I try to steer clear of reality dating shows, especially those that involve multiples of one sex vying for the attention of the opposite one, and particularly any that air on VH1.

I broke those rules by watching both seasons of What Chilli Wants, which followed Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC in her quest to find love with the help of matchmaker (and comedic relief) Tionna Smalls. If you tuned in even once, you’re familiar with Chilli’s long list of requirements for any potential boyfriend (no drinking, no smoking, no pork — just for starters) and the long line of suitors that Chilli summarily dismissed after a single date or rejected upon previewing his stats with Smalls.

Season 2 wrapped somewhat hopefully, with Chilli involved with Swedish model Lasse Larsen. But it sounds like geographic distance (she’s in Atlanta, he’s in NYC) has kept their match from flowering into full-time committment. No third season for the show appears to be on the books, which is a shame because compared to its dating-show contemporaries, What Chilli Wants came off as more real and genuine than what typically passes for reality.

Chilli took some crap for having a checklist, and maybe she was being extreme in her absolute rigidity. But there’s something to be said for being upfront about what traits you will and won’t tolerate from a potential mate. And weren’t we tipped off way back in 1999 to the need for a “boyfriend manifesto” vis a vis TLC’s smash, “No Scrubs,” which laid out certain (low) expectations for any guy who would attempt to get with T-Boz, Left Eye, or Chilli?

Twelve years ago this week, TLC took “No Scrubs” to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the trio spreading its zero-tolerance message from the top for four straight weeks:

As you may know, “No Scrubs” was co-written by Kandi Burruss, the singer-songwriter better known through her turn on a reality show of her own, Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta. I take great pride in saying that I’ve successfully avoided the entire Real Housewives franchise to date, which today lost one installment to the ax.

Purchase TLC – “No Scrubs” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.