Culture wars

I recently watched the debut of a new sitcom. I haven't watched an episode of any non-animated network comedy for a long time, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The show is called "The War at Home," and it makes me sad.\nThe main character is a middle-class white man named Dave. He has a wife, Vicky, and three children. The major sources of tension and comedy for Dave? Well, you see, his son might be both gay and a transvestite, and both of the women in his life (his wife and his teenage daughter) might be having or have had sex with (uh oh) black men! This show appeals to and feeds off the lowest and most reprehensible fears in white, male America -- "black men are screwing our women, and my son is gay." \nDuring the episode, a young black man wearing a sports jersey and do-rag comes to the house to see Dave's daughter. After he leaves, Dave asks, "Does (my daughter) actually think I'm going to let her go out with this guy? I'd rather drink my own urine." But the black man keeps coming back. This is supposed to be funny, because Dave is uncomfortable with a black man spending time with his daughter. \nLater, Vicky lets it slip that she has previously had sex with black men. Dave gets quite nervous and mutters, "Is it true what they say about black men?" He later asks, "So how many are we talking about here? One, two, or a million-man march?" \nI wish I were kidding.\nLater, in a ridiculous plot twist not worth explaining, Dave's effeminate son dresses up as a woman. When Dave learns this, he asks his son, "I already have a pretty daughter, what do I need you for?" When the son says he crossdresses "because it feels good," the scene immediately cuts to a dazed Dave lying on a floor as paramedics approach him. "No, just let me go," he tells them. \nThat's right. If you find out your son crossdresses, you would be better off dead than to live with the shame of having a fag for a son. Hilarious.\nI shouldn't have to explain why this show is wrong. If the examples alone aren't enough to convince you, then nothing else I can say will change your mind. But I wonder: Do people in America have racist and homophobic fears and tendencies because they are constantly bombarded by trash like this? Or do networks only air such shows because they are what a homophobic and racist America wants to see?\nI am a fan of outrageous comedy. I even joke that it is impossible to offend me. "South Park" is my favorite show on television, and "Family Guy" is a close second. Unlike superior shows, however, "The War at Home" crosses social lines neither to create intelligent satire nor to offer life lessons. It simply sucks.\nOh, and needless to say, the network carrying this show is FOX.