Channel-surfing this morning I happened upon a scene that showcased the dry wit of American commercial television: On a table lay a middle-aged man draped for surgery. He says something like "I wouldn't be doing this but my wife's religion demands it." A circumcision! I think. Next the black surgeon demands the lidocaine and warns "You may feel a small prick in the affected area." Then a troop of medical students is escorted in to watch. Cut.

I had to check the TV guide to see what I'd watched. It was an episode of "ER." Does this sort of thing occur often?