When our culture merchants calculate how to exploit societal attitudes toward the homosexual lifestyle, one factor doesn't enter into the equation. Frankly, they don't give a d--- about people who believe it's a sin against God. Those religious people with their religious hang-ups aren't likely to watch MTV, so why bother with their silly complaints?

Religious concerns safely tossed aside, producers are free to explore how best to profit from pushing envelopes. They know that (most) men don't enjoy watching gay men, but enough do like to watch women flirt with lesbianism to make it a commercially viable enterprise. Enter the idea of women being "bi-curious," as the slang goes.

The trend has landed on top of the Billboard pop charts and has dominated the top of the i-Tunes download list in the form of Katy Perry's song "I Kissed A Girl." The concept has become so mainstream that she performed her song on Fox's summer series "So You Think You Can Dance." She's also made a cameo appearance on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless." This summer she's one of the few female performers featured on the Warped Tour, an appropriate word for her act.

Her lyrics have the flirty patter down. "I kissed, a girl and I liked it/ The taste of her Cherry Chap-Stick / I kissed a girl just to try it/ I hope my boyfriend don't mind it." Should the public be scandalized? Perry sings that they should not, that it's saucy, and yet innocent: "Too good to deny it/ ain't no big deal, it's innocent."

In fact, Perry's lyrics suggest she's so flirtatious that she's kissing complete strangers. "No, I don't even know your name/ It doesn't matter, you're my experimental game."

This song is apparently a follow-up to Perry's single called "U R So Gay," complaining that her male love interest is too stylish and effeminate. Its chorus begins: "You are so gay, and you don't even like boys." She taunts this alleged boyfriend in the lyrics: "You walk around like you're oh so debonair / You pull em' down, and there's really nothing there." This is not exactly classy or sophisticated song-writing. Talent, on the other hand, isn't an issue these days either.

Here's the sad rub: 23-year-old Perry began her career at age 16 with a collection of Christian gospel songs under her real name, Kate Hudson. Her parents are both Protestant pastors in California. Perry, who says her parents banned rock music (even teeny-bopper bands like New Kids on the Block) from their home, claims they are still supportive of her despite the new musical direction. "Well, I'm not strung out on crack and doing centerfolds," she quipped. It is no surprise that her motto is "I'm completely outrageous, and I'll do anything for attention!"

Exploiting the "bi-curious" trend is also MTV's formula for the ongoing embarrassment of a reality show called "Tila Tequila's Shot at Love," another noxious offering for youngsters offered by that disgusting network. It just finished its second season with a completely predictable "twist." Miss Tequila is supposed to choose her "love" from a cast of men and a cast of women. In the first season, she chose a male, but the real-life, off-camera relationship failed in time for Season Two. The second time around, she picked a girl named Kristy -- but Kristy rejected Tila. Having built her "bi-curious" credentials, Kristy will next pose for Playboy's August issue.

Tila acted heartbroken, but the Reality Blurred blog wasn't convinced by the acting attempt. "Yeah, right. I feel more genuine emotion for strangers when I see electrocuted squirrels lying on the street." Apparently, most people who watch these "reality" shows on a regular basis don't see much of anything real about them.

MTV's "Remote Control" blog was all but promising Season Three, as if America couldn't wait for another spin on this sickening merry-go-round. They noticed that their Miss Tequila had "healed" from the rejection and suggested: "Will there be a Shot at Love 3? That's classified info for now, but we can say you haven't heard the last of Tila Tequila!"

If that doesn't work out, MTV has plenty of scandalous sexpots to choose from. E! News recently reported that former top-dollar prostitute Ashley Dupre -- the one who starred in New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's collapse -- is reportedly in talks to star in her own "reality" show and may move from New Jersey to Los Angeles to pursue her glittery show-biz dreams. "They're talking to MTV about being the next Tila Tequila," said one source.

That's all in keeping with MTV, which in the pursuit of profit will film anything short of anyone smoking a cigarette because that, after all, would be to send the wrong message to impressionable youngsters.