Now, I'm not naive. I know that the holiday season has become more commercial as I have aged. And I know that it'll never be like it was when I was young. And I also know that the really young, if they're lucky, will look at this same season I do, this year, without the cynical overlay I have, and they will see the spirit of the season that I do not. Let's hear it for the youngsters.

Don't get me wrong - I don't mind looking at mostly naked women, at almost any opportunity. But really, do we need to sully the Christmas season with this stuff?

I can understand ads. Everyone needs to sell their stuff. I saw an ad for tires. I don't think "Christmas - Hey, tires!", but the tire ad didn't bother me. So I don't think "Christmas - Hey, lingerie!", but a lingerie ad I can handle. A thirty-or-so second spot, to make me think "Man, my wife would look hot in that! Gonna buy it tomorrow." That's ok.

But a TV special, a whole special? Right next to "Charlie Brown" and "The Grinch"? A little tart to go with Scrooge's bread and gruel? Really, it's just not appropriate...

I object. I object strenuously. My old and curmudgeonly sense of good taste objects. Why not do it in February? I mean, that's when we could really use a little warmth up here. Let's at least pretend that the seasonal shows are related to the season. A lingerie special? Nope - I don't like it, not one bit.

All I can say is...