Friday, October 16, 2009

THE TRUMAN SHOW

MY LAST ENTRY


Since some of the symptoms of my condition are things that I have mostly become used to and the SFC is already intimately familiar with, when I am thinking about that kind of 'stuff', the content of my last entry, I am feeling pretty okay. For real, I have never read or watched the same news that everyone else does, even though we are all watching Katie Couric do her thing (I would rather watch Brian Williams ... but I have only been here a week and 'doing what the Romans do' is guiding me now!!) on CBS at 6:30.


As far as things between me and my girl ... things couldn't be better. We are still getting used to having each other around, though. For instance, today I stayed in bed until 7:30 because she is used to having the dark hours of the morning to herself. Tuesday she was a little stunned after she got out of the bathroom and saw me not only on the couch awoke, but AWOKE!!


There have been other 'adjustments' as well and this entry has some of the adjustments that are being made in it.


MEDIA WATCH ... AGAIN!!

I was getting a hair cut when the Heene saga was at its highest peak, just before they discovered that he wasn't in the balloon. I told another cat who was waiting to get his ends clipped that I didn't think that the boy was ever in the balloon. My reason was that I didn't see how he could have both been in the makeshift contraption and release it from its moorings.


To me, it was a case of the boy being mischievous and screwing up. That is what kids do. In fact, I know the story of a little boy who not only tried to stick a hair comb in a car ignition and try to start it, but this little kid accidentally spilled some water down the back of a television. When it didn't immediately explode, he proceeded to pour the rest of the glass of water down the back of the tele and it DID pop!!


Immediately hearing about what happened in Fort Collins, that is what leaped out at me. The other stuff about the family and their oddities mattered less to me than the little boy doing what little boys do, when they have screwed up. In fact, the entire incident didn't seem to be 'staged' the way that I would have predicted the family would have to court attention.


Watching late night HLN, you would have thought that was the most important story in the country, or at least as far as Jane Velez-Mitchell (JVM now and ever more) was concerned. Her hairstyle makes me think 'rodent', and she shouts everything. But she still was less annoying than the repeat of Nancy Grace that I watched.


Her discussion on the Haleigh Cummings case a strange conversation. She had one caller talk about her two blessings, her two twins ... three if you count her husband, Nancy added.

When did we start getting so chummy with TV personalities? I mean the caller gushed about a person that on the surface she wouldn't have much in common with, then she ragged on a situation that she is prolly only a few degrees of separation from at that present moment.

As I watched the rest of the program and the following show 'Showbiz something-or-other', there was more 'chummy talk', as though the people hosting the program were nothing more than friends of the viewers ... and I honestly couldn't have cared about the hosts as much as I hoped they did their job and dispensed information that I could make use of.

This is not to say that it doesn't happen in sports, but they tend to 'stick to the script' and talk about and through the event. I haven't ever seen Tiger Woods ask an commentator about their kids or anything. Part of what makes the Troy Poluamu commercial campaign for Head and Shoulders funny, is that there isn't a personal connection between the announcer and the subject. This added level of familiarity is new. At one time the lives of the privileged class was the stuff of fantasy. It wasn't that long ago in fact. But a lot of that privilege was at the expense of other people.

Another topic that was bandied about on the JVM show was the Jessica Simpson controversy. On the Fox NFL show, they aired an ad that lampooned her and her weight gain. Of course when it comes down to it, I am like 'who cares'. Obviously a lot of people do, because it was on many of the talk shows this week.

Now, I don't know what size the SFC is. I suspect it is in the single digits and was prolly another reason I didn't hassle her when we stationed together. It isn't that I don't like slender women, but if I had to pick between a preference at that time, I'd would rather chase after a 'Mom Jeans' Jessica Simpson.

BUT ... she does trade on her looks. I mean, she played 'Daisy Duke' in a terrible movie. So she had to understand that she was sexy and had an 'appeal'.

So for her to get joked on a 'He Man's Woman Haters' kind of show, doesn't surprise me. I understand the political correctness of everything, but we DON'T live in a Utopia. I don't even think that we are TRACKING towards one. And this brings me to one of the things that I noticed about watching HLN in the wee hours of the morning.

The more conservative folks take and weave their fantasy around issues that matter in the big picture. They take nonsense stuff and put it into things that matter. That is how we got the Patriot Act. At some point in one or several of the think tanks that really run policy, someone came up with a strategy and people who thought it made sense got elected to office. Once there, they went on and put it into action. They think in the 'macro-verse' and take it micro.

Liberals want to take small issues and expand it, largely missing the source of a particular issue and making a mess of things. They are overly concerned with a sense of fairness, which is a human creation. And it is a problem that others don't have the same playing field until it changes THEIR playing field. Whatever.

That is where I see a line between liberals and conservatives. One wants things their way as long as they don't have to do anything to make it happen. The other wants things their way and they don't mind getting a little dirty doing it. And like most groups that 'oppose' each other, they both operate the same when it comes to holding on to what they have.

MORE MEDIA

I don't know if anyone else knows it, but Tracy Morgan isn't funny. He wasn't funny when he did 'Showtime At The Apollo', and I don't think he is funny on '30 Rock'. But it isn't what you know and it is who you know. Tina Fey, who IS funny likes him and wrote him onto her show. Each scene he is in, my funny bone grows still. The caricature of the ignorant, indulgent minority he play in the cast of the 'television show' is an insult to all the real indulgent, ignorant minority stars in entertainment, right Kanye West??

He took a swing at all the cast members who he feels dissed him when he was on 'SNL', like Cheri Oteri and Chris Kataan. Don't know what went down, but I noticed that he didn't speak on Wil Ferrell or Molly Shannon. Or mention that he is riding on Tina Fey's coat.

Well, that is more than enough for this entry. No football ... I mean being out here in ACC/Big East country prolly means I won't get to see any good football regularly, unless an SEC game pops on. Would LOVE to see Iowa-Wisconsin game ...

... and like Michael Stipe, "I've said too much ... I haven't said enough!"

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think Tracy Morgan is funny either, but I'm not quite sure where the line should be drawn. If Jerry Lewis or Jim Carrey wants to play the fool, nobody accuses them of denigrating the entire Caucasian race- but on the other hand there's no denying that there are negative Black stereotypes out there.

This sounds weird, but it kind of feels like were infringing on Tracy Morgan's right to be an idiot.

Beth said...

I'm with you...I think Tracy Morgan is the weakest link on "30 Rock." All the rest of the characters are fantastic, even the minor ones, but Tracy is just kind of a buffoon. I did love the season premier!

Glad to hear you're settling in. It's an adjustment, but it's all for a good cause. :) Hugs, Beth

Ken Riches said...

Not a fan of Katie now that she is an anchor, we always turn on Brian.

Sorry you will not get any "good" games this weekend, we are looking forward to ND tomorrow.

Glad you are sort of adjusting, give it time, you will find the right routine.