It's amazing what passes for entertainment these days.

I know reality TV has been the rage for years now, but isn't "Survivor" and "Flip This House" enough? I never watched "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila," but knowing it essentially acted as a dating service for some Playboy model-turned TV personality-turned singer/songwriter-turned fashion diva-turned online entrepreneur, I figured I didn't need to.

Shawne Merriman should have known better.

Sure, the Chargers star linebacker was cleared of any wrongdoing by the San Diego County District Attorney's office, but he erred when he put himself in that position in the first place.

What do you think is going to happen when you invite someone with the last name "Tequila" over at all hours of the night? You think she's coming over for tea?

Merriman said Tequila ---- her real name is Tila Nguyen ---- was drunk when he tried to prevent her from driving home. Tequila said that's impossible because she's allergic to alcohol and later accused Merriman of assault.

What a mess.

Take one look at her Web site, www.tilashotspot.com, and it quickly becomes clear that Tequila knows how to make news. She's actually good at it, so you have to commend her for that.

She has plenty of pictures of her swimsuit photo shoots, a blog with more f-bombs than an Andrew Dice Clay stand-up routine, and more skin than a Saturday night free-for-all at Hugh Hefner's pad.

No wonder her MySpace page was once one of the most-hit sites in cyberspace.

The site is all about the Tequila, for better or worse.

Marc Figueroa sometimes wishes he were allergic to booze. After all, it's easier to stay out of trouble when you're hopped up on a six-pack of Diet Cokes. He can be reached at mfigueroa@nctimes.com.

The Scorecard

(ranking the site from zero to five mouses)

Content (four mouses)

You'll get to know almost as much about Tequila's fans as you do Tequila. Just press the "fans messages" button. Maybe you shouldn't.

Design (three)

They say clothes make the man. Bikinis obviously make Tequila.

Organization (two)

Kind of all over the place and chaotic, which is something I'm sure Tequila relishes.

Cool features (three)

Seeing Tequila at a Prop 8 protest was interesting. I guess if I watched her TV show, I wouldn't think that.

Originality (five)

There is nothing standard or drab about Tequila. Love her or hate her, she is one of a kind.

Overall rating (three)

Surprised to see nothing posted from Tequila about the Merriman incident. Maybe she's trying to protect her image. Maybe not.