“I’VE always called myself a tool,” brags 25-year-old waiter Ryan “Matsuflex” Matsunaga of his starring role on VH1’s “Tool Academy,” the latest in reality-cringe television. “Every single one of my friends was like, ‘Dude, you couldn’t have been on a more perfect show.’ It’s just so weird how things are meant to be in life.”

Isn’t it, though? From the boatload of shows on MTV and VH1 (think “Bromance,” “From G’s to Gents,” “The Pick Up Artist”) to Tucker Max’s continued success on the best-seller lists and his new flick chronicling his debauched exploits, this is The Era of the Tool.