Thursday, August 4, 2011

Reality TV as Therapy

Leave it to the abyss/wasteland to make me feel real good about myself.  Had a chance to channel surf for about 45 minutes and I feel like Leo on the bow of Titantic.


Hoarders: Buried Alive.


Ice T Loves Coco.


Keeping up with the Kardashians.


Shark Week.


And I will not dare watch the Season 4 premiere of Jersey Shore.  For some reason that show makes me feel a bit bad about myself, and in particular for my state.  I have good memories of Seaside Heights.  Our glorious Aztec Hotel vacations with sandy sheets and paper towels for linens.  Nights spent walking the boardwalk in hopes of winning a Budweiser mirror or tattered concert tee.  The good times if you will.


When I watch these over-tanned, liver poisoning train wrecks it destroys my "wholesome" memories.


This isn't to say I don't get it.


Bruce Jenner was once the most decorated athlete on the planet.  Now he more resembles a male Joan Rivers (tonight spooning chicken soup to his sick child.)  Icky times a bajillion.  Me=winning.


Ice T was once a tough talking gangsta rappa warning cops to watch their back.  Now he is televising 10 year renewal vow specials with Coco on E!  Coco?  What on Earth can I say about her?  I admit, I was transfixed for a good 10 minutes.  Is this really happening?  Does that ass really exist??  People have you seen this thing???  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/coco-dons-seethrough-body_n_807411.html   Me=winning.


And what of my favorites, the Hoarders??  I just do not get it.  Climbing over mouse crap and piles of dirty clothes to make coffee is not normal behavior.  Yet week after week this show displays (2) case studies over the course of an hour.  And my fear is if they had the budget and staff they could do episodes every night, of every year, until I die.


Me=super winning.  Sorry, that sounds like dated Charlie Sheen taglines.  But I am being honest.  As sad and embarrassing as it is to admit, we watch this stuff for schadenfreude alone.  How else can we explain it?


Do we really want to know if Khloe and Lamar have a nice marriage?  Or if Ice T can secure Don "Magic Wand" to preside over his renewal ceremony?  Will you not be able to sleep tonight if the Hoarders kids talk to mom again?


Hell no.  You will sleep a bit better knowing there is a bigger train wreck down the street or in the middle of the country.  Goes without saying the left coast and fly over states has more than their quota.  


Ronnie, Snooki and crew don't help our case though.  That is ok.  Delusion and abject failure knows no limits.  Somehow I am comforted knowing I can get off this computer and find it with one tap of the tv remote.  The trick is to feel good without resorting to that.  


You guessed it, I will not turn the tv at all.






With that said I have been mesmerized and energized by the European internet/app sensation: Spotify.  http://www.spotify.com/us/hello-america/  I am not 100% certain how it works and have barely grasped all the functionality it contains.  I do know this: it is the future of music sharing.  Itunes meets Pandora meets Facebook.  I urge you to take a look and solicit your free invite.  I was fortunate to get on board and I can tell you with all certainty there is NO looking back.  In preparation for next week's concert in the park I was able to pull up the catalog of Cut/Copy albums and Foster the People's debut LP.  No need to purchase or download.  I simply type in the artist and it all appears.  Stay tuned for more info once I figure it out but please take a look.


Here is a sample of what you have been missing:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04TXoFI6CSM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWgUKN4G2t4&feature=related


More tomorrow when I take a look at the letter F.

1 comment:

  1. don't forget to enable spotify social so others can search your name and view your playlists

    -rich

    ReplyDelete