Actually, it’s too late. Today, Ebay yanked the posting that Steve Young — a TV writer for the WB’s Family Affair — had put up, offering to auction off his family for a minimum bid of $5 million. In a story on CNN, he explained it thusly:

“In medieval times, artists had patrons that supported them and this is a similar thing,” Young told CNN/Money. “We’re basically saying, ‘Wouldn’t you like to be a part of this?’”

In the eBay posting, Young wrote that the family would have changed its last name to the winning bidder’s and — what may be important to note — everything he wrote upon being purchased would have been credited to the buyer.

“You can be an author without the drudgery of actually writing. Imagine the thrill of watching your name flow by hurriedly on television and film credits … The feeling is priceless, or in this case just over $5 million.”