FOX’s newest hit show gives viewers an unusual look at a familiar subject.

In the show’s version of history, when Alcatraz Prison was shut down in 1963, its prisoner population disappeared into thin air before they could be transferred to other jails around the country. Fifty years later, they begin reappearing one at a time, killing new victims.

San Francisco homicide detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) shows up to the scene of the first crime, the murder of the former deputy warden of Alcatraz, only to be unceremoniously dismissed by federal agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill). Rather than moving on, she begins her own investigation, leading her to author and Alcatraz historian Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia). Hauser is more than he appears, having been expecting the return of “The 63s” – the missing Alcatraz inmates – for a long time. Eventually he recruits Madsen and Soto to join his team and help him capture The 63s as they return. Joined by Hauser’s assistant Lucy Singleton (Parminder Nagra), they work together to investigate how The 63s disappeared and whose orders they are following now that they are coming back.

There’s enough mystery from the overall premise to keep the viewer intrigued but plenty of information in each episode to keep the viewer from getting “lost,” a frequent criticism of J.J. Abrams’ last hit TV show. Michael Giacchino joins the Bad Robot crew again, creating another beautifully haunting score for ‘Alcatraz.’ The paranormal elements aren’t so overbearing as to turn away crime show fans who aren’t into sci-fi. That should change as more of the back story is revealed, but if you aren’t a sci-fi fan, you can still watch ‘Alcatraz’ and not feel assaulted with sci-babble.

The ensemble cast has a good balance of gravity (Neill) and levity (Garcia) with room for each of the characters to grow. Jones is pleasant as Madsen, a non-abrasive strong female role. At the beginning of the pilot, we see her lose her partner while chasing a criminal, in a scene that clearly evokes ‘Vertigo,’ where she loses her grip on her partner’s hand as he falls from the roof of a building. Later we learn that the criminal they were pursuing was actually one of The 63s, a returned Alcatraz convict, and her own grandfather, smartly giving the character a personal connection to the investigation. Garcia is believable in his role as an Alcatraz authority, and maintains his likable lighthearted persona without the liberal peppering of “likes” and “dudes” we’re used to hearing from him on ‘LOST.’ And hopefully we will quickly see Neill’s Hauser given more notes beyond serious and condescending.

My hunch is that the launch of ‘Alcatraz’ is a signal that FOX’s long-running sci-fi show, ‘Fringe,’ is finally on its last leg. ‘Alcatraz’ is a perfect replacement for ‘Fringe,’ sharing many similar elements: a “freak of the week” criminal captured before the end of each episode; a special federal investigation team with a female blonde wunderkind police officer-turned-federal agent, the seasoned subject matter expert with a non-Caucasian female assistant; even the same muted color scheme and shooting style. Centering the premise of the show around prisoners in Alcatraz helps give ‘Alcatraz’ a focus that ‘Fringe’ didn’t find for a season or two.

The two premier episodes, ‘Pilot’ and ‘Ernest Cobb,’ are available for viewing on the show’s official website. New episodes air on FOX network, Mondays at 9/8c.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation has been a regular in all known forms of media. From the Strand magazine where Holmes got his start, through radio and television and on to the big screen, the great detective has spanned the generations. He is considered the most played character in all of media, with at least 75 different actors taking on the role.

While American audiences have most recently been treated to Robert Downey Jr.’s performance on the big screen, the real gem of modern mystery is the BBC’s mini-series Sherlock. Now entering its second season, it is a luscious masterpiece.

The most fantastic part of the series is that it isn’t new. Each episode works with an existing Holmes story but takes it to another level. Each episode is more of a movie, running for ninety minutes, allowing the plot to build and the characters to gain more depth.

The first season had episodes based loosely on “A Study in Scarlet” and “The Five Dancing Men.” The sophomore outing begins with “A Scandal in Belgravia,”obviously a new take on “A Scandal in Bohemia.”

