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Xavier

Celebrating Mediocrity is an Abomination

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We can all come to agree times in the past have changed in the last 20-30 years, thanks to technology, changing ideologies, what is deemed socially acceptable, and so on and so forth. That’s fine and dandy, but one of these changes that have happened over the past generation is the significance of the individual, and that has been one of the integral changes that have lead to many of the problems of the world.

Take local or national news for example. There is story after story of personal tragedy: house fires on Christmas, murders of family members, people losing their houses to financial problems, and the list goes on. The murder stories may be newsworthy, since a murder may not be an isolated incident, and people should at least never feel bullet proof. But, the issue comes in on those news stories when the reporter interviews the grieving widow and children and has the audacity to ask “how does this make you feel?” No one needs to be told how that would feel.

Having never lost my parents myself, I can remember I time when I was in my teens and I thought of the idea of my father dying. Instantly, I started to tear up, I pictured of fond memories and thought “I will never be able to do that with him again. Dad is really gone.” Just the very idea of losing my father did that to me, so I can easily imagine what these poor people are going though. They do not need some national televised therapy session moments or days after this tragic event, they need to be left alone to grieve. But, for some inconceivable reason, ABC or CNN feels compelled to ambush these people and pry this information out of them. The same goes with the other examples of getting everyone’s two cents for non-stories. Someone losing their house to a fire; that’s not newsworthy, it’s a damn shame, and those people may need some help getting back on their feet, but give them their dignity and do not report that. Someone lost their house after losing their job? Breaking news! That’s just pathetic on the news groups. I say shame on you for putting these people’s humiliation on the big screen, out there for all to see.

Let’s move away from the news and on to conventional TV programming. Reality TV as a whole is an abomination. Of course, there are some exceptions to that, such as Mythbusters or any other educational show devoted to informing the masses, but shows such as “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” “Jersey Shore,” “16 and Pregnant,” “Hording,” “The Amazing Race,” and the list can go on to fill countless pages typed in Times New Roman 10 pt font, but the point of the matter is that these shows do nothing but celebrate mediocrity and put people on television that have no reason to be. An actor or entertainer on TV should have some sort of talent. Singing, dancing, a comedy routine, playing an instrument, or something! Not these catty morons from New Jersey who wear fake tans, animal print clothing (that is too short for them), pick a fight with anyone who walks by, and sleep with any muscle head who looks their way. What message do these shows send? The only conceivable thing anyone can take away from shows of this nature is how to spot when a stranger is disrespecting you and how to pick a fight with them, as well as how to embody the epitome of classless trash deserving only a dead end job in retail or food service.

Yes, there are other TV shows that have target audiences that mainly attract women, like the shows mentioned before, but at least those have a true storyline, acting, and some thematic elements, such as metaphors, symbolism and irony. Desperate Housewives, with Eva Longoria, has many cougar-aged women being very confrontational, but at least it’s meant to be fake, and has its place in a plot.

The reality TV show craze has even hit Cartoon Network. During the week, there is a reality game show. In this game show, between events or as they unfold, the camera will cut to an individual child and they are asked about their feelings on a specific insignificant event that just unfolded, for example a specific child winning or losing an event, or a remark that another child made to another.

Placing all this importance on a person’s point of view on TV serves only as a distraction, puts people on TV who should not be there, and just dumbs people down. Not to mention furthers the reason why a woman makes 75 cents to my dollar. It is pushing the women’s and minority’s civil rights movement back by bombarding the public with horrible stereotypes.

What happened to television that made people think? Look at something as far back as Abbot and Costello. Their shtick “Who’s on 1st,” was done very rapidly, requiring the viewer to pay close attention and actively process what was being said. Let’s look at something much more recent, the West Wing. One would have to have read all the classics, know famous lines from famous American theater as well as cinema, and be able to pick up on subtle non-verbal cues. It was an amazing show with the greatest dialogue since Shakespeare’s time, plots that kept the viewer guessing and acting that made it seem as if that was the real administration in the oval office.

Bring back the smart TV and remind the peons of the world of their place in society. Not that entertainers have any real importance as a whole, no, they are just entertainers. There are just too many people who are uncivil, put their vulgar opinions out for all to see, just to make a spectacle of themselves when really, they should be getting back to work to get themselves out of the trailer home they now have to inhabit because they lost their job over events they could not control.

Rant complete.

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Comments

  1. badwhale's Avatar
    word.
  2. ashauler's Avatar
    Man, I'm glad you posted that. Good insight into your, uh, perspective. Of course, since my wife worked 30 yrs in food service, and I grew up in a mobile home my take is just a little different than yours. I have to keep reminding myself which "class" I belong to.
  3. badwhale's Avatar
    Wait. I thought we endorsed elitism here? Newbs try to point that out all the time.