It wasn't long ago when television comedy ruled the evening. I recall turning on my favorite sitcom and laughing within minutes. Then, along came comedy's unscripted adversary, reality television.

Although a handful of legitimate and harmless comedies might still exist, the reality boom has spawned a majority of absurd, tasteless shows and outrageous behavior.

What used to be considered as comedy has now evolved into the sick, twisted love child of hungry producers and greedy network executives.

And it's not just comedy either. Reality television is a trend that's influencing all other areas of popular entertainment.

Our celebrity culture is heavy on sensationalism and light on true talent.

Comedians and talk show host like Jerry Springer, Howard Stern and Sara Silverman are all famous for their shows' shock value.

Just recently, Silverman called Paris Hilton a whore to her face in front of thousands of people at the MTV Movie Awards, which is seen globally. Ouch!

My question is this: how can a society consider itself healthy, when the financial reward for celebrities behaving badly is so great?

Have we become a society where it is acceptable to insult and harass people in public? I guess we have.

Yet, I seldom get past the question of how we got here. How did Americans lose interest in scripted comedy and come to embrace all manners of reality television?

Our new version of what's funny is downright scandalous. Watching people, fight, spit, curse, contemptuously plot against each other, lie, cheat and steal is not my version of good laughs and fun.

But young Americans, the largest spending demographic in the market, can't get enough of it, and big business knows it. sad that i'm a part of it:?

Comedy today is no longer limited to those with professional titles.

Anyone can be a star these days if they are willing to relinquish all of their pride, rights and footage of their every move to the eager television audience.

Networks are getting filthy rich from reality televisions shows, all the while laughing at the stupidity of an American public who haven't realized that it's all the same show.

Sure, they have cute catchy titles, like "Rock of Love", "America's Most Smartest Model" and "I Love New York", but at their core they are all one show with minor changes.

The state of comedy is at an all time low.

Since the key to the success of reality television is to keep viewers glued to their seat, character development has taken a back seat to plot advancement, and it's taking its toll.

It stands to reason, then, that someone should ask and answer the question, what is this doing to our minds?

You've probably heard it before, "Voting is a privilege, not a right."

Yet many won't take the time out of their busy schedules to vote.

If you are 18 years or older, it's time to wake up; you need to vote.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the idea of a Voting Rights Act to Congress, which would outlaw literacy tests and poll taxes as a way of determining if a person was fit to vote.

This law was passed so that Southern states could no longer prevent Black people from voting. An amendment was added to the original Voting Rights Act, extending this right to Asians and Latinos.

Isn't it ironic that 30 years later many people have forgotten, never knew or just don't care about their voting rights?

Voting was something worth fighting for in 1965, but now it seems to be a nuisance to many.

I used to have the attitude that my vote didn't count, so why bother? Then the 2000 Presidential election between Democrat Vice President Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush happened and it came down to just a few votes.

The election was so close that there was a recount of ballots and ultimately, the United States Supreme Court had the final decision.

It's possible my vote might have made a difference.

I made sure I voted in the last Presidential election. I wasn't about to let the Supreme Court have another chance at deciding who would be president.

Voter apathy is dangerous, because it can give control to others, many of whom have their own personal agendas.

I am registered as an Independent, neither "red" nor "blue," but I am interested in all of the candidates and the ballot issues.

Registered voters need to make sure to vote. If you aren't a registered voter, get registered, then vote. I plan to vote. No excuses.