The brilliance of the series is on full display once more as it delves into the relationship between Watson and Holmes, Holmes and Irene Adler, Holmes and his brother Mycroft, as well as Watson’s own failed romantic interests. The intrigue and tension is palpable throughout, while managing to break it with surprisingly humorous interludes along the way. Even the cutesy little special effects used to show Holmes’s thought process add a layer to the proceedings, where similar tricks in other shows tend to come across as heavy-handed and rather stupid.

The plot, like the original story, is based around a royal personage who has been compromised by a romantic liaison with the inimitable Miss Adler. While the story diverges wildly from there, hardcore fans of Holmes will catch a myriad of small details that harken back to the original. As a quick example, when trying to get in to visit Adler, Holmes disguises himself as an injured priest. This is not unlike the scene from the book where he, also dressed as a clergyman, inserts himself into a staged altercation and is struck, prompting Miss Adler to invite him into her house.

One of the most fascinating bits of this reboot is how it has been adapted for the 21^st century. Watson, instead of writing up the escapades for publication, keeps a blog of his friend’s adventures. The photograph from “The Scandal” has become a smart phone filled with digital pictures and other incriminating information.

The whole episode is perfectly paced, each scene building to a spectacular crescendo. One is left feeling that it cannot improve on the previous 20 minutes and left reeling as it goes and does so, from start to finish. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Holmes to a tee–brilliant, acerbic and dealing with Asperger’s, while Martin Freeman’s Dr. Watson, veteran of Afghanistan, is the perfect foil–earnest, slightly nebbish, and loyal to a fault. Lara Pulver (Claudine Crane from “True Blood”) does a wonderful job as Irene Adler, at once unflappable and calculating while exuding a calm sensuality, hitting the right notes of unstoppable confidence and shocked fear with the slightest change of facial expression.

This might be the best bit of television I’ve seen in a decade. I eagerly await the next two installments of the year. The show airs on BBC1 in the UK and appears on PBS in the US about three months later. The first season is available on Blu-ray as well as Netflix streaming. Highly recommended.

As you prepare to fill up on stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, I’ve whipped up a short list of favorite Thanksgiving moments on screen.

10. “The Mouse and the Mayflower” – I watched this made-for-TV movie growing up, and it’s probably my all-time favorite Thanksgiving story. The score really sets it apart from the rest, with original songs “November” and “Mayflower,” which my family and I always associate with the holiday. Families will love it for the cutesy mice and the fun little story about how Thanksgiving came to be.

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9. “Pieces of April” - Before she was Mrs. Cruise, Katie Holmes starred as April, the family oddball who is stressed about preparing Thanksgiving dinner for her entire clan in her small apartment with a broken oven. If anything, it’s kind of a hoot to see Holmes dressed in punk clothes.

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8. “Everybody Loves Raymond” – Debra tries to get everyone to eat Tofurkey (tofu turkey) because its healthier for them, and, needless to say, it doesn’t go over well.

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7. “South Park” - The kids have to perform in “Helen Keller” for their Thanksgiving Extravaganza, so of course they replace Helen Keller’s dog with a pet turkey. Absolutely hilarious. Plus, who wouldn’t be intrigued by “Helen Keller: The Musical”?

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6. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” - In the episode “Pangs,” Angel returns, Willow’s upset, Xander get a syphilis scare, Buffy makes a bear when really she’s trying to make dinner and Spike gives us hilarious insight to Thanksgiving. “I just can’t take all this namby-pamby boo-hooing about the bloody Indians. You won. All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That’s what conquering nations do. That’s what Caesar did, and he’s not going around saying, ‘I came, I conquered, I felt really bad about it.’ The history of the world is not people making friends. You had better weapons, and you massacred them. End of story.”

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5. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” – Who doesn’t love this TV special? Charlie, Linus, Woodstock and Snoopy throw together a last-minute dinner that Peppermint Patty happily invites herself over to. A classic holiday special for all ages.

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4. “Friends” - A series known for its popular, guest-laden Thanksgiving episodes offers up some of the most hilarious plots around turkey time. One episode in particular, “The One with the Rumor,” guest stars Jennifer Aniston’s then-beau Brad Pitt as the former President of the “I Hate Rachel Green Club” from high school. Pure genius on the writers’ part and an all-around goofy dinner scene.

