Tag Archives: Television

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If You Think You’re Going Near Me With That, You’re Crazy.

Too often, I use things I see on television on either commercials or looking up from my book and seeing a reality show on. This leads me again to comment about those reality shows I come across. Let’s face it, some reality shows are more entertaining than most sitcoms because they are more bizarre than some of these screenwriters can even come up with. Like who would every dream up a storyline like the Carrot episode of “1000 Ways to Die”, which I have to say was one of my favorites.

My first case in point leads me to My Strange Addiction. I think they should rename this show to “Natural Selection At Its Finest”. I’ve seen commercials where someone will drink nail polish and another where someone drank gasoline. Does my first thought when I see this make me feel empathetic to the person who’s addicted to it? No, it really doesn’t. My first thought ends up at “something really bad needs to happen to that person for being so dumb”. I proved that point when I did watch and episode where someone used to sleep with a hair dryer on, and her daughter picked up on that habit. That’s what I call “inherited stupidity”. That’s why its natural selection, if you’re dumb enough to drink something like gasoline or nail polish, I hope for the sake of children everywhere that you don’t reproduce. Yes, I’m aware how judgmental and insulting this sounds, but also note I’m aware that I’m writing this with a sarcastic snicker and I don’t care.

Next brings me to these birthing shows I’ve had caught my eye more now than before. Thankfully, they reiterated a point today I’m standing by. First note: I’m not opposed to pain medicine during labor. To be graphic since the harsh language is appropriate in this case, that shit hurts. You should be a saint doing it naturally, trust me I know. They had an up-close shot of a woman getting an epidural and I thought “holy crap, if they think they are getting near me with that, them people are crazy.” It reinforced that having a needle stabbed in my spine that could paralyze me is something I will pass on and allow someone else to get it. Seriously, one slip and bad things happen, I’m not risking that because I have crap luck as it is. I don’t judge if you want it done, you can have it. I’ll just take my chances.

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To Baby Reality Television

I admitted before, I watch some reality shows for the sole purpose of laughing about them. People can’t really be that crazy or dumb, right? That’s wishful thinking on my behalf I think, but it has its own entertainment factor. During boring hours of the early morning, I admit sometimes watching those baby birthing reality shows. With my recent condition, I now watch these with more scrutiny than I had previously. That is where we find ourselves today in my post.

In watching this, I realize that when I’m in the delivery room birthing this bloody child out of me, I don’t want a crowd of people in there watching blood and goo coming out of me. I don’t even want to watch it, and I don’t want to watch everyone else watching it. Maybe this makes me sound cold-hearted about the “miracle of birth”; I’m not cold about it at all. I just don’t understand why everyone and their everyone would want to watch something as grotesque as the laboring process. I also definitely do not want any bloody “crotch shots”. No one, and I really mean no one, ever wants to see these and I would rather not have my vagina immortalized on film. What if my child got hold of those photos? That’s scarring for the both of us. Then there’s the degrading factor of it all; the birthing process is degrading enough for a woman with 20 different people sticking their fingers up you and staring at things you’d rather them not be staring at. Yep, for all you expectant mothers out there, I have warned you of what you’re about to face. I’ll keep it mostly clean though, and tell you that your first push is never the baby. Don’t be embarrassed, now you expect it.

I noticed something that does make me cringe a little, and this might make me sound like a horrible person. (Because everything I just said didn’t already, right?) Why would you kiss a mucusy, bloody baby right in the globs of it, especially considering what came out before it did? I want to hold my baby when it comes out, I’ll hug its dirty little body. I think I’ll hold of the lip to skin contact until after its bath though, I’m not too much of a OCD germaphobe to say that out loud. Though with previous experience, I don’t think I have to worry since the hospital I’m going to apparently doesn’t believe in the person who spent hours birthing it should touch it first.

