Thank God For HDTV

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

What a sad, sad ratings grab. Used to be, networks tried to mask their pandering at least a little bit. Throw a sexy Cheryl Tiegs guest appearance in a T.J. Hooker episode. Have Three’s Company take a vacation to Hawaii. The kind of stuff that made you want to watch, but not feel too slimy doing it.

But now? Wow. You just jumped right on out there, didn’t you CBS?

I guess I should applaud their boldness. Or at least stand in awe of their enormous brass balls. “Impossibly hot women in heels and very little else, parading around for your arousal…er…entertainment.” What’s not to understand about that show?

Of course, there’s no way of hiding the fact that you’re tuning in, either. Not like how you can claim to read Playboy for the articles or watch Baywatch for the action sequences. Nope, you flip over to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, you gotta straight-up own that one, buddy.

But so what? Is it really that big of a deal? There was a time when I would have rushed out and bought three VCRs, a generator, and called in sick to work to make sure I didn’t miss a show like that. Now, not so much. As much as I never thought I’d ever hear myself say such a thing, women walking around in underwear just doesn’t do much for me. Hell, I can Google “Sesame Street Images” right now and get a half dozen hits of chicks in thongs. (Which is just one more reason why I do so love you, Google!)

Desensitization at it’s best. Or worst. Depending on how you look at it.