america's puritans have always been so incredibly conflicted they make the classic italian 'madonna/whore' thing look like basic arithmetic.    how else to explain a culture so focused on breasts that women literally risk their lives by having implants while forcing mothers to breastfeed their infants in public restrooms.

im sure a fair number of those who view themselves stalwart defenders of marriage because they go to the wall over opposite sex marriages are also avid fans of at least one of those reality shows that cheapen marriage to the point that any sensible gay couple would go outta their way to avoid having anything to do with the institution.

who do you suspect spends multi-millions of dollars annually to rent porn flicks from the neighorhood vid mart?  (hint: it aint those who appear in them hahahahah)

Personally, speaking solely for myself, I was disgusted by "Desparate Housewives" from the first trailer I saw. But, I long ago discovered that my remote works fine, so, its presence on TV doesn't bother me.

As for the nationwide trend, I'd say it's a little of both. There's a historical fascination of those with puritanical beliefs towards voyeurism; remember the woman brought before Jesus was "caught IN THE ACT of adultery", meaning that, most likely, these pious religious leaders were watching and enjoying (the fact that the MAN involved in the same act was absent makes it likely the man was one of their own in my humble opinion).