NPR blogger proposes that reality TV curb its enthusiasm for human exploitation.

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/reality_tv/index.html?story=/ent/tv/feature/2011/09/01/reality_tv_code_of_ethics

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/2011/08/30/real_housewives_special/index.html

As the United States slides ever deeper into a slash-and-burn, peasants-and-landowners environment a la medieval England, it's ever so clear that television networks and production companies will do absolutely nothing to rein in the excesses of semi-scripted drama with gotta-be-on-TV-no-matter-what civilians/professionals (with the exception of a few don't-do-this-it-could-hurt-you PSAs).

Once those PSAs air, NBC/Universal/Bravo are banking on the public paying no further attention to journalistic inquiries into reality TV ethics re the suicide-marred current season of THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS.

[UPDATE 9/3/11: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/story/2011-09-01/Re-edited-Real-Housewives-is-ready-to-air-what-was-cut/50231034/1?loc=interstitialskip]