What's all the shouting about?

As I read the news and watch an admittedly small portion of television, I'm left somewhat dismayed at the level of sensationalism that seems to pervade anything media-related.  And I wonder:  must we shout to be heard above the din?  Must authors write books that "tell all" or let the reader in on some alleged "secrets"?  Whatever happened to shows like Seinfeld, where we could just take a humorous and ironic view of daily life?  What about books?  The top 5 NYT non-fiction titles for this week include one each from Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, two men who make a living off of inciting dissension.  Will it get to the point where we, as fiction authors, need to insert something controversial just to make a sale?  It used to be that controversy would kill a sale; now I wonder if we're headed down a path where, even in fiction, controversy might be required to MAKE a sale.  I think that would be a very sad day for fiction writers.