Millions for the bumbling, stumbling, profane Ozzy and his clan.

Most people with any sense of good taste and dignity continue to be grated and appalled at the fact Ozzy Osbourne and his dysfunctional family remain so enticing to so many television viewers.

The atmosphere of the controversial âÂÂfamilyâ fare was beautifully described by Ed Bark of the Dallas Morning News. Wrote Bark:

âÂÂOzzy, the addled, self-described âÂÂ’Prince of Darkness,â âÂÂ: has outdone himself in the basket case department. He broke down sobbing during a recent Barbara Walters interview, prompting ABCâÂÂs resident grande dame to hold his hand and assure him, âÂÂ’ItâÂÂs going to be OK. It is, it is, it is.â âÂÂ: Sharon (OzzyâÂÂs wife) said that her husband has been hitting the bottle hard again and is âÂÂ’a complete wreck. Frightened. Terrified.âÂÂ

âÂÂHis children, Jack, Kelly and Aimee (Aimee again wonâÂÂt be part of the show), unanimously agreed that Dad canâÂÂt go on without the women he calls âÂÂ’my pillar of strength and hope.â This isnâÂÂt exactly conducive to high comedy. The bumbling, stumbling, expletive-spewing Ozzy of the showâÂÂs first season became prime-time TVâÂÂs hands-down funniest father. Now itâÂÂs not so funny, and the joy of discovery is out the window as well. Feeling the Osbournesâ pain is an entirely different proposition from watching them curse and cavort while various family pets drive Ozzy nuts with their rank deposits. Besides that, Sharon Osbourne (who is battling colon cancer) says sheâÂÂs already sick of the whole thing,â Bark wrote.

The second season of the show is coming up. It is unlikely, however, that Sharon will be so sick of the exposure that she will pass up the multimillion-dollar deal with MTV. The network paid what some consider a dirt-cheap $200,000 for the first 10 episodes. Add the fact the first shows helped launch the âÂÂmusicâ careers of Jack and Kelly, something many consider another unpalatable fallout.

But somebody, somewhere is providing the sponsorship, support and financing that is making the Osbourne spectacle possible. MTV is not noted for charitable ventures just to help some pathetic souls.

Yet every bit as bad is that so many people, for whatever reason, turn to TV as regularly as they seem to, according to polls, to watch an emotional train wreck involving the human condition.

Are we so hard up that we must try to boost our own psyches by noting how much worse off others are than we? So far, apparently so.