Why am I watching this?

It sneaks up on you like a shark under the water, the godawful movie or TV show that you can't look away from. There you are clicking through the channels when you can't sleep or just feel like vegging and it attacks, sucking away your will to change the channel or even shut off the TV until you know what happens.

I was ambushed tonight. I'd done quite a bit of writing, turned off my computer and thought I'd catch a bit of screen time before going to bed. And there it was, waiting for me. Before I could even hit NEXT on the remote, I was couch-potato napped by Raptor Island, a lovely gem of a film starring Lorenzo Lamas. For two hours, I watched this story unfold with all the horrified curiosity of a gaper at a car wreck. Powerless to change the channel, I became addicted with each passing moment. No matter how ridiculous the action, I had to know what happened.

This evil phenomenon happens a lot with reality television shows. These are like the drug cartels of cable and dish networks. I don't want to know about the spoiled brats on "You're Cut Off" or whether or not Kim Kardashian will make up her mind about a handbag. Dear God, I can't even believe I know how to spell the name Kardashian.

What is it about these bad films and bad television shows that suck out our will to think and move? Is there some sort of psychedelic drug embedded in the signal so that they can score ratings with a captive audience? I wish I knew because once the whole thing is over, I'm left with the urge to bleach my brain.

Any of you out there been held prisoner in your own bedroom or living room because of this? What shows or movies did you have to suffer through?