There’s something about TV these days that’s making some people smile and others frown.

Television shows, as well as the networks that present them, have fallen victim to a new cliché: Pushing the envelope. Too many television programs supposedly “push the envelope” simply by openly promoting immoral behavior for entertainment. Although this is America and individuals are free to do almost whatever they please, it is still ironic that people find pleasure in watching our dirty laundry being aired out, as a society that preaches morality and good behavior but rarely practices it.

Though the images on television affect us all, this new wave of hypocrisy may affect women most. Shows like “Rock of Love” and “Dr. 90210” leave the impression that America is filled with nothing but barely dressed, hardly educated, promiscuous women who roam the streets, worried about their next breast augmentation.

With the likes of “Flavor of Love” and “A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila,” the term “pushing the envelope” has been reduced to “trying getting laid on national television.” These gratuitous shows aren’t at all shocking or defiant in any way to most people. They are simply adding to the already established perception that women are physical objects of desire and nothing more. Any self-respecting woman should be ready to punch the first television executive they meet in the teeth.

To push the envelope is to rebel against the norm. Somehow, in American pop culture, pompous immorality itself has become the norm. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” exploits the ignorance lurking in the shadows of our society by comically portraying a band of idiots dealing with very controversial issues such as race, abortion, drugs and alcohol. “The Soup” is a weekly show that compiles the past week’s highlights in television, usually exploiting the idiocy of it all.

“The Boondocks” is very blunt and brave show that addresses racial issues in America with no sugarcoating. In last season’s most controversial episode, “Return of the King,” Martin Luther King Jr. returns to modern America to discover that blacks aren’t quite on track with their progression in society, to say the least. He yells, “Is this it? This is what I got all those ass-whoopings for?” Uh-oh. They had MLK say what? Despite its controversial element, there are more important matters concerning the issue. Is it relevant? Is there some merit to this? Is it right? If you find yourself not knowing the answer to these questions, then congratulations! You have just been intellectually challenged!

Television viewers should note that everything is based on numbers. When you watch a particular television show, you are casting a vote that lets networks know you want more of what you’re seeing. You are then defining the societal obstacles that your own children (especially your daughters!) will have to endure in the years to come. Most don’t seem to mind, though. But why? Simply being entertained is trivial. We need more. We need a challenge.