The duality of people never ceases to amaze me. On the one hand, TV shows like Survivor get incredibly high ratings, while on the other hand, the most intriguing and REAL reality show is taking place all around us and no one seems to care. Yes, kids, I'm talking about politics. And in case your head has been in the dirt for the last six months, it's an election year.

The baffling thing about this is this: First, news has become indistinguishable from entertainment. That is, Barbie and Ken's breaking up is more newsworthy than 99% of what happens overseas. Also, major networks fall over each other racing towards the latest greatest reality TV show. But when moveon.org approached CBS with a political super bowl ad criticizing president Bush's tax cuts, CBS decided to stay out of that fray.

CBS needs to realize that politics is fun. That people love and are attracted to conflict, to struggle. And there's no greater strugle than for your political ideaology. Instead of running from the discussion, CBS should have embraced the ad and allowed it to spark a conversation. There would have been no better way to take control of the dialog away from the right wing talk show hosts and news organizations than to invite the entire football watching world to join in the conversation. But alas, CBS chickened out, preferring their MADE UP stories to the real life struggles around us.

Shame on CBS for selling out political discourse in this country. Shame on the public for not making a bigger deal out of this. Until we realize that we have the chance to LIVE in a reality TV show, politics in this country will continue to be a joke.

Counter Point by Todd Berry

Yes, the blame for the downfall of American reporting and interest in current politics and events can all be pushed on CBS. That's right, folks, the Janet Jackson Titty Network is responsible for your apathy and disinterest in the world around you. No longer should you feel any guilt over your self-deluded, self-involved, ego and ethnocentric, fast food fueled, disinterested and lethargic approach towards world politics, or your lack of enthusiasm for Howard Dean or James Spader or whoever is running for the Democratic loss this year.

Get over it. CBS is a network fueled by ratings, which dictate what they can get away with charging for advertising, which in turn provides funding to pay people to run the network, produce 60 Minutes, and "act" on King of Queens. You think that cute girl on Becker is free? How about all the jackasses trying out for uninspired reality tv shows? Oh wait, those are free. Nevermind that last one.

Point is that CBS is a business and they have the right to make decisions that are best for their business, whether or not you and I agree with the ethics of them. Sure, chances are any business either of us run will choose not to advertise on CBS. But you know what? The likelihood of either of us running a business that can afford to advertise on CBS is slim to none, while there are several thousand Bush supporters who do run companies who do advertise on CBS, and who might not take it so well if said network allowed an attack ad to air.

As for blaming CBS for selling out political discourse, wouldn't MSNBC or CNN be a more accurate target? How about Michael Moore or that Hannity guy? All of these media channels who show ONE side of the issue and call it "news"? The death of imparital news reporting is far more insidious than a major entertainment network selectively choosing their commercials. Denying adspace to a company is hardly blocking discourse; if anything, it drew more attention to the ad than it would have received during the superbowl (and by the way, the ratings share has nothing to do with the dual nature of humans; it has to do with poor taste, which Americans have in spades).

The sad, sad truth in this country is that our disinterest in politics has nothing to do with media and television, it has to do with self control. We are apathetic and lazy not because of the 500+ channels on cable but because the majority of us choose to watch them for 8-10 straight hours and order a pizza for dinner instead of reading a newspaper, going for a jog, and cooking something. We are lazy becuase we are afforded the luxury, granted, but we still have the choice to NOT be lazy, just like we have the choice to care. Would accurate media coverage of, or even purchased adspace displaying, the alledged atrocities committed by the Bush administration make anyone take notice? Perhaps. But only until the new Friends is on (it's the last year, you know).