For someone who considers television a member of the family, like me, the summer season is a harsh and empty time. New programming is at a minimum, leaving me to rehash old broadcasts, scan the wasteland of hundreds of other channels offered by my cable company, or; God help me, turn off the old TV. Lately, with the current trend of programming choices, I've been opting for the latter of the three, finding my entertainment in print form (crazy, I know). The primary factor contributing to this remarkable decision was broadcasters' (and, I suspect, in turn, America's) infatuation with the "reality" genre's subset of competing programming. I can't stand any of these shows. These are the ones where there is a panel of "judges", be they celebrities, quasi-celebrities, ex-celebrities, "experts" in their respective fields, or simply eye candy; observing some act or object, giving their two cents, and then handing it over to America and all their wisdom to pick a winner. I'm sure you know at least one of these shows: American Idol, Big Brother, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, The Biggest Loser, America's Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, America's Best Dance Crew, Celebrity Circus... etc. These programs are very popular and, for me, completely unbearable. What makes me cringe at the thought of watching these television messes is the fact that for every success or great performance seen, there are many more failures and catastrophes that accompany them. . I don't know if it's just something about my character, but I take no pleasure in seeing someone try sincerely and fail miserably, only to then see it criticized, deconstructed, and reproduced over and over again. My you... half of the document... eek, we're worried about how they're going to recover and make things right. If they fail, it's for a reason and it has meaning, not just ridiculous food. This is how entertainment is made when a story is told. Character to trace from problem to solution. There is no solution for the losers of the pageant competition. There's just a long drive home and the 'fifteen minutes of fame' that would surely be happily exchanged for perhaps some nice parting gifts. So until fall arrives with the new wave of happy scripted shows, I'll be looking for more stories where characters are appreciated and not discarded after their failures are pontificated. Humanistic? Safe. But above all, I think this is the golden rule that should be instilled in all of us. How would you feel if this happened to you? I wouldn't want anyone to look at it.