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3. “The Ice Storm” – Set on Thanksgiving weekend of 1973, “The Ice Storm” focuses on a wealthy Connecticut family who seems to be living the dream, when really all the characters’ lives are falling apart. Beautifully acted by a stellar cast including a young Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood and Christina Ricci, the film marks director Ang Lee’s American debut.

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2. “Miracle on 34^th Street” – Yes, the film is more associated with a different holiday, but the premise of “34th Street” revolves around the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC. The film remains a sentimental classic.

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1. “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” -Steve Martin and John Candy are a comedic match made in heaven. This is the ultimate Thanksgiving movie where Martin is struggling to make it home in time for the holiday and encounters problems along the way – including several dysfunctional means of transportation. Candy, an obnoxious shower curtain ring salesman, eventually becomes Martin’s travel companion since they are both trying to get to Chicago. Hilarious and ultimately heartwarming, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is one of the season’s best.

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The new drama had a strong premiere about two weeks ago, scoring about five million viewers. ‘Horror Story’ is equal to the demo rating for ‘Nip/Tuck’ and scored 33 percent higher than ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ one of FX’s most watched shows ever.

‘Horror Story’ is about a Bostonian family who decides to move across country to L.A. into a 1920s Victorian home that (surprise surprise) is haunted. The house has definitely been a prime spot for some murders, but that doesn’t stop the Harmon family from calling it home.

On top of the house being a death zone, the Harmons have several problems of their own. Ben (Dylan McDermott) is a psychiatrist who is caught cheating with one of his students by his wife Vivien (Connie Britton), obviously causing some severe trust issues in their relationship. In addition, Vivien is working through the traumatic experience of having delivered a stillborn child months earlier. Their teenage daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga, Vera’s younger sister) is far more troubled than the average high schooler and is starved for attention from both parents who can’t give her any at the moment.

Their domineering and creepy neighbors Constance (a colorful Jessica Lange) and her daughter Adelaide (Jamie Brewer) constantly enter the house without permission, disturbing the Harmons, especially when Adelaide says to Vivien, “You’re going to die in here.”

Long-time housekeeper Moira shows up and explains to Vivien that she can take care of the house better than anyone since she knows the grounds best. The mysterious part is Vivien sees Moira as an old woman, while Ben sees her as a seductive young redhead. Is Ben imagining temptation or is Moira a ghost?

The most disturbing line comes at the end of the pilot, when Constance says to Moira, ‘Don’t make me kill you again,’ hinting at signs of a ghostly relationship.

Meet the modern Addams Family.

The show presents two more rather complicated characters. One is Tate (Evan Peters), a troubled teen being treated by Ben, who seems to have a strong likeness for daughter Violet. Tate has outbursts and seems to transform into something freaky when the lights go out. Is Tate human or monster? The other is Larry (‘True Blood’’s Denis O’Hare), a former occupant of the house who tries to warn Ben of his family’s fate if he chooses to stay there. Larry has only interacted with Ben; is he a ghost himself or part of Ben’s imagination?

There are certainly many questions to be answered in this twisted tale, and with the minds of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck (creators of ‘Nip/Tuck’ and ‘Glee’) behind the story, I’m sure we’re in for a frightening treat. Of course, since ‘Horror Story’ couldn’t be more different than ‘Glee,’ it makes us wonder what else is going on in those crafty brains of theirs. What other tricks and stories will this duo have for us in the future?

‘Horror Story’ is one to fall in the category of adult television. This is not a show you sit down with the family to watch or discuss at dinner, considering gruesome ghosts, bloody murders, adultery and bondage were just some of the themes presented in the first episode.

‘American Horror Story’ is a show for scary movie fanatics, while the more conservative viewer may just change the channel within the first few minutes of an episode. But with Halloween quickly approaching, I encourage everyone to give the mind twisting and risqué drama a shot.

‘American Horror Story’ airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on FX.

He may never reach the heights of Dora the Explorer or SpongeBob SquarePants, but Warren E. Buffett is back in 2D. And this time he gets some help from the rapper Jay-Z.

