Vaginal Bonds
I like HBO. I really do. I think they've done wonders for movies being on cable. Snazzy trailer montages, spiffy behind the scenes documentaries. Not to mention their original programming allows them to usually sweep the Emmy's every year. Huzzah, Curb Your Enthusiasm as well. But this morning my high regard of them might have been knocked down a few notches. One of their new programs, Family Bonds, chronicles a professional bondsman/bounty hunter, and the business he runs. On the side however it is also an introspective on the life of his family. Thus the witty name. However I think this morning I saw too much of his family, or at least his daughter. I've only seen a couple of episodes, so I knew his daughter was pregnant. What I didn't know was that they were going to show the actual birth; vagina and all.

HBO does have a habit of gratuitous nudity. Their Real Sex series has entertained me for years with its use of nudity of the less attractive as well as the over exaggerated. Let's agree that they can show almost anything. What bugs me though is that this nudity was so out of place in the show. I understand that birth is a beautiful thing. But isn't that only because you know the baby as well as the mother he/she/it is coming out of? Objectively, birth is far from a beautiful thing. The only argument I can make here is that the show dwells on the family and their growing together, so showing the birth would solidify the importance of family. TLC does this almost on a regular basis. But those shows are usual titled with a name having to do with birth and the whole baby thing. But I don't think anyone really needed to see the actual family bonds being created, let alone the post-family-bonds spewing from the birth canal. Finally, did they tell the daughter? "Excuse me Miss? We're going to show your stretched vagina on cable television. Is that OK? Great!"

Family Bonds minus the vagina is an OK show. The family is your typical Long Island bunch, so seeing them is no surprise on this end. I'm sure for someone who doesn't live in the metro area, the large personalities on the show make for good entertainment.

However. I don't think the large vagina does.