About three-quarters into the premiere episode of "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce," a dramatic confrontation between estranged spouses represents the first honest moment in this show. Unfortunately, such moments are far and few between. The rest of this dreary, crude new series -- premiering Dec. 2 on Bravo -- consists of a string of cliches about the lifestyles of wealthy L.A. women. Bravo intends to venture into new territory with this series, which is being billed as its first-ever "scripted series" -- although most of us have long suspected that "Real Housewives" and a host of other so-called "reality" series are …

The Rev. Al Sharpton enjoys a distinction unique among national TV personalities: Not only is he a talk-show host on one of our major cable news channels, but he is also a firebrand civil-rights activist who at the moment has placed himself at the center of the Michael Brown case. This position leads to accusations that Sharpton -- who hosts a show called "Politics Nation" on MSNBC -- is using his high profile to incite rioting and looting or, at the very least, to cheer on and encourage the violence.