was that their motives, whether they were money, fame, or a revived image, were more important than the actual sanctity of their marriage. Jessica and Nick’s fame sky-rocketed, but what happened to their marriage? With all of the changes and stresses that come with it, how does one start a new family with cameras on them at all times? No matter how real it looks, the presence of cameras limits a certain “natural” way of acting. With no privacy and the entire world watching your every move, how can you really express everything you’re feeling without worrying what certain people will think. I can imagine a lot of repressed feelings and frustrations that are kept hidden because the cameras are there, which certainly doesn’t allow for good communication in a relationship. Who knows if the era of couple reality shows on MTV has ended, but I’m sure Nick Lachey learned his lesson and won’t even think of documenting his life with new flame, Vanessa Minnillo.