Congress and the FCC are beating the “indecency in television is corrupting our culture” drums again. And to be honest, I’m not horribly interested in the debate although perhaps I should be. I’m sure there is a fundamental right-to-something at risk. But the “blaming the egg for the chicken” aspect to all of it makes it rather hard to care. If nothing else our society’s priorities for what is and isn’t indecent are more than a little out of whack: Incite murder? Just apologize. But heaven forbid you should flash a boob! Now that, that’ll cost you. *sigh*

Meanwhile, back in the cyber world, we have the “Best of Craigslist“…

Warning: “Best Of” is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended – there’s no beating around that bush. It features the most “interesting” postings from an open, frequently anonymous, online community as voted for by it’s readers (i.e. the Internet at large). Thus, it is a reflection of the pure, unadulterate tastes of the unwashed masses. It can be (and often is) vulgar, disgusting, violent, or simply downright disturbing. It is reality television for the literate.

So why blog about it? Why feature it in this otherwise sage and perspicacious little web site?

It turns out there are some real gems in there. There is a brutal honesty at work that gives one pause; take these two entries from the latest batch of Best Of posts: “Looking for a Surrogate Husband” (mildly vulgar) and “You Wonder Why Men Cheat?” (very vulgar). They are offensive, and funny, and a little sad. But once read, they instill an appreciation for how fortunate we are to have our normal lives and relationships. There is something to be said for indecency sometimes.

On a lighter and not-so-vulgar note, check out “An Open Letter To The Poop-Picking Up Girl“. Easily my all-time favorite piece.

Enjoy.