TV Is Crappy These Days

Except for about two dozen shows aired at various times throughout the year, TV has become about as entertaining as a power outage. It's a shame when I find infomercials for the old Carol Burnett Show or the Dean Martin roasts more amusing.


Even some of the shows I've watched for several seasons are becoming more dark. A few weeks ago 'Covert Affairs' featured a horrific torture scene much like 'The Mentalist' did during the same week. These like 'The Good Wife' no longer feature the 'good guys'. I'd given up on 'Burn Notice' long before it was cancelled because there were no longer any good guys on either side and became so gory it was no longer watchable either. Each of these are competing lately to be more malicious then the other.

Sitcoms with their canned laughter drives me crazy along with their zooming jiggling palsy like camera work.

I've just about totally have given up on so-called cable news altogether. Hosts news readers are spending time trying to make a fool of vice president Biden or bashing the oval office, past or present depending which flavor political party you favor. The good news is most of the viewers in the United States aren't even watching these B.S. artists. Take for example Bill O'Reilly. He consistently has the highest rated cable news show with around 3.5 million viewers. A little over 1% of the population of the United States. Shows like NCIS and 'Person Of Interest' draws between 13 million to 18.5 million viewers. So it's very obvious about 99% of the United States viewers don't give a flying fig what they are saying. So thank God they're not representative of what most Americans are thinking (although they'd like you to believe they are). They're like the side show carneys you see at the fair... all hats, no cattle!

Can't stomach C-span either much these days which is presently covering the Senate & House hearings. "Hearings"? That's a joke. They've become tribunals. Department heads are suppose to appear so members of Congress can respectively ask them questions in order achieve a better understanding of what kind of legislation is needed to fix problems. They are not there to be bashed, accused and demeaned. This by congressional members who have more dirt in their own closet then there is sand on a beach. Every time I see them I can't help but thinking of the saying, "he who is without sin.." .

Then there was the big award show of the week. The CMA's. I already knew I wasn't going to watch the same old tired predictable year after year (they all sound alike) country performers. Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, George Strait and so forth.

You could take any one of their hits and have the other perform them and who'd know the difference?


None of them have a unique style like the older country performers. To name a few, Dolly Parton, Dave Dudley, 'Whispering' Bill Anderson, Hank Williams Jr., Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash and so forth. These were vocalists who listeners would instantly recognize for their own distinctive vocalizations and style.

As if the so-called award show weren't phony enough there was the performance by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley who took cheap shots at the glitches with Healthcare Reform.

Before some criticize me for not having a sense of humor let me explain. The CMA's were handed out for 47 years and never in those past 46 years has it become political until this year. This is suppose to be about country crooners. Not about their political beliefs. It wasn't done to George Bush (1 or 2). Not to Bill Clinton. Not to any other administration. I don't give a damn how these yodelers feel about Washington politics. This so-called fixed award show was suppose to be about country music and it's performers.

When news, comedy and entertainment shows (including SNL) take to political satire they inevitably piss off one side or the other. Entertainment is suppose to make people feel cheerful, not piss people off. Which is exactly what I find TV has become. More annoying then entertaining. Programs are interjecting their political hogwash more and more when all I'm trying to do is get away from that very kind of B.S.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The music entertainment industry has become one giant corporate controlled mega machine pumping out narrowly defined vocalists and musicians. The days when truly unique sounding artists like Little Richard, Elvis, The Beatles and countless others could walk in the front door are over. Rarely will you see a female singer with her pants on anymore. What's with that?


TV comedies no longer are filmed before a live audience. If they are, there are numerous retakes if they deviate from the script unlike the days of Red Skelton or Jack Benny.

Do me a favor. Watch American Idol, the X-factor and dozens of other shows where they flash to the audience. Look at their mouths. Are they screaming or just applauding? No shows including 'The View' and other day time shows are real. All use enhanced audience audio tracks with people screaming a cheering. PHONY.. BALONEY!

Do me another favor. Pay attention to what you're watching on TV. Whether it's a reality show, drama or comedy... is the main element dependent on creating entertainment at the expense to another character on the show? Each are becoming increasingly alienating towards it's other characters. Whether it's a show based on competition. A drama that kills/tortures the bad guy or a comedy that derives it humor from putting down someone else. They all have one thing in common. The alienation between two sets of groups or individuals.

Now think back to comedy shows like Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason and Carol Burnett. Or the highly charged politically balanced TV show 'All In The Family. What each had in common was they made fun of themselves. Not others.

Think back to the drama shows that didn't use graphic blood, guts, torture and killing to make their point. Shows like Murder She Wrote, Baretta, The Rockford Files, Columbo, McCloud, Kojack, McMillion & Wife and about a hundred of others. All of which were wildly successful without using blood stained tortured corpses, action packed explosions or machine gunning down the bad guys.


Are there shows left that I do enjoy?
Damn right there are!
Shows like the PBS's 'Masterpiece Theater" series which rely on writing excellent scripts rather then shoot em' ups. TNT's ' Rizzoli & Isles' who utilize levity. ABC's 'The Middle'. Anyone who's ever had to live from check to check and had kids can relate to that show. USA's 'Necessary Roughness' which takes us for a behind the scenes look (ripped from the headlines) at what is going on in today's world of sports teams. These to name few.


Which brings me to why I haven't blogged lately as much as I used to over the last few daysIt seems wherever I look people are more against things and other people rather then for them. Congress is against themselves. People are criticizing nearly everything and everyone else these days. "Gotcha" seems to be the hottest theme in today's social media and the news. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to source material for this blog that doesn't contain an element of that.

I look through 200 or 400 RSS feeds a day and visit a bunch of other internet sites. What I'm finding is either most of the material coming through is either fluff, self promotion or he said she said bickering. If the mood strikes me that something becomes available that promotes a positive aspect and outcome for others I will pass that along here. Right now I'm not seeing much of that coming through.

I want for this blog and myself to be a greater force for uniting and imparting useful information then what I've been able to come across over the last few days. If that requires fewer posts, so-be-it. But I felt a compulsion to share my views as to why I've not been around for a few days. There's no point joining the chorus around here lately bitching about things or one another. Besides throughout my entire life I've always changed course from where the rest of the fish are swimming. I pride myself on that.

Gee I can hardly wait to see what I will post next
How about You?

:-)