"Decent guys don't cause drama"

I'm sitting here, watching the latest episode of The Hills with my teenage daughter, and I can barely contain myself. Every guy on this show is a colossal jerk. There's Brody, the serial-cheater, and Spencer, the lying manipulator. The way they treat the women in their lives is horrible. Aren't there any nice guys out there in L.A.?

"You know what I hate about this show?" I fumed, "They don't show any decent guys."

My daughter looked at me, and said with the matter-of-fact wisdom that comes so naturally to teenagers, "Decent guys don't cause drama."

Damn. I hate it when she's right.

Shows like The Hills are not real-life, of course. Bad boys are the order of the day because they create angst and tears and stomach-churning drama that nice, decent guys don't.

Nice guys don't make for good TV. Welcome to 2008.

I feel like a fossil.