Video killed the radio star!
It's been over a month since I moved into this new place, and today I finally acquired a TV. So far, I was occupying my free time once I got back from work with healthy activities like walking a mile to and from the grocery store (no car either!!), painting, listening to music, re-reading my Harry Potter collection, etc. And of course, as you might have guessed from my last few posts, reallly listening to some music. I found some cool stations on the radio - there's one that has 'block parties' every day, where they play only Led Zep or only The Doors or only CCR for 2-3 hours straight :)
But today spelt the end of that simple life and the beginning of The Simple Life (maybe I won't stoop as low as that though...Paris Hilton makes me puke). So, right now, with no antenna (other than a twisty thing made of aluminum foil!!) and no cable, we get FOX and WB, and a hazy UPN and a very hazy NBC. So naturally, about 2 hours were spent watching various programs and bad ads and commenting on the banality of American television. Here are some juicy excerpts of what I saw:
1. An ad that goes "My TV sucks!" and the TV actually physically sucking things!!
2. A show that had detectives trying to figure out some crime that apparently was committed by a woman in her previous incarnation. Shades of "Honi Anhoni"???
3. A promo that declared that "America's favorite psychic soccer mom returns this fall, in 'Medium' - all new episodes starting..." Yeah, like America has so many psychic soccer moms so they had a contest and voted for their favorite one! Puhleeeze!
4. A Family Guy episode which insinuates that the baby (which by the way, talks with a grown man's voice. In a British accent, no less.) is having sex with his mother. I am not kidding. Talk about an early manifestation of the Oedipus Complex!
5. A show that condones extra-marital affairs..Nay, encourages them with thunderous applause for the adulterers. "Oh no,I've made a huge mistake. (You think, good..he realizes he shouldn't cheat on his wife.) I should never have used my real name with that woman."(HUH??? That's the big realization???) and "Honey, you know I'd never touch another woman. Uh, except maybe, at, like a strip club!" (After which said honey proceeds to forgive the asshole and kiss him!!! Women on TV are such dimwits, it makes me mad!!!) Ok, I am not a prude, and I do know why sometimes, people might cheat or have affairs outside a relationship. But I draw the line when it becomes condoned, accepted, encouraged and celebrated in popular culture. Especially when it's on national television and not cable. I love Comedy Central style dirty politically incorrect humor because they make no pretense of being 'family friendly entertainment' with 'fun for all' and 'cherishing values' or any of that BS. So next time, spare me the lawsuit against Winnie the Pooh and take a look at your WB Sunday shows.
Ok, nuff said bout that. I guess I'd forgotten in 2 months how mind-numbingly stupid some of these TV shows can be, and how mind-numbingly stupid they can make us! How many stereotypes are perpetuated, how insensitive they can be to some groups (especially gay people), how destructive some of the humor can be (like a father bribing a son with $200 shoes so that he doesn't tell his mom about his dad's cybersex partner..What in the world can be a positive thing to come out of that situation???) and just how stupid these shows assume we are!
Ok, having said that, I'm going to call my cable guy tomorrow morning and ask to be hooked up to 40 channels of similar drivel. Farewell, o last of ye faithful brain cells!
But today spelt the end of that simple life and the beginning of The Simple Life (maybe I won't stoop as low as that though...Paris Hilton makes me puke). So, right now, with no antenna (other than a twisty thing made of aluminum foil!!) and no cable, we get FOX and WB, and a hazy UPN and a very hazy NBC. So naturally, about 2 hours were spent watching various programs and bad ads and commenting on the banality of American television. Here are some juicy excerpts of what I saw:
1. An ad that goes "My TV sucks!" and the TV actually physically sucking things!!
2. A show that had detectives trying to figure out some crime that apparently was committed by a woman in her previous incarnation. Shades of "Honi Anhoni"???
3. A promo that declared that "America's favorite psychic soccer mom returns this fall, in 'Medium' - all new episodes starting..." Yeah, like America has so many psychic soccer moms so they had a contest and voted for their favorite one! Puhleeeze!
4. A Family Guy episode which insinuates that the baby (which by the way, talks with a grown man's voice. In a British accent, no less.) is having sex with his mother. I am not kidding. Talk about an early manifestation of the Oedipus Complex!
5. A show that condones extra-marital affairs..Nay, encourages them with thunderous applause for the adulterers. "Oh no,I've made a huge mistake. (You think, good..he realizes he shouldn't cheat on his wife.) I should never have used my real name with that woman."(HUH??? That's the big realization???) and "Honey, you know I'd never touch another woman. Uh, except maybe, at, like a strip club!" (After which said honey proceeds to forgive the asshole and kiss him!!! Women on TV are such dimwits, it makes me mad!!!) Ok, I am not a prude, and I do know why sometimes, people might cheat or have affairs outside a relationship. But I draw the line when it becomes condoned, accepted, encouraged and celebrated in popular culture. Especially when it's on national television and not cable. I love Comedy Central style dirty politically incorrect humor because they make no pretense of being 'family friendly entertainment' with 'fun for all' and 'cherishing values' or any of that BS. So next time, spare me the lawsuit against Winnie the Pooh and take a look at your WB Sunday shows.
Ok, nuff said bout that. I guess I'd forgotten in 2 months how mind-numbingly stupid some of these TV shows can be, and how mind-numbingly stupid they can make us! How many stereotypes are perpetuated, how insensitive they can be to some groups (especially gay people), how destructive some of the humor can be (like a father bribing a son with $200 shoes so that he doesn't tell his mom about his dad's cybersex partner..What in the world can be a positive thing to come out of that situation???) and just how stupid these shows assume we are!
Ok, having said that, I'm going to call my cable guy tomorrow morning and ask to be hooked up to 40 channels of similar drivel. Farewell, o last of ye faithful brain cells!
posted by RTD2 at 9:43 PM
3 Comments:
Oh, so you got yourself an idiot box. I remember the ad about 'TV sucks'. Difficult to decide whether to laugh or to cry. You don't like Paris Hilton. That's hot! :-) (Apparently, those two words comprise her entire vocabulary)
hmmm... what would i do without a TV, even for a month! am a total couch-potato :P
Tarun, dude...by your definition, I was a "racist" even in India :) I did catch up on some juicy Bollywood gossip this weekend at Parth's place though!
And Aparna, for a couch potato you are remarkably creative and productive!
-RT
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