First, an observation. I ...

Question: First, an observation. I liked the trivia of the doctors on Lost and Grey's Anatomy with the same last name, but I wonder if anybody noticed the two Fox network characters with the same name. Both That 70s Show's Topher Grace and House's Omar Epps play(ed) Eric Foreman. But anyway, I do have a question. With the FCC upholding its fines of network TV for the Jackson-Timberlake incident and the Without a Trace episode placing the emphasis on stigmatizing sexual content, doesn't anybody find the sick-out factor on the season finale of House to be more in conflict with "standards of decency"? I love the show (although I usually only watch the second half, after my favorite medical show, Scrubs), but I find the sight of an eyeball-popping, testicle-exploding, gut-ripping bloody mess much more disturbing than a bare breast. What do you think?
Answer: First off, officially Fox's Erics spell their last names differently: Forman (70s Show) and Foreman (House). Secondly, you know you're preaching to the converted here on this "standards" issue. I find gore and violence much more objectionable than sexual content, given the context (and Trace at the very least had context — that particular fine is so punitive and arbitrary to be beyond nonsensical). But the puritanical streak of our pandering politicians and regulators is well known, especially in election years. Personally, though I cringed several times during the graphic House finale, I have come to expect that sort of thing in this particular show (and unless I'm mistaken, we didn't exactly see the testicle explode, just the splatter, and am I ever splitting hairs here). I don't especially believe in pushing the envelope for its own sake, and maybe House went a bit too far in the gory details in this elaborate Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge-style dream-state episode. Yes, it was disturbing, but do I think Fox should be fined for it? Absolutely not. The episode came with a warning. Quite justified this time around. And much more important to me than the icky gross-out stuff was just how mind-blowing the episode was otherwise.