What a Writer Watches

Greetings Friends,

The other day, I mentioned that I watch The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Jersey Shore. Looking at that grouping of programs, there is a definite "which doesn't belong and why?" question that needs answering.

I don't watch much television, and haven't for a very long time; what piques my interest are shows that challenge me, rather than ones I can zone out in front of. Therefore, I do not tune in to any of the popular "reality" programs. There are certain ones that, as I said, are train wrecks of a magnitude I cannot ignore. There aren't many, but the ones I latch on to, I find I can't stop watching. Some others I've watched are Celebrity Rehab, Rock of Love, The Celebrity Apprentice, and The Surreal Life. That group makes a bit more sense to me - I obviously have a thing for the "screwed-upness" of has-been celebrities.

Since I've admitted to viewing all that other dreck, I may as well confess to watching Keeping up with the Kardashians, too, even though I believe the lowest form of celebrity is to be famous for no reason other than being wealthy and considered beautiful. For many people, there is nothing else in life besides material possessions and physical attractiveness. I am not one of those people. So why do I watch these shows? I have no idea. I also watch a lot of Food Network cooking shows. I consider those "zone-out" television. I will not even address "Jon & Kate Plus 8" or that other family with 18 kids because I do not believe human females were meant to give birth to litters of children. This concludes the portion of today's post where Nava shares her politically incorrect opinions with the great electronic void.

Television has changed dramatically over the course of my lifetime; I have vague memories of watching The Ed Sullivan Show with my parents, and horror of horrors, I was allowed to watch All in the Family as a kid. Talk about politically incorrect...you can't utter half of what was said on that show today without risking major scandal. Some other shows I'm eternally fond of are The Odd Couple, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Cheers, Seinfeld and Two and a Half Men. You can have the rest. I wouldn't waste DVR space on American Idol or Dancing with the Stars even if a DVR existed that had an unlimited memory. I'll always be a sucker for has-been celebrity reality shows; although I don't think I'll ever know why. Maybe my love of cheesy 70s variety shows (Sonny & Cher, Donny & Marie) settled into the nether regions of my subconscious, and that's why I can't help myself. Other than that, I have no idea.

We'll talk about movies next week.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Nava