In spite of their incredible popularity, daytime talk shows, reality shows, and wrestling tend to have bad reputations. While they rarely live up to the critisism heaped upon them, if considered objectivly they certainly fulfill the primary function of a good television spectical: if they're not entertaining, they must be captivating enough to attract an audience for their sponsors. And while most people may not find watching Jerry Springer a pleasurable experience, many find it difficult to stop watching once they've started. It's sort of like a train wreck.

The spate of these "train wreck" programs we've experienced over the past decade clues us in to their ability to ensnare a mass audience. The fact is that they are the most unevenly entertaining shows on television. "The Osbornes" has it's moments, but they are more often than not surrounded by tedious crap. Of course, we all remember the good things and forget the dull, which is what makes programs like that worthwhile. The facination we feel when we watch this stuff is similar to the feeling we get when we watch a dare-devil on a motorbike: Anticipation will pull you through the boring setup, until you get to the point. And when it's over you get to see either glorious triumph or hopless triage.

There is no doubt that the American public loves a good train wreck show, myself included. It's like candy, or rare beef: I know it's bad for me, but enjoyment trumps far-sighted good sense. So I was surprised when I found myself purposly avoiding the Anna Nicole show.

You might remember my essay a few weeks ago about the first episode. I watched the premier with nothing but a deep, abiding love for self absorbed celebrities who's lives have gone horribly, horribly weird. But since then, I've actually chosen to watch other programs, even though E! reruns Anna about 60 times a week. Surely I haven't succumb to that evil bugaboo known as "good taste"; which leaves me without an excuse.

Perhaps I've just grown tired of watching the train wreck. After awhile (when your subjected to them constantly), what I once thought was endless facination with the feelings of horror that these things inspire, begins to turn into gnawing irritation. It's *irritating* that Anna Nicole is a moron, it's *irritating* that Ozzy's become a harried imbecile, it's *irritating* that Jerry's guests are moronic hicks. Why subject myself to these things when I've so dosed myself with them, than I no longer can see the hilarity.

So it is possible to not like watching train wrecks without being a high-minded, high-standard, high-brow asshole. It's not an attack of good taste after all; it's more like a man working in a garbage dump losing his sense of smell.

I just hope it's not permenent.

-B. C. Silvia