I think I’ve learned from these shows, that first I am an overly logical person that thinks before I feel. We are talking to the person who her husband said “if we get married, we’ll save money on health insurance” to convince me to finally take the step of marriage because I didn’t see a logical reason to get married. I think of the logistics of birth: the work, the blood, the gore. Much like everything else in life, it’s more rewarding when you work for it. After hours of painful non-epidural labor, you meet this thing that’s been growing in you for what seems like forever. That’s the biggest reward of all, when you hear the first screams and finally meet it.

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Why We Don’t (Or Shouldn’t) Trust the News

I’ll start this post with a simple note: I’m not saying that one news organization is worse than any other news organization. As a general rule, I don’t trust any of them. They are a business more than an informative source that appeals solely to the audience that watches them rather than educating the viewers of what is actually going on. By keeping their own angles and biases, they keep their audiences which allow for them to make more money. It’s no different from watching anything else on television. Personally, I feel that any American should be appalled that we need to read ten different articles and watch 3 different stories on the television on the same topic to get a feel for some sort of truth. We the viewers are not well-informed, and we should be angered that these organizations allow us to follow brainlessly. Democrat or Republican or the people who are too ill-informed to decide what they are should figure out a better solution, because the businesses won’t.

With that entirely separate rant completed, I hope the point gets across what I’m about to write isn’t there to “pick on” Fox News, it’s just the news that is watched in my household and watched in awe that I saw incorrect “facts” said aloud and passed off as correct. Nothing seems to infuriate me more than watching people who are looked to for information spout out information that isn’t quite true, or even in one case is viewed as ignorant and hateful. I don’t know what’s worse, the idea the governmental organizations reciting propaganda on both sides so we trust neither or a person on a news organization people trust saying something that could easily be construed as hate propaganda.

The first issue I had occurred last week, when a guest stated that it was unfair for Catholics to pay into insurance companies that practice against their beliefs and especially the abortion pill. My first issue with this statement was he was referring to the Plan B pill, which isn’t an abortion pill, as last I checked abortion occurred after conception where the Plan B is used before conception to prevent it. I suppose that’s a minor mistake, but one that could matter when inciting the masses. The other issue was more minor, when he was saying how Catholics shouldn’t have to be forced to pay into insurance plans that offer services that they are morally opposed. I’m pretty sure Catholics help pay into my health plan, and I get all those services they are offended by. I fail to see the difference, but I suppose you could just say I’m a blind, uneducated liberal.

That wasn’t what I took the greatest offense in. Last night, I saw a member on a panel say that Islam and the Qur’an doesn’t promote peace in their religion. The quote was something along the lines of “The Qur’an doesn’t mention peace”. My religion professor at my Catholic College would be proud of my listening in anger at this. I had a flashback to his classes on Islam, and now regret not talking the field trip to the mosque, because I would’ve been able to instantly say with certainty that this was a false statement. Luckily I’m a dork that kept all my college text books, including my books on religion. These books are The World’s Religions by Huston Smith and The Major Religions by T. Patrick Burke. In reading those texts and browsing the internet (Homeland Security, I’m not a terrorist, I just wanted to be informed.), I discovered that I was right. There are several mentions of not only peace, but tolerance of others who believe in different religions. This commentator’s flaw was not only did she lack information before spreading them to the masses, she allowed herself to fall victim to stereotyping a religion based on extremists. Someone of her standing, who has a power to influence others, should have thought before saying something that I, an American who grew up Catholic, even found in poor taste and hateful. I grew up with a strong belief that I instill in my son: people shouldn’t be judged based on their differences, whether it be religious or lifestyle or race. To classify a whole religion as violent terrorist organization is what is ruining American ideals. If a Muslim had said the same about the Christians, this wouldn’t have been allowed to be said and there would be a tremendous outrage.

I apologize for a post longer and more serious than my others. I lack any patience with people in a strong position of influence to use it for their own agendas. I reiterate my point that this wasn’t an attack on Fox News as I’m sure if I watched any of the other news channels, I would find similarly false and biased agendas. Maybe I should, to prove a point that journalists need to go back to the days when journalistic integrity mattered, not how many people can we get to shovel money at us. I will admit, part of me takes the most offense of this coming from a channel that touts a “Fair and Balanced” agenda. This saddens me, since once I used to want to be a journalist. I learned quickly that I’m too opinionated to give a fair opinion on a topic, so I felt that it was against the morals of journalism to go into with a biased point of view. Maybe we need more people like me that realized if I couldn’t be fair; to find something that suits us more.

