Rotating Tables

Surprise, surprise. Seems certain television studios are coming around to embrace bittorrent. Not anything major, certainly, but it's a start. I feel torn about the issue, because it seems that the object of this new found affection between the two worlds may have some ill intent (as per usual) on the part of the provider. Sure, they're starting to throw the free information trading culture a few bones, but what, exactly, do they want in return? It's only a matter of time before someone in the industry realizes what's happening, and turns it to their advantage. You see, in this world of entertainment consumers and emitters, there tends not to be any real medium on which an up-and-coming emitter (vis-à-vis "television series") can reach the wider terrain of consumers. Consumers en-mass are overcome by the fruit of trees bore from roots of bloodcurdling evil and profiteering, and most never taste the pulp of true originality. Anyway, chances are most of us know at least one friend who has some kind of eclectic taste in entertainment. They probably hear about said media through some kind of guru-geek connection, who derives all his/her information from the dark places of the Internet. Either way, whether through bittorrent, or some other p2p application (or the good old fashioned bootleg VHS, anyone?), he/they will acquire new media, and if you're lucky, will share it with you. Or at least, this is how I came to know of Weeds. So yes, good shows are starting to gain larger fan bases by ways of the digital underground, and I'm certain that some (more dignified) fans are going out and buying the DVDs, and that the shows are seeing a margin of extra profit from this activity. My concern is, when will this sacred vein of entertainment become known to the gluttons of the upper-world? How long, then, will it take them to manipulate the underworld, watering down what little taste is left there? All for the sake of profit? Or is it just that I've seen far too many other unfortunate things happen, all in the name of the dollar? I fear we're entering brave and perilous times.