The AP
reported today that one of the contractors killed in Fallujah starred in "Combat Missions," a reality show that pitted special forces vets in tests of skill.
It always seemed to me that reality shows thrived precisely because Americans were having a problem with reality, a sort of reality deficit. Before 9/11, it was hard to say what really mattered; afterwards, denial became necessary.
I don't want to get into the debate about whether we should mourn for these guys. But what does it mean when a tv merc is burned to death in a war with fictional premises?