Let's Send This Manual to Hollywood, Dawg

The American Psychiatric Association publishes the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," the handbook most commonly used in diagnosing such disorders.

Let's review two of its entries that are considered "axis II" disorders:

* Narcissistic personality disorder: A disorder involving pathological feelings of narcisism and self-importance. More here.
* Mental retardation: Sometimes mild, sometimes not. We all know what this is. More here.

I don't know why, but don't you just want to flip through the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual while watching the American Idol auditions?

The sad thing is, because judges like Simon Cowell seem obsessive-compulsive on criticizing some of these contestants on the way they look or act and not the way they sing -- their funny eyes, how fat they are, a nervous tick, their social awkwardness -- I do fear that some of these kids and young adults, after seeing themselves on TV, could not only become clinically depressed, they very well may get a bout of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The producers know what they're doing. And the judges -- fully realizing that some of these contestants are phonies, just trying to get TV time -- should also know that while they get filthy rich it is extraordinarily cruel to make fun of the helpless, the clueless and -- because some contestants are intentionally edited in such a way so they look as stupid and ridiculous as possible -- the defenseless.

That aint cool, dawg.