Heather, as always you hit the nail on the head. Why did I get in an argument with my husband this morning for making Grey's Anatomy a priority over sex (I didn't have the heart to mention, that last night's ep was a repeat). Perhaps I like TV too much . . .

What is Heather's incessant point? She wants to prove she knows how much crap she's ingesting at the same time sucking it down like mamma's milk. This is the tired playbook of most TV commentators, winking while reveling. But it doesn't make these awful shows any better. Heather, change the channel. Better yet, turn off the tivo. There is a world outside your window...

Funny you should mention how instead of doing Pilates many of us were distracted by the engaging Ms. Mars...

I was going to start Tai Chi today after some housework, but instead I sat down to Salon.com and several hours later I am still here and realizing I'm not going to get my shit together today.

Ah, Salon, I like to watch you too...

Heather,

I'd like to see your column rip Current TV a new one. Have you watched it? http://www.current.tv/ for channels

Some of the content (all of it viewer-created) is inspiring, informative and/or trendy. Other stuff is absolute garbage. A couple months ago (when I discovered it) there were no commercials. Now it's almost as bad as MTV. Guess it's catching on.

Is it just me, or is Heather Havrilesky's "Poor little me, I have to watch so much crummy TV" act starting to wear a little thin?

Yes, reality shows and prime-time soaps are stupid. We get it. How about paying a little attention to some of the worthwhile stuff that's on TV? Every hear of the Discovery Channel? The History Channel? PBS?

I think Salon would be better served by a TV critic who could call your readers' attention to programming that might actually be educational and enriching, as opposed to churning out the umpteeneth column making fun of Tyra Banks.

Hey, Heather... I love the formula, except I think you missed the one that should be F-flat or F-sharp: Ryan misinterpreting something he sees Marissa doing off in the distance. And then brooding about it. Where would the O.C. be without it??

Hi H, Have been a fan of your writing, here, for a while. I hear you. I see what you see. I escape, also, from the real world into the world of TV. I hate this world and love TV. I also hate TV. I'm confused. I think too much. And that's why I need TV. TV keeps it simple. TV dumbs down my life. TV makes me not think. Good. More power to TV. This world doesn't need more thinkers trying to make this world a better place. This world will never be a better place. That's why we need TV; to remind us not to think and wish this world to be a better place. Back to TV. Love Ouch Potato.

Cable prices were getting out of control and we were just spending too much time watching so we gave it up. (We do have rabbit ear antennae but can barely get one channel.)

At the end of the day and evening there has been more communication among everyone in the house. Try it. It's a refreshing feeling.

In a flash momment last week in my dull corporate job I suddenly realized why people watch these shows. It's so they have something safe to talk about.

At work no one is really your friend but you have to pretend to be friendly and to work in a team environment. Perhaps this sounds cynical but we really only find out if our coworkers are our friends after we leave a job. To keep the facade up you have to fill the odd silence with "safe" chatter. Expressing of any real opinions dangerously expose your underbelly to office politics. So what is there to talk about....sports and TV shows.

If you stick to these topics you don't have to worry about offending and you don't have to think. This is not to denegrate everything that comes on TV which provides plenty of entertainment, education and sometimes enlightenment.

I don't mind that the Linz family won. At least the annoying "we're so Christian" but not really Weaver family didn't. I would have liked to have seen what the Weavers would have done if someone had said "no, I'm not a Christian." That would have been good TV.

Wow what a piece. I was reading along nodding at all the right junctures, laughind out loud and being somber by turn-just like TV!!! Thanks for a great burst of well written commentary and nice talking points-I loved the update your resume and the whole smell thing-never thought of it that way. The only thing is I often feel a little bad for Heather having to sit through all this crap on TV just so she can turn in pieces like this. But hey it's her job.

Great job, Heather, but, you left off one of the most important way tv helps improve our lives. One can watch The West Wing or Commander in Chief and pretend for a short while that Dubya is in prison, at his ranch or anywhere but in the Oval Office.