Category: rant

Do you watch TV? I watch TV. I’ll admit it I’m a junkie. The TV is always on. If I had the resources I’d have a wall of TV’s, four maybe six. Today four might be enough with all the crap that’s on. By crap I mean “reality” television.

Reality – dictionary.com
1. the state or quality of being real.
2. resemblance to what is real.
3. a real thing or fact.
4. real things, facts, or events taken as a whole; state of affairs: the reality of the business world; vacationing to escape reality.

Interesting. Quality, fact…what have these shows done to how we live or see the world? Is the reality an exaggeration of some altering reality? I thought that I was safe by being a news junkie. But now what happens on these shows and to the people on these’s shows is news.

You can’t pass a news cast, magazine or online news outlet with out seeing something about someone who is now famous because they can’t sing, eat bugs, can throw other’s under a bus with a smile on their face or have buckets of kids. Like these things are acceptable. Well doesn’t it? Or have these things always happened, its just now there is more coverage in the media? Hey, I’m just asking.

Why all of a sudden am I talking about this?

“Jon & Kate” Ratings Record: 9.8 Million For Season Five Premiere

And this today;

‘Jon & Kate’ Brother & Sister-In-Law: The Kids Are Being Exploited, The Parents Blinded

Hey! Where’s my fame and fortune!? So Jon’s family has now put themselves in the “spotlight”, for the sake of the children of course. I’m not going to provide links to the actual stories. If you are so compelled you can go find them on your own.

For the last month or so I kept seeing some reference to one of them having an affair (Jon or Kate) with someone. A bodyguard or…I don’t remember! And WHO CARES!!! GAD! As Mary and Earl Childs would say about the ridiculous when I was a child.

I’ve said this before, not just here. But what does this say about us as a society? That it is acceptable to humiliate, abuse and generally treat people horribly for the sake of winning something. Coming out on top for acting something unbecoming a decent human being. Also in this vein … I’m going to put it out there … wait for it … is having anything more than 2 maybe 3 at a time are these shows and the attention around them making it acceptable to have litter’s of children. You want a big family, bunch of kids and aren’t Angelina and Brad. What about adoption or foster care?

At an event I attended a couple of months ago in response to the speaker a discussion kicked off between a two people in attendance. As it started to heat up a bit the speaker said an amazing thing. He said, “stop trying to invalidate each other.”

We try so hard to be right. We try so hard to be right sometimes that we alienate and push people away. Which brings me to the question, what is right?

I have a conservative friend; yes that’s right, a conservative friend who wrote after the election, “The hatred of our prior President was visceral. It invaded everything, most especially journalism. It invaded many of the meetings I endured, small talk sessions, football games, you name it. I say let it go … What has been lifted are the complaints. For you the sky shines, birds chirp, etc., and I am deeply appreciative to have had a day without the complaints and the hatred. Thank you for this small gift you may not know you gave me.”

I thought that was interesting considering Rush, Bill and Sean. I guess for some it’s only visceral if it’s in contrast to what you believe or want to be true? And I’m a liberal so this will sound liberal; I’ve always thought that no matter who, the conservative side of the coin, or the side that gets airtime is beyond visceral. And whenever the “liberal” side of the media talks about the “conservative” talk they run through a list of error’s in fact long enough to collectively wrap around several time Rush, Bill and Sean!

He also wrote, “To my friends who learn of this and can’t separate my politics from your friendship with me, it was nice being your friend. I hope someday you heal.” He’s still my friend, I think? But doesn’t that sound just like a conservative? I hope someday YOU heal? It’s the arrogant self-righteousness I don’t care for, not the conservatism.

Sorry didn’t mean to mix a political statement in the middle of my rant about the state of television. But maybe it helps make a point about perception or impression, maybe even interpretation.

It’s the differences that people don’t seem to want to embrace. Individually, they want the world to be their world, roll the way they roll, think the way they think. Be in total agreement with their views and beliefs. Really…really??

I think it would be great if people didn’t think it was okay to humiliate other in public. To deem others unworthy of basic human rights. If society wasn’t about who had the most toys at the end. If we could have somehow kept celebrity at the movies. If “E” and “Entertainment Tonight was just that entertainment and Charlie, Katie and Brian reported “news”! Someone muddied the water’s. But then I guess that’s me imposing my idea of news on the rest of you. Sorry….

If it were about fairness, equality, patience and compassion, imagine that?

What’s right anyway? No really, I’m asking!