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I just don't like being lied to...

But whose to say they're lying? The men's relationship may not meet your definition of marriage or even the state of California's definition of marriage, but maybe they had some sort of ceremony and they consider themsleves married. CBS is not claiming the men are entitled to state or federal benefits incident to a state-sanctioned marriage. They're just using the word married in a way you or I may not approve of. How about a woman who affectionately calls her best friend her "sister" even though the two may not be children of the same parents. Do you want the government to punish them? I just don't like people crying to nanny government everytime someone does something they don't like.

Who's to say they're lying? I guess you'd have no problem with CBS putting an incestuous mother-son team on the Amazing Race and calling them "married"--because who's to say they're not? Or how about two 14 year olds? Any problem with calling them "married" on TV as long as that's what they call themselves? Do you have children? Aren't you concerned that children will be at least confused by it? Maybe your kids are ok, but many many others may not be.

The point is that "marriage" is not a term whose definition is mutable. If their relationship doesn't meet some state's definition of marriage, they're not married. It's that simple. When people hear the word "married", it's a universal presumption that somewhere there's a legal document with the names of both parties and a legally authorized third party defining the two as married. The CBS spokesperson certainly seemed to think so. Of course, by her own words she reveals her own brain to be hermetically sealed.

To compare this to a woman calling her best friend "sister" fails on two counts. For one thing, there's no multi-billion company trying to get publicity for and consumption of their product on the basis of that statement. And there's also a tradition of the use of the words "brother" and "sister" to sometimes symbolize a relationship based on shared experiences of a highly emotional nature rather than blood that cuts across cultures back into antiquity. And when such a thing comes up, if the people involved are not actually blood related, it's made clear. There is no such tradition for the word "married". Anyone seeing the word "married" presumes a legal relationship as well as a social one.

Fine, forget the lawsuit. Perhaps the government shouldn't be involved. I accept the criticism. But this is still deliberately devious and misleading on the part of CBS, and they should be ashamed on that basis, regardless of how you feel about gays and marriage.

The point is that "marriage" is not a term whose definition is mutable. If their relationship doesn't meet some state's definition of marriage, they're not married. It's that simple. When people hear the word "married", it's a universal presumption that somewhere there's a legal document with the names of both parties and a legally authorized third party defining the two as married. The CBS spokesperson certainly seemed to think so. Of course, by her own words she reveals her own brain to be hermetically sealed.

CBS can't change this. The fact that they seem to be trying to do so for financial gain is outrageous.

To compare this to a woman calling her best friend "sister" fails on two counts. For one thing, there's no multi-billion company trying to get publicity for and consumption of their product on the basis of that statement. Secondly, there's also a tradition of the use of the words "brother" and "sister" to sometimes symbolize a relationship based on shared experiences of a highly emotional nature rather than blood that cuts across cultures back into antiquity. And when such a thing comes up, if the people involved are not actually blood related, it's made clear. There is no such tradition for the word "married". Anyone seeing the word "married" presumes a legal relationship as well as a social one.

Fine, forget the lawsuit. Perhaps the government shouldn't be involved. I accept the criticism. But this is still deliberately devious and misleading on the part of CBS, and they should be ashamed on that basis, regardless of how you feel about gays and marriage. But shame is not an emotion that is much in vogue, these days. So many people seem to think that shame is old-fashioned and an imposition on their right to blame everyone else for their problems; an impediment to doing as you please to get whatever you want.