Increasing spectators; decreasing cooks

Sunday's New York Times Magazine had an article about the decline of home cooking. It brings up something I have been curious about a long time: Why are there seemingly so many watchers of cooking programs and so few people who actually cook? According to the article, watching these shows doesn't get people up off the couch to cook. Because of my interest in cooking, people often assume I am an avid watcher of cooking shows, but there is no entertainment value for me in watching others cook. I only watch if I feel I can learn something substantial, like Julia Child when she demonstrated techniques, for example how to debone (de-cartilage?) a skate wing. Watching someone just prepare a recipe is boring. And watching someone prepare food under the stress of time and competition is plain joyless for me. Why turn art into competition when it isn't required? I am for collaboration!