If you only followed the “Grand Theft Auto” coverage that appears in the mainstream media, you might think that the only targets in the series are police officers and prostitutes.

Any player of “GTA” knows, however, that the series is rich with satire.

Much of what the game mocks is lampooned on the game’s in-car radio stations. In ‘GTA IV” some of it is also done through other media.

Here’s a list of the not-so-sacred cows I saw and heard getting skewered in my first seven hours of the game. Most of these jokes got me to laugh out loud, which, trust me, isn’t easy.

• America’s Next Top Model
• Celebrity Poker
• Cities Desperate For The Olympics
• Coca-Cola
• CSI
• “Halo”
• Ikea
• Liberal, Activist Actors
• mySpace
• The Patriot Act
• People Who Can’t Stop Using Their Blackberrys
• People Who Can’t Stop Playing “World of Warcraft” And The People Who Complain About Them
• Republicans
• Smoking Bans in Bars
• Sports Teams That Get Public Funding For Stadiums

I am sure the game has many more targets. Maybe I should make a list of what isn’t being mocked. Still, I hope this list puts the game in more accurate perspective.