Who's Judging Judge Judy?

What is it about American culture that allows for people like the one to your left. Now, not to pick on Judge Judy, but since she is flashing across the television, using her as an example is relatively easy.
There is something about those cheesy television shows that reminds you of nails on a chalk board. Has American society become so disillusioned that rather than concern ourselves with starvation in Darfur, death in Iraq, or the hidden Chinese Human Rights monster--we'd rather focus on who Mr. Smith married in 1989 and whether or not that trailer home he lives in is really his own. Now, not that I think there is anything wrong with living in a trailer home, but come on America!

As a society we seem perpetually poised to point fingers as to the causes of degradation in our children and ourselves. We wonder why almost 30% of us are overweight? We blame the media for only being negative, we fault the fast food chains for our burgeoning obesity, I could keep going. The point is, we should all start blaming ourselves. American's, and I include myself, have become indolent, we say what we'd like to do without actually doing it (more on this to come). We'd rather sit on our couches and revel in the spectacle of Joe Schmo's personal problems flashing across the television.

There is a tiny rumor that the problem could be rap music, or video games, or children with cell phones. However, as we sit and eat our potato chips, most of the world scourges for enough water to make it through their day, while others worry that if they go to their favorite cafe, chances are they may not leave. I don't fault Judge Judy entirely for this, but as I sit and listen to her screech, I can't help but think "what crazy fork did we take on the way to the twenty first century?"