I was fiddling around with myRogers.com, checking out all of the supposedly ground-breaking programs that paying way too much money brings us every month. 230 channels and counting, except that Hub watches only about 3 or 4.

One of the listings stopped me in my tracks and I had to ask myself if I was turning into a grumpy old fart…or fartess. The tagline for Little Women, LA, read: “Chronicles the adventures of a unique group of smart, sexy and funny girlfriends with big hearts, big personalities and even bigger drama…who all happen to be little people.”

Honestly, I felt sick. Has reality television reached the end of it’s creative rope? I know, I know – the ‘stars’ of the show have to audition and be selected. They want to do this. But really? Have we turned into such a nation of voyeurs?

TLC, which used to be The Learning Channel, has turned into a 24 hour venue for ‘lifestyle’ programming, which means lots of sleazy shows with story line and no production values. No wonder thousands are ‘cutting the cord’ and steering clear of traditional TV.  Honey Boo-Boo, 17 Kids and Counting, Jon & Kate plus 8. Yes, those are lifestyles I want to emulate – tarting up young girls and making money from marital dysfunction and/or popping out babies. Those poor children. I long for the days of Bonanza and National geographic specials with Jacques Cousteau.

Sticking with the children theme, I turned my attention to photos of babies, thinking they’d be benign and smile-inducing. But I got caught up wondering why some parents have their infants posed so they look like they’re in nests or emerging from gigantic flower petals, or in danger of being wolfed up by a big dog? When I saw the photo of the baby in the green hat, I thought he/she was actually a doll, until I looked at the fingers.

I know some photographers specialize in those fantasy photos and make a great deal of money. Maybe they seem cute to the parents, but to me, they’re not heart-tugging. I find them simply odd and a bit troubling.

On second thought, maybe it’s the lack of summer that’s making me overly critical.