america's puritans have always been so incredibly conflicted they make the classic italian 'madonna/whore' thing look like basic arithmetic. how else to explain a culture so focused on breasts that women literally risk their lives by having implants while forcing mothers to breastfeed their infants in public restrooms.
im sure a fair number of those who view themselves stalwart defenders of marriage because they go to the wall over opposite sex marriages are also avid fans of at least one of those reality shows that cheapen marriage to the point that any sensible gay couple would go outta their way to avoid having anything to do with the institution.
who do you suspect spends multi-millions of dollars annually to rent porn flicks from the neighorhood vid mart? (hint: it aint those who appear in them hahahahah)
wanna buy a bridge? trade that cow for some magic beans?
I had to quote Locamama's entire reply, because she hit the nail squarely on the head IMO... but just to add a little to the mix, I honestly believe that no matter how 'saintly' or 'sinnery' (is that a word?) we believe ourselves to be, there's a little bit of each of us in these 'fictional' characters that we see on these shows. Take Samantha on 'Sex in the City"... I'd venture to say that there aren't many women out there that could rival her slutty ways, but let's face it, there's a little bit of 'slut' in nearly every woman whether she admits it/acts on it or not... It's all about identifying with the characters on some level, whether you're a saint or a sinner.
As for South Park, it's rude, crude, obnoxious, and funny as hell... did anyone see the new episode last Wednesday night that pointed out what a 'stupid spoiled whore' Paris Hilton is? how could you not laugh your ass off at that shit? and it's so fucking true... not to mention the fact that it's true that little girls everywhere look up to these slutty bitches like Paris, Britney & Christina. And that's just what we need in this country... more girls aspiring to be stupid spoiled whores. [end rant]
Personally, speaking solely for myself, I was disgusted by "Desparate Housewives" from the first trailer I saw. But, I long ago discovered that my remote works fine, so, its presence on TV doesn't bother me.
As for the nationwide trend, I'd say it's a little of both. There's a historical fascination of those with puritanical beliefs towards voyeurism; remember the woman brought before Jesus was "caught IN THE ACT of adultery", meaning that, most likely, these pious religious leaders were watching and enjoying (the fact that the MAN involved in the same act was absent makes it likely the man was one of their own in my humble opinion).