The End of Oprah: 12 signs of the TV Apocalypse?

Oprah is leaving broadcast TV for cable. Movie stars are guesting on soap operas. Reality TV has become a mobius strip of self-perpetuating semi-fame. Surely, the TV end times are nigh.
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The United States grew strong from its shared antipathy of a single enemy (the Soviet Union in the Cold War, Al Queda in the post- 9/11 period), and once upon a time, TV drew its strength from having at least one show in the lineup that we could all feel better mocking, degrading and trashing into oblivion: "Cavemen," "Cop Rock," "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" and "Shasta McNasty" to name a few.<br> <br> But these days, there's all kinds of finger-pointing going around. Is it the reality shows that are the enemy? Try to pick one that everyone hates equally. We dare you. Without a common enemy, we can have no unity, and if we have no unity, we have no strength. Here's hoping for some wretched TV, and soon.<br> <br> <i>-- Patrick Kevin Day, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/">latimes.com</a></i>

Where's our common enemy?

(James Sorensen / UPN)

The United States grew strong from its shared antipathy of a single enemy (the Soviet Union in the Cold War, Al Queda in the post- 9/11 period), and once upon a time, TV drew its strength from having at least one show in the lineup that we could all feel better mocking, degrading and trashing into oblivion: "Cavemen," "Cop Rock," "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" and "Shasta McNasty" to name a few.

But these days, there's all kinds of finger-pointing going around. Is it the reality shows that are the enemy? Try to pick one that everyone hates equally. We dare you. Without a common enemy, we can have no unity, and if we have no unity, we have no strength. Here's hoping for some wretched TV, and soon.

-- Patrick Kevin Day, latimes.com