OK I’ve been way too serious all week, time to have some fun. Like you I’m sure, I’m in mourning over the imminent demise of the finest piece of a$$ television available today: The E! Channel’s Playboy-based “Girls Next Door” reality show. Take for instance last month’s episode about a softball game for Playboy Playmates:

(Video after the jump - scroll to 4:00 mark)

After plenty of unintentionally hilarious commentary and scene setting, the girls hit the field and show that they are, especially Playmate Miriam Gonzalez, BIG time ballers. Scenes like the above make the show the most bizarre dichotomy in the history of television. On one hand, you have young teenies around the world idolizing the three glorified prostitutes girls on the show. But you also have legions of 40-something gentlemen as devotees, using on the other hand.

So Sadly, it looks like the show is kaput after this season, unless Hef tries to railroad his newest harem inductees, Crystal Harris and teenie twins Karissa Shannon and Kristina Shannon, onto the show. Actually, that might end up producing infinitely more interesting television, considering the Shannon’s hellraising reputation as compared to the cardboard-esque personalities of the original trio.

Maybe that’ll even mean a reprise of the great moment in the history of sports television (besides George Michael’s Sports Machine, of course):

(Paper or plastic?)

The Chuck Woolery-hosted “Playmate Playoffs“.