Hillbilly hulabaloo

Well, reality TV has gotten so big that even congress is throwing in its two cents. Today Georgia Senator Zell Miller blasted CBS for its planned "Beverly Hillbillies" reality show. Miller (and several other southern interest groups) argue that CBS is promoting negative stereotypes and exploiting the poor.

First of all, I'm tired of politicians trying to tell their own people when they've been insulted. Obviously, CBS will have no trouble finding hundreds of families who are more than willing to be whisked away to Beverly Hills and appear on national TV for several months. If Southerners are as smart as Miller says they are, they can decide for themselves whether they're being exploited.

Second of all, Miller's comments are blatantly counterproductive. The surest way to get people excited about something is to call for a ban of it. By stirring up this controversy (which in itself is a nice publicity boost for himself) Miller did CBS a huge favor. With all this free attention and buzz months before the show airs, CBS has another sure hit on its hands.

Thirdly, critics need to get off their high horse with respect to reality TV. It's a legitimate form of entertainment that's enjoyed by millions of educated adults. So stop trying to tell me that The Bachelorette is here to crush our souls. Funny, I don't hear anyone crying about the demise of scripted shows like "3rd Rock from the Sun."