In a break from deal-making, the Oracle of Omaha is once again starring in “Secret Millionaires Club,” a rebooted animated Web series that follows the adventures of a group of kids as they tackle financial emergencies, like low-performing lemonade stands and troubled bicycle shops. The club, which meets in a “secret” bunker outfitted with hidden laptops, is led by a trusty financial wizard. Who? Well, Mr. Buffett, of course.

“I saw an opportunity to have a good time and maybe get a fair number of kids in this country started with the right financial habits,” Mr. Buffett told DealBook on Tuesday. “Learning at the starting line is so important.”

Mr. Buffett is not the only well-known mogul to lend his voice to the project. The rapper Jay-Z, or “Jay” as Mr. Buffett calls him, also makes a cameo in one of the clips. “It was not a tough sell, believe me,” Mr. Buffett said, citing the musician’s interest in financial education and his chops as a wealthy entrepreneur.

Video after the break:

“He’s a real business man, I’m just pretending,” Mr. Buffett said with a chuckle.

The series, which originally appeared on the Web in 2009, was co-founded by Mr. Buffett and Andrew Heyward, creator of “Inspector Gadget” and head of A Squared Entertainment. It is part of a larger education program aimed at improving financial literacy among children. Beyond the Web series, the initiative includes an online portal, a business competition for children and a television show adapted from the online episodes, which will start running on the Hub cable network on Oct. 23.

Read the full article here.

Zombies have been shuffling across movie screens for decades in films like ‘I Walked with a Zombie’ and ‘The Last Man on Earth.’ But director George A. Romero gave the genre new, er, life with his 1968 classic ‘Night of the Living Dead.’

Romero is still making zombie movies, but they lack the bite of his best shockers like ‘Dawn of the Dead.’ His ‘Diary of the Dead’ was a well intentioned but clumsy attempt to fuse the genre with ‘Blair Witch’ style found footage. And ‘Survival of the Dead,’ with its laughable Hatfield-McCoy feud, should have been put out of its misery before reaching movie theaters.

A great zombie story demands more than masticated human flesh. And that’s where AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ comes in.

The surprise hit’s second season begins at 9 p.m. EST Oct. 16. Based on the popular graphic novel, ‘Dead’ boasts some serious cinematic pedigree – including producers Frank Darabont (‘The Shawshank Redemption’) and Gale Anne Hurd (‘The Terminator’). But it’s the all too human cast that made people tune in week after week, led by the strong-willed Rick Grimes (British actor Andrew Lincoln).

The show doesn’t just revel in the genre’s gore factor, although a few sequences from last season made ‘Dead’ an ideal choice for struggling dieters. It makes us root for the survivors of the zombie outbreak, something that happens all too infrequently in zombie films where it’s all about the gruesome head shots.

Can ‘Dead’s new season equal last year’s six-episode arc? Darabont is no longer the ‘Dead’ showrunner after being unceremoniously canned during the production of season 2, and this season promises seven additional episodes which could put a strain on the show’s writing team.

We can only hope Romero will be watching as season two unfolds and taking notes on how to pump fresh blood into his own zombie films.

Someone from my home state of Illinois (and I am NOT shocked this originated in Illinois) decided to start a petition to have Bert and Ernie get married on “Sesame Street.” Lair Scott said, “We are not asking that ‘Sesame Street’ do anything crude or disrespectful by allowing Bert and Ernie to marry. It can be done in a tasteful way. Let us teach tolerance of those that are different. Let ‘Sesame Street’ and PBS Kids be a big part in saving many worthy lives.” Seriously? Bert and Ernie getting married is going to help kids not bully others and LGBT kids stop committing suicide? Because preschoolers are the ones doing this? Ah, yes! The #1 way for a statist to promote an agenda is to somehow fit it in with SAVE THE CHILDREN! Mr. Scott is using their tragedy and a child’s program as a means to an end.

Who decided Bert and Ernie are gay? How can a puppet be sexual? Don’t answer that! It’s a rhetorical question. I remember it took me a long time to even realize they live together. It never clicked in my mind as a toddler and young kid that they live in the same house. They’re best friends, the puppet version of Felix and Oscar.

