Tuesday, March 21, 2006

You can't sing, get off my televison.

So. I don't know to what extent I've discussed this on this blog, but I have a mild affinity for television. I like that it keeps me in the know, and it puts me to bed at night, wakes me up in the morning and generally just gives me that warm and cozy feeling.

When I was in high school I had, what has recently been diagnosed as, a Television Addiction. This is astounding for several reasons.
1- I was in school full time, danced at least 30 hours a week, played soccer, had 2-3 jobs at all times and basically had zero free time.
2- My parents were evil and forced us to give up TV for lent. Every year. This is child endangerment and I can't believe we never bothered to report them, I think we were too busy throwing hissy fits
3- (in that vein) my mother abhored television (she's gotten over that, thank goodness) and refused to get anything beyond basic cable, plus we had an awful signal so at any given time we could count on having about 5 channels that were actually watchable. One of these was always PAX. "God's" gift to TV. PAX always came in clear. That's what happens when you live in crazy-religious Western Maryland.

So, I had a deep and committed relationship with my VCR. Seriously. I was constantly recording prime time TV, so I'd get home at 11. Watch a late night talk show, then as much of what I had recorded without falling asleep. Then I'd get up an extra half hour early to watch whatever I'd missed.

Are you judging me yet?!

This crazy behavior has pretty much subsided since the advent of reality television which, for the most part, I absolutly can not stand. My required viewing programs have filtered off the air. Now I pretty much only need to watch on Sunday night and Tuesday because I. Loooove. House.

I know. You're still judging.

Yes, the writing is formulaic and increadibly repetitive and not nearly as good in the second season as it was in the first season and the secondary characters get tiresome and the stars get really tiresome and they need to not only fire their costume designer but black list her, run her out of town, cut off an appendage or two and probably land her on a deserted island where she can never get her hands on anything that is even remotely close to a woman's tailored vest because WOW is she doing Jennifer Morrison (and whatever-Cuddy's-real-name-is)a huuuuge disservice by making them look absolutly ridiculous and not fashion conscious at all even though they're young, and gorgeous.

Also, I have a massive wish-he-was-my-doctor crush on Hugh Laurie that can only be topped by George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross, the best thing to ever happen to pediatric medicine ever. I also have a long standing relationship with Robert Sean Leonard (who is totally wasted on this show, btw) steming from his adorable puppy dog turn as Claudio in the Kenneth Braunagh-Emma Thompson Much Ado about Nothing and the only-in-new-york fact that he took/takes voice lessons at the same studio as I do/did.

So. To get back to the point of this blog (because at some point before the last ice age, this blog has a point) since House is the only show on during the week that I really want to see and I had to miss most of the beginning of the 2nd season due to my good-for-nothing-ficton class and so in this, my final semester of college, when choosing which credit-fillers I was going to take I decided that I would forgo any classes on Tuesday that ended after 7, noting the fact that they weren't really offering anything that good anyway, so I would get to enjoy House without having to bribe my roommate to record it.

You would think that Fox would commend this time of devotion and try to keep its viewers in that key 18-49 demographic happy.

You would be wrong.

Instead of variating their programming like a normal TV empire, Fox has decided that the only thing they have going for them is American -fucking- Idol. I hate this show. I kinda hated it in the beginning but watched it because I really liked Kelly Clarkson. I kinda hated the second season but watched the finale and then threw things when Clay won (what-fucking-ever America). Since then I have avoided it, like the plauge. I don't know who won the third season or what season they're on for that matter. Mostly I hate that the people aren't talented and that Fox thinks its okay to put delusional crazies who can't sing on TV every night for a whole week.

Don't pretend like you don't watch it. Someone watches it or else Rupert Murchoch would put down the crack pipe, get out of his bathtub full of money and put actual television back on. Seriously. House has been on exactly 5 times since the semester started, and it won't be on again until next week. While this does mean I get to watch Scrubs(which is also totally awesome and NBC should really put it on a night not against a medical drama), its not what I want.

There was a point to this blog at some point, but it's been lost in my blind hatred for anyone who watches American Idol, that totally includes people in my immediate family.

America. I blame you. Now I'm judging.

1 comment:

that mckim girl said...

I've watched American Idol for about fifteen minutes this season, and I think that's because it was once on before House, which makes much more sense than having it stretch on for hours and hours every night.

Like I've said, re: Cuddy and Cameron- they need to talk to Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd about fashion for young and attractive doctors.

She's pint-sized and amazing.