they see on the tube deserves their fate...

I thinks Spud and Watcher in the Middle have got it about right, the Times article passes the 'so-what' test ONLY in the sense it impugns the Cable networks -- who did almost certainly know exactly what they were getting -- so should any listener or viewer have known what they were getting.

Those who missed that can snivel about being mislead. I'm not too sympathetic, personally.