Answer:
Based on the author's statement in paragraph 12, “As someone who grew up with TV, I can tell you that even the 'realest' reality shows are at least as scripted as the most 'scripted' scripted series. The difference being, of course, that nobody admits it,” it appears that the author is critical of reality TV and maintains that even the most “real” reality shows are still heavily scripted, which contradicts the idea of reality that the genre purports to offer.
Furthermore, the author's statement in paragraph 13: “Not only are these shows constructed in a way that makes sense to people with TV-watching skills, but they also operate on a level of illusion that is essentially the same as any other show,” supports the author's critical stance on reality TV. The author is arguing that reality TV is constructed in such a way that it still operates on the same level of illusion as any other type of show, which further supports the author's argument that even the most “real” reality shows are still heavily scripted and artificially constructed.
Based on these two pieces of evidence from paragraphs 12 and 13, it seems clear that the author takes a critical stance on reality TV and believes that it is not as “real” as it purports to be, and that even the most “real” reality shows are heavily scripted and still operate on a level of illusion that is essentially the same as any other show.
