The TMZ Phenomenon

TMZ may be the final frontier before OldFartsVille. You know when you watch it and go "what the....?", you've officially bid farewell to your vapid youth. I had the misfortune of watching it this morning at 2am. In my defense, there literally was nothing else on.

In a sick way, I found it fascinating.

Harvey Levin, a man I always found amusing on The People's Court, takes on a more creepy persona. He presides over a group of 20-somethings who report on what the paparazzi catches on camera. The commentary is mildly disturbing, Harvey can't stop laughing and chewing on his straw, and he's taking notes on a dry erase board. And the worst part is, he produces this car wreck.

And the paparazzi doesn't just take pictures of the celebrities. They look as if they're actively trying to get a negative reaction from their prey. I guess nothing was learned from the death of Princess Di. Heckling is now socially acceptable.

The kids reporting seem just stupid enough not to be embarrassed by their situation. They're carefully placed to cross social demographic lines, from the long-haired boy in the Metallica t-shirt to the Black guy with the 2-foot dreds. Whoever writes for these poor kids needs some help - the punchlines are pathetic. But they keeo Harvey laughing in between straw-knawing.

Oh, and the commercials. The penis pump. It says a lot about the show. Classy.

Thank God for PBS.