I was waiting interminably in line at the grocery store today, which forced me to read the magazines on the sale rack. I chuckled to see Women's World Weekly touting its "DaVinci Code Diet!" I thought it was just another cheap magazine ploy, until I found this. Now I know it's an expensive book ploy.

I've never read the DaVinci Code, mainly because I am what sociologists call a "reverse snob." If everybody else is doing it, I automatically DON'T want to do it. Plus it has a "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" sensationalist feel to it. But I've read many a trashy novel myself, so I'm not judging. Except when it comes to BELIEVING this book is REAL. That's irritating. Yet it's encouraged by the publishing world, because it's a great sales tool for history, art and travel books relating in any way to the plot of The DaVinci Code

Now, book sellers are combining two of their biggest con jobs into one: DaVinci plus weight loss equals publishing gold, people! And the best part is, if they don't lose weight, they can feel stupid AND fat, having been unable to crack the code. And buy more books in a vain attempt to solve both problems! Cha-CHING cha-CHING cha-CHING!

Am I being too cynical here? Nah. Not me.