This morning I conducted an experiment with my toddler. Remember she is 2.5 years old. I asked her questions about Bert and Ernie. My first was, “What do you think is the relationship between Bert and Ernie?” She gave me a puzzled look. I asked her, “Do you think they have a relationship like Mommy and Daddy?” She gave me the same look, looked at the garage door, and asked, “Daddy?” I had to convince her that Daddy wasn’t coming home from work yet. I finally just asked, “Is Ernie orange?” Her face lit up and said enthusiastically, “Yeah!!!”

I asked my friends on Twitter how they viewed Bert and Ernie when they were growing up. The majority said they thought they were best friends. One thought they were father and son. A few thought brothers. Some said they didn’t care and still don’t care.

Fact is, children do not understand relationships of any kind at this age. I don’t even think my toddler understands the relationship between Mommy and Daddy.

Thank you to the “Sesame Street” producers who put out this statement:

Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most “Sesame Street” Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.

And yes, Mr. Scott, you are being disrespectful by asking “Sesame Street” to educate our children on this subject.  “Sesame Street” is mainly for entertainment with educational bits splashed in. It’s a good starting point for a teaching lesson for the day.

This has to stop. I don’t care all that much about them targeting adults or even teenagers, but when it comes to extremely young children, it’s gone too far. Why is it so hard for them to allow children to remain innocent? Why do they want children to grow up so fast?

We will stop watching if Bert and Ernie get married. I’m 100% for gay marriage, but COME ON!! “Sesame Street” is supposed to be about numbers, counting, letters, colors, animals, and just having fun! I don’t want my young children sitting down for an hour of Elmo, Zoe, Abby, and Big Bird and coming to me later asking questions about marriage, relationships, or sex. I want my girls to ask me what words start with the letter K or what number comes after 5.

Just as the anti-war artists of the 60’s expressed their political views through music, so too are an increasing number of artists of the TEA Party movement who refuse to keep silent about the destruction of this great nation by many who ironically subscribed to those radical, anti-government views of the 60’s counterculture movement.

James Kole - American Folk Blues Artist

One such patriot artist, whose musical style is reminiscent of the folk music of the 60’s, but with a contemporary blues/rock twist, is American Folk Blues artist James Kole.

We have been fans of James Kole’s for over two years since first stumbling upon his YouTube channel, impressed not only by his positive, pro-America lyrics, but also by his professionally produced videos, unique musical and vocal style, and his captivating delivery.

James is no newcomer to patriotic-infused songwriting promoting individual liberty and love of country.  His 1998 full-length release, Liberty, offered listeners a glimpse of what was to come over the years and culminate into his 7th full-length album (released July 4th, 2010):  Songs For Freedom in which he sings about the American Revolution, Frederick Douglass, the Constitution, U.S. Sovereignty, current uncertain times, and much more.

“Rockin’ the stage with a force like thunder”, James Kole’s musical talent is mesmerizing and his energetic aura commanding.  A singer/songwriter from Scottsdale, Arizona, Kole has impressed audiences with his unique blend of blues, rock, and American folk, earning him the title “Local Legend” in the 2008 edition of Perfectify Magazine.

Outside the local scene, his music has a long list of film and television credits, including projects for Miramax, HBO, Washington Square Films, MTV, PBS, and even Red Bull energy drinks.

In 2003, Kole was awarded the Best Original Song at the Saguaro Film Festival for his hit, Big Orange Sun.  James has shared stages with The Doobie Brothers, Nashville country artist Pat Green, SNL star Victoria Jackson, and many more.

The half-hearted denials of some in the industry are belied by their own actions and their own words – and, surprisingly, by the refreshingly candid admissions of some liberals in television who not only admit its intolerance and stridency but even claim to regret it.  Case closed.

