But how many people really watched it, besides television critics and really rabid journalists? Not many. Which brings me to one of my main criticisms of this list--where are the influential shows? The ones with large audiences that are influencing lots of people? C'mon, 90210 and "Melrose Place" advocate casual sex, teen sex, infidelity, homosexuality and just about everything else. Lots of people watch those shows, but apparently not members of the Media Research Center.

3. "Dennis Miller Live." About: Talk show with stand-up comedy. Oh, come now. With Rush Limbaugh on the air and Alan Keyes and G. Gordon Liddy on the radio conservatives begrudge one measly cable, little-watched liberal talk show? Plus, the criticisms of Miller for "crossing the lines of fairness and decency" with his attacks on Gingrich & Co. show their extremely thin conservative skin. What's the fun of fair and decent political reflection? Calling people "feminazis" would be absolutely forbidden.

2. "Sisters." About: The trials and tribulations of four grown sisters." Okay. I'll grant the Center the claim that "Sisters" has a liberal twist. The sisters and their friends and offspring sleep around. They have gay friends. They support Clinton and his ilk. They're liberals, all of them.

But, for God's sake, they're also idiots! Alex is a ditz, Georgie cheated on her wonderful husband because she fell for a slimy shrink, Teddy uses sex to feel loved and Frankie married her sister's ex-husband. Newly-found half-sister Charlie has been reasonably sane so far, but just give her time. Nothing any of these women have done could possibly inspire anyone with half a brain to emulate them. Fans of the show watch them to feel better about their own lives, not to decide political stances.

And... 1. "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story." About: Lesbian nurse fights to stay in the Army; based on real-life person. As you can probably tell, this was not a Pat Robertson/Strom Thurmond production. But I should probably go down the list of no-nos anyway: implied opposition to gays in the military (and in general) stems from bigotry, ignores good reasons for keeping ban on gays in military, includes a passionate lesbian kiss. The center presented the last one as though it was a completely radical element included just to freak the audience out.

Hmmm. Let's see. A woman is involved in a relationship that threatens her career and necessitates a costly legal battle. But heaven forbid this relationship should be commemorated with one--one!--onscreen kiss.

I'd mock the other reasons, but there's really no need. I think, however, that Barry Goldwater would be amused at having his views classified as "liberal," and he's been around a bit longer than the Center. What makes this choice funny, though, is one of the choices for the "good" shows, the ones "aggressively promoting traditional values"--"The Commish." Guess the Center televisionwatchers missed that episode about the gay cop, the one in which opposition to gays is definitely equated with bigotry. (That show may have been from the previous season, but my point remains the same.) Whoever came up with this list really needs to watch a lot. more television before attempting to slam "liberal" shows.

The other "traditional" shows are more or less what could be expected: "Christy," "ABC Family Movie," "Home Improvement," "Touched by an Angel," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and "Me and the Boys." But no one ever defines the term "traditional." What does it mean? And why is it inherently conservative somehow? The welfare system has become a tradition, and I don't see anyone rushing to claim it. Traditional values can mean anything from racism to stay-at-home mothers.

Well, I think that's enough wallowing in liberalism. Time for me to go find some horror story about government bureaucracy or a new P.J. O'Rourke article or something. After all, the Center may start branching out with its Top 10 liberal lists, and I have no desire to be included on one. Given their track record with television, I shudder to think what they'd do with a description of me.