Public Hypocrisy? I don't think so.

Columnists can come up with some of the funniest stuff -- often without realizing what they're doing.

Look at this one by Froma Harrop in the Seattle Times. Here Ms. Harrop bemoans the fact that conservatives have objected so strenuously to the new TV show "'Desperate Housewives' that Lowe's and the Tyson (Chicken) Corporation have dropped sponsorships. About the content of the show she writes, ""Desperate Housewives" is a dark comedy about pampered women living on a cul-de-sac of baby mansions. In material terms, they have the whole enchilada. Emotionally, they are miserable. Theirs is a world of adultery, rude children, mothers who lie and husbands who leave. One character is the voice of a dead housewife who put a gun to her head, for reasons we'll learn someday." To her credit she admits that the show really isn't worth watching because she finds it boring.

Then she proceeds to tell us that the show isn't immoral because it doesn't have cursing or nudity.

But, hold on .... here comes the good part: She adds, "The American public, we are told, is fed up with this trash. Indecent television has become the main villain in the 'values issue.' But one thing needs noting: The very week that the people propelled President Bush to a second term — partly on his promise of cultural cleanup — 22 million Americans voted with their remotes for "Desperate Housewives." That must be worth a good 50 electoral votes." She calls that public hypocrisy.

Let's look at the stats. Kerry won 252 electoral votes (57,453,966 popular votes). 51% (29,301,523)of his total votes were from women. Bet those are the people who were watching "Desperate Housewives." I think you can probably rest assured that most of the 22 million who enjoyed "Desperate Housewives" were probably not conservatives. If you're going to make dumb assumptions, that one's as good as any.

"By the way, conservatives are totally wrong that a show about messed-up families is necessarily bad for the institution of marriage. Real marriages and real children create conflict and anger. Mothers who'll watch 'Desperate Housewives' can't help but feel good about their home lives, at least by comparison. And if they labor under the illusion that lack of money causes marital stress, this portrait of well-heeled misery will cure them," she writes. This woman is full of ill-conceived assumptions and gross generalizations. A show about messed-up families isn't necessarily good for the institution of marriage, either. And guess what -- psychologists are wrong when they say people are comforted by knowing the problems of others. That's not at all true for some of us. Also, the lack of money does cause marital stress; the problems attendant with having money are just different than those with not having money.

This silly column is just another conservative bashing that contributes to the division liberals fret over so much! It's also a "I came to bury Caesar not to praise him" kind of promoting a TV show that many have called really bad. As for me, I'm going to have to see it for myself. At least until the first commercial.