Full disclosure – Ben’s a friend and my frequent “Hour of Hate” partner on Larry O’Conner’s legendary Stage Right Show.  He’s also the rarest of things – a proud Harvard Law School graduate who is fiercely conservative and who loves television (By the way, Ben’s much-mocked predilection for wearing Harvard Law hats and other apparel makes a hilarious appearance in the book).  But Ben’s no snob – he not only freely admits how much he likes television but insists that much of it is well-acted, well-directed and well-produced, its insidious pinko undercurrents notwithstanding.  Moreover, Ben is a creature of Hollywood – he has family in the industry, friends in the industry, and he even flirted with entering into it himself, until he ran smack into the seemingly impenetrable wall that is the conservative blacklist.

As Ben documents in exquisite detail, the conservative blacklist operates both directly and indirectly.  In some cases, television industry bigwigs simply refuse to hire conservatives because they hate conservatives – the late Bruce Paltrow comes off here as a particularly obnoxious jerk, which goes a long way toward explaining his half-wit daughter Gwyneth.  But much of the reason is simply affinity.  As Ben documents, the industry has always been a very small community of like-minded individuals who dwell not only within the physical confines of the same LA/NYC world but, equally importantly, share the same world view.  If you are not one of them inside the bubble, they will never see you to hire you.  Naturally, this leads to the kind of nepotism that explains the rise of overrated no-talents like Gwyneth Paltrow – many of the people who hired her had known her since she was a weird-looking little kid and besides, it couldn’t hurt to do a favor for a guy with the pull of her father Bruce.

Ben shows how this direct and indirect phenomenon also applies to the content of the shows themselves.  Some industry players make no bones about it – they seek to directly influence the audience with outright propaganda.  What’s interesting is that this is rarely successful – audiences hate being hit over the head with unadulterated lefty agit-prop and quickly turn away when it gets too heavy-handed.  A good example is Ellen, an innocuous little comedy series that did okay until the star and her on-screen doppelganger came out and made the show all lesbian, all the time – and not hot lipstick lesbian but whiny, crunchy, let’s-do-macramé-and-other-crafts lesbian.  No one wants that.

But the indirect approach is the most effective, and Ben presents an airtight case that much of the liberal normalization promoted by television is the result not of a conscious desire to change the world but simply by a desire to reflect “reality.”  Of course, the “reality” of liberal Hollywood types is not the reality of some nuclear family with 2.5 kids and a minivan in a suburb of Kansas City.  Hollywood’s “reality” reflects its own freaky, dysfunctional lifestyle; this bizarre anomaly is the image broadcast to America as “normal.”  Sadly, too many Americans accept that image and internalize it – a quick examination of statistics on any social pathology is going to show a correlation with the liberal long-march through the television industry that Ben so thoroughly documents.

And document it he does.  How did he get these interviews?  Don’t these people have minions to Google the guys who want to talk to them?  Ben speaks to dozens of Hollywood players, from out conservatives like Big Hollywood contributor Adam Baldwin to hugely successful (and therefore largely liberal) TV executives, writers and producers like Brandon Stoddard, Fred Silverman, Leonard Goldberg, Abby Singer, Larry Gelbart , David Shore, Marcy Carsey, Tom Fontana and Marc Cherry (the Desperate Housewives creator who is a rare Hollywood Republican).

Ben’s not one to just shrug his shoulders and sit there – every time we meet for lunch at a kosher restaurant (Ben takes his faith as well as his politics seriously; he also tolerates my unsuccessful efforts to score a cheeseburger) he is working on about a dozen ideas.  Primetime Propaganda not only makes the case but offers solutions.  The answer is neither confrontation nor retreat, but engagement.  In fact, it’s almost a Gramscian “long march” infiltration strategy.

One more thing – Primetime Propaganda is not only an essential and irrefutable argument about the state of Hollywood and a battle plan for addressing the problem but a great read.  Sadly, I had to wait to peruse my advance copy because my Hot Wife kept taking it for herself.  Fans of The Stage Right Show are already familiar with how Ben’s mind works faster than his mouth – he has so many ideas he literally cannot talk fast enough to get them all out, though he tries mightily.  On paper, Ben’s insights have a chance to come out slowly and in detail, but the same lacerating wit still shines through.  There are zingers galore.  You get the best of Ben – smart and smartass.

