I'm a woman. I enjoy watching TV. But what the hell is up with television for women? I'm familiar with three stations aimed at women:

1. Lifetime: The station for women who have been abused or neglected or abducted or mistreated in some other way.

2. WE: Women's Entertainment: The place for brides-to-be to act batshit crazy or lose their "fat."

3. Oxygen: The place for vapid, mindless women to compete as bad girls, watch reruns of Tyra's talk show or modeling competition.

So great. If I want to find something to relate to on a TV network of which I am the target demographic, I have to be completely vain with an attitude problem, some variation of an out-of-control bride, or abused on some way.

It's not like television for me is so much better.

1. Spike: Like living at a frat house.

2. The Military Channel: At least you can learn something. About guns or historic battles or tanks.

So, death or the life of a frat boy.

Not that we can expect much from the boob tube. With our own TV stations, we are separated into neat little stereotypical viewing audiences, and it makes it much easier to sell advertising space for products like Axe Body spray, hair dye or Viagra-type products (I am amazed at how many enhancement commercials air on the Military Channel.)

What really confuses me is that Oprah was one of the founders of the Oxygen network. It has since been sold to NBC, which may explain the utterly vapid programming. However, is it so hard to provide smart programming that is aimed at a single gender? I see nothing wrong with creating a network specifically for one demographic, and perhaps for some networks that demographic isn't "all women" but rather "all shallow, emotionally immature women" which is why the programming on WE and Oxygen doesn't appeal to me, despite being a straight, white, middle class, 25-34 year-old woman. Perhaps my college education and general concern for others puts me in a different demographic than their target. Not that I should be surprised, most shiny magazines aimed at me aren't that much different (thank god for Bust, Bitch and Ms.).

One day it would be nice to turn on the TV and see a network aimed specifically at me that didn't make me feel like I wasn't wearing enough make-up or drinking enough martinis or generally acting like a brat enough. Sarah Haskins on current TV gives me hope. Unfortunately I miss her actual weekly segment on TV, thank god for the internet.