No, I am not referring to the Paulson bailout — though, I suppose it works for that, too — but instead to the gratuitous sexual references in tonight’s “Dancing With The Stars” premiere.

It’s one of the few broadcast-television shows now with a truly mass audience, including families. My sons and I hurried home from soccer practice to watch, but I found that I wasn’t sorry to see their bedtime arrive before the end of the show. As a former dance teacher, I enjoy critiquing the contestants and the judges, and my kids like trying to guess who will score what. But if the banter is going to consist largely of clumsy crudity, we’ll choose another channel. There are plenty.