Credit: Jeremy Eaton

As you may have heard, American Idol returns to TV
this week (Fox, Tues Jan 15, 8 pm), which means I’m going to buy a
shotgun to blow my head off (Wal-Mart, Mon Jan 14, on sale $24.99).
Don’t these Idol people have any respect for the sanctity
of human life? They know how I feel about them, and yet they
still return year after year after year—like that unusual sore on
my dainty parts (which, BTW, has been officially diagnosed and is NOT
an STD).

Anyhoo, this year’s American Idol is sure to be more annoying
than ever—because, thanks to the writers’ strike, they’re
practically the only game in town! In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me in
the least if they CAUSED the writers’ strike, just to eliminate any
possible competition! Those… sneaky… BASTARDS!!

It’s like I always say: Every person associated with American Idol is a freaking LIAR—yet, that’s half the reason I
still watch it. Curse you, Ryan Seacrest: You know I can’t resist your
desperate attempts to hide your sexuality (just admit you’re STRAIGHT,
already)! Damn you, Randy “Check It Out, Dog” Jackson: When will you
admit you’re WHITE? Eff you, Paula Abdul: People botch lobotomies
all the time… so fess up! And finally, crap YOU, Simon Cowell:
You have a magnificent pair of flabby man titties—and yet you
refuse to share them with the world!

However! If by some remote chance Wal-Mart’s shotgun aisle is empty
and I’m still alive on Tuesday, I suppose I’ll end up watching the
auditions (or as I like to call them, American Idol: Special
Olympics
). But it’s only because I have a weird fascination
with people humiliating themselves. To partially mask my shame, here
are a few other shows debuting this week that you should definitely
watch instead of Idol. (That is, if you can’t figure out how to
load your shotgun.)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox,
Sun Jan 13, 8 pm). Keep your fingers crossed and HOPE this show will
make up for the craptacular Bionic Woman. Sick and tired of
running from those d-head tin-can Terminators from the future, harried
mom Sarah Connor (along with son and future rebellion leader John)
decide to fight back by sticking their feet up Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
ass. (NOTE: I have a sinking feeling Schwarzenegger isn’t going to be
in this show.)

Reno 911! (Comedy Central, Wed Jan 16, 10:30
pm). One of the funniest and darkest sitcoms on TV is back for its
fifth season! This week: Gay prostitute Terry returns to show off his
new fiancée—and yes, it’s a girl. So… how do they have
sex? According to Terry, “We go into the bedroom, we get nude, I can’t
get hard, and then I vomit.”

My Big Redneck Wedding (CMT, Fri Jan 11, 9:30
pm). Tom “Now I’m Officially Washed Up” Arnold hosts this new show
about hillbilly weddings, including a billy goat that’s a maid of
honor, mud-wrestling receptions, and (I assume) extreme confusion after
one hayseed divorces his cousin to marry his sister. Hey! But I bet I
can borrow his shotgun!

Bang bang, choo-choo train, let me see you shake that thang. Wm. Steven Humphrey is the editor-in-chief of the Portland Mercury and has held the job since 2000. (So don’t get any funny ideas.)