But a thousand-word review cannot capture either the full depth of Ben’s argument or the wealth of interesting facts behind many of our favorite shows, like how The Dick Van Dyke Show broke through racial barriers.  He goes through dozens of shows in detail – it’s fascinating and alarming all at once.  Best of all, while this is an important book for conservatives who want to know why TV is what it is, reading it is not a painful duty – it’s a pleasure.

Primetime Propaganda presents an open and shut case – the charge is that television is a liberal enterprise that acts directly and indirectly to impose its worldview on its dwindling audience while simultaneously acting to exclude conservative voices and views.  And there can be only one verdict after reading this damning indictment:  Guilty as charged.

That’s why last night’s episode of Glee down right ticked me off.  While gays everywhere are celebrating it as a victory (because, lets face it – there’s quite an abundance of homosexuality on the show these days), their “win” comes at such a cost that it’s revolting.  The show’s two closeted gay characters (who happen to be the biggest bullies in school) start an anti-bullying campaign in the school as a means of making themselves popular and, therefore, prom king and queen contenders.  As if that wasn’t enough, Kurt (the openly gay character) finds out about the plot and is okay with it.  He won’t tell anyone as long as they start a PFLAG chapter at the school.  PFLAG: Parents, Friends, and Family of Lesbians and Gays. 

Are you &*%#ing kidding me?  For starters, you’re going to cloak a serious problem around something as superficial as prom king and queen?  That pool is so shallow it couldn’t drown a blonde if it had a scratch ‘n sniff sticker at the bottom. 

Moreover, this is on primetime, people!  It’s rated TV14.  Kids everywhere are going to march into their school counselors’ offices today and demand a PFLAG chapter.  Look, as evident from my last Glee post, I think there’s room in the conversation to address homosexuality in the conservative camp but this is rubber room-certified insane.  Compromise your beliefs and then blackmail whoever you need to in order to get what you want? 

Is this promiscuous, bullying, closeted lesbian cheerleader on Glee one of your kid's role models?

This is not a victory for the gays or for bullying victims of any kind.  This is a victory for the bullies!  <cue sarcastic tone here> Sure, Mr. Bully, you can squeak by with a fake, scripted apology.  Of course, Miss Bully, if you can pretend long enough to not publicly hate people, you too can have a shiny new tiara.  Lie through your teeth and you can fool anyone.  School principals?  Yah, they’re all dopes.  Teachers, they won’t care.  <end sarcastic tone now> Is this really the message we want to be sending kids, that it’s okay to be so ugly as long as you can manipulate your way around it? 

You’d think with the creator being gay that he’d take a more practical approach to the issue, but instead he’s busy figuring out ways to make his adolescent fantasies play out on television.  How else would you explain Kurt’s roommate being the star quarterback whom he has a crush on?  And this is a zeitgeist show… 

Okay, now that I’m no longer seeing red, let’s address the real problem at hand.  Kids in hallways all over the country are harassed every day for a multitude of reasons.  I was bullied because of the way I looked, or didn’t look, rather.  My friends were fellow bullying victims who were beat up for being overweight, mocked for having bad skin, even ridiculed over their parents’ professions.  Teachers looked the other way, principals gave detention, but at the end of the day, nothing was fixed.  We’ve talked about legislating our way around it, teaching our way out of it, and (now, thanks to Glee) starting on-campus groups for it.  This is not how the problem will be fixed. 

It comes down to parenting.  If a child is never disciplined for negative behavior or if a child witnesses his/her parent(s) behaving that way, it will continue.  But what am I talking about?  You all already know this!  You’re responsible parents who are dedicated to the goings on of their kids’ lives.  You know who their friends are, what grades they make, and you have access to their Facebook pages.  I don’t want to preach to the choir, so I’ll give you a piece of very sound advice: 

Your children are not likely to volunteer the fact they’re being targeted; no one wants to admit they’re insecure or weak, especially not to their mom or dad.  Talk to your kids about being bullied and make sure you do everything humanly possible to let them know they can tell you if they’re being picked on, tormented, or harassed.  When your child does tell you, take it seriously; it’s so easy to brush it off as “toughening them up” or “real life lessons.”  Help them find the solution because that’s when they need you to be a parent the most.