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Social Example in the Flaws of Voting

I’ll start this by pointing out since I couldn’t do my usual Monday, Wednesday, and Friday routine, I’m going for a Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday one.  It happens to work out well though, since the People’s Choice Awards was yesterday and inspired me. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a good inspiration.

First I’d like to state that I’m a Glee fan, so this isn’t about whether they should’ve won any awards. I don’t really view Glee as a real comedy, when I think of real comedy shows on TV I think about Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, and Suburgatory. So when I witness Lea Michele (who I love, really I do) beating say, Kaley Cuoco for Best Comedic Actress, I was shocked. I let it slide, it can’t be that bad. Then I realized that I must’ve been watching the Teen Choice Awards, part 1, because those were the people who seemed to be voting. Really, Pretty Little Liars beating Game of Thrones? I died a lot on the inside over this.

Then it made me think about elections and politics, and this awards show epitomizes everything I hate about the electoral process. You don’t need to actually know anything to vote. You could just show up and pick any name and go with it. You could pick a candidate and not know anything about him, but you just kind of like how he looks or because that’s what your friend is voting for. I’d be perfectly happy if I had to take a test of basic knowledge to vote, I think it’s something to be considered. At this rate, Taylor Lautner will end up president because our culture is “Team Whateverfadexists”. If you’re wondering why I chose him and not that guy who plays Edwards, you really should do us a favor and stay away from the polls.

Maybe that’s a bit harsh, considering making people take a test to vote for their president because I lost hope in people’s decision making skills after watching the People’s Choice Awards. Maybe I should just suggest we do a questionnaire and they pick a president for us based on our ideals and choices. That’s more up the tech savvy laziness we’ve grown accustomed to. It’s a lot more fun than Eeny-Meeny-Miney-Mo.

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What’s Your Favorite Show?

It’s fall. Fall brings the new year of school. The leaves are falling, soon will be Halloween. I love fall so much that I even got married in fall. But do you know what else happens in fall? Oh yes, the television premieres. And of course, football season!

I love football. I grew up the youngest sibling with 3 brothers, watching sports and playing them was something I really just always knew. Watching football is exciting, there’s always something going on. When I watch baseball, nothing happens but me falling asleep of boredom. I wouldn’t involve myself in fantasy football; the purist in me thinks it ruins the game. Instead of watching your team, the one you’re so loyal to and follow religiously, you spend your time looking at stats and to see who you need to sit the following week. No, I just like to watch it. I enjoy sitting around with my family, eating food that’s bad for you and cheering and booing loudly. That’s what fall and football are about. (Go Pats!)

Then there are the television shows. It becomes sad when you revolve the nighttime around your television shows and your DVR. But this is the reality I’m sure a lot of us live these days. Though my favorite show doesn’t start until next spring (yay Game of Thrones), I still highly enjoy most of the ones returning and I’m excited about some new ones coming. Television is a staple in most households, mine included.

Why is television as important as it is though? I like to watch television because I like how mindless it’s capable  of being, or how thought-provoking it is. In some weird way, it also has a family sitting together watching something and talking about it. At least it gets family talking to each other. It’s not always about sitting alone, eating chips and candy gaining a ton of weight from lack of exercise. It’s good to have something, anything, to bond with your family over.

I’m by no means saying you should lock up your entire family all day long to watch television together. But having a nightly tradition of watching a show or two with your family isn’t such a bad thing. What I am saying is that sometimes anything you can do to converse with your family is something you should do. In a lot of families, they don’t have the liberty of sitting down with each other. I think you need to find whatever way you can to get your loved ones to sit together to form that family bond that we see preached all the time. The worst that can happen is *gasp* you all find something you can agree on and enjoy together.