Reality T.V.
By Pam Sherman | December 10, 2007
I know we have sunk to a new low in television when we are forced to watch televised interventions - - which my husband is watching in the next room. Crack addict Mom being sent to rehab. A man with a really bad haircut who is a heroin addict (honestly the intervention should be about the haircut).
Hi, my name is Pam and I’m a television junkie. I need an intervention. I DVR so many shows that some nights I’m up until midnight watching them all in fast forward. An hour long show can be viewed in about 10 minutes. I currently DVR: Project Runway, Nip/Tuck, Desparate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, Private Practice (piece of crap spin-off), Dirty, Sexy, Money, Top Chef, anything on HBO and Showtime (except Dexter that’s such stupid premise, serial killer coroner? and Californication?! David Duchovny was better as a brooding X-file examiner than he is as a despicable womanizer), America’s Next Top Model (all the girls are really tired but they really want to win), and E.R. And that doesn’t account for shows which have yet to premiere this season, like Lost.
That’s a lot of television. Am I really watching it if it’s spinning by so fast? I can’t hear the words, catch the nuances of the actors (except Alec Baldwin I watch him in slow motion), or even understand the plot. So why bother? Well, at the end of the day while catatonic on a couch I think at least I’m watching my definition of “quality” and I’m not forced to watch Larry King interview Liza Minelli or Donald Trump for the umteempth time. Also, I feel like I’m totally keeping up withthe popular radar screen (although I haven’t succumbed to all but the final 2 minutes of Dancing with the Stars as of yet). Last year we watched American Idol as a family but after a season I got the premise I probably could fast forward through the singing - which defeats the purpose I suppose. But mostly, I’m in a stupor with my finger on a button and it’s a bad habit that needs to be broken.
So, my New Year’s resolutions will include a DVR Resolution: I will only tape shows I actually want to watch without fast forwarding (commercials don’t count). I will also learn to miss shows and not care. Of course, this resolution is timely becuase this winter is going to be just like summer when we were forced to watch shows like Rockstar: Super Nova, because soon there will be no scripted television because the writer’s are still on strike forcing the television industry to it’s knees. As a result shows like Intervention and Crowns (about mean beauty queens) will be all that is left on the air. I suppose I could succumb to the charms of Anderson Cooper. Or I could just read.
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December 12th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Great post - time to check my reading list!
December 20th, 2007 at 10:57 am
You must add “Rescue Me” and “Dirt” to your DVR viewing…:)