As a member of the reality TV nation, there is an issue I must address – those horrible “let’s put a group together and try to sell it to the public” searches for new talent shows.

At least every other year, there is a show that promises to create the next Backstreet Boys or TLC. Most of the time, what we end up getting is a group of people that not only lacks the chemistry of the aforementioned groups, but also lacks talent.

Let’s take a stroll down the reality TV band lane.

Eden’s Crush, O-Town and Da Band.

Who?

Exactly. I’m sure if you polled 50 people, not even half of them would know whom you were talking about. If they could tell you who they were, they probably couldn’t tell you the last time they heard about the group.

Eden’s Crush emerged from the reality show “PopStars” in 2001. The show was actually a prelude to the ever-so-popular American Idol. Both O-Town and Da Band were created on the ABC/MTV show “Making The Band.”

Viewer’s watch these people perform, audition, dance and cry for the opportunity of a lifetime. They are often heckled, humiliated and cursed out by judges who claim that they are preparing the contestants for “the business.”

P. Diddy made Da Band walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn to get him a slice of Junior’s Cheesecake.

Sure, they didn’t have to do it. But when you have a dream, you are willing to do anything to obtain it. These musical puppet masters know that and they capitalize on it. They aren’t concerned about the performers. They just want to make a quick buck while they can.

The public can be a performer’s best and worst enemy. We’ll watch people audition for the group and record an album, but when that album comes out, we won’t be anywhere near the record store.

And why would we? Why would we want to hear songs we saw you practice thousands of times on TV reruns?

Puh-lease!

Despite the fact that many reality groups don’t make it past their first album, various producers – such as Puffy, P.Diddy, Diddy or whatever he calls himself today – are relentless in their pursuit of the perfect group.

Please spare us.

For some reason, when people try to put a group together, it doesn’t work as well as discovering a solo artist.

People want to watch a talent show where they have a say in the outcome. We don’t want to see a show that decides the best talent for us.

Perhaps the next batch of bands can escape the inevitable backlash and breakup that have happened to previous groups.

MTV’s current band, Danity Kane, is having great success with a No. 1 album.

So of course, you must strike while the iron is hot.

As I am writing this, Sean ” Puffy” Combs is scouring the country looking for the big boy band.

Will it ever end?

Probably not.