Days Of Schadenfreude
I'm not one to revel in the misfortune of others, even if they richly deserve it. Nevertheless, I can't help but notice with more than a little satisfaction that finally (finally!!) two inexplicably durable cultural phenomena are apparently starting to lose their luster in the eyes of the public. Frankly, I couldn't be happier at the twin declines of late in the fortunes of the Right-wing political machine and Reality TV.
It seems that a healthy majority of my countrymen and women may finally be realizing what an incompetent load our Frat-Boy-In-Chief is. One wonders what took them so long to figure it out when you consider the fact that the guy has a functional vocabulary of about 500 words, but better late than never I guess. Check out the latest numbers in the NBC-Wall Street Journal poll that came out yesterday. Bush's approval is at 39%, the lowest that poll has ever had it (other polls have put him even lower). Worse yet, only 28% believes the country is headed in the right direction. And the number that really shocked me, only 2% of Black Americans who responded said they approved of Bush's leadership. TWO PERCENT! That means that 98% either disapprove or are indifferent. You can't get 98% of any group of people to agree that the sky is blue. Also encouraging is the notion that considerably more Americans feel that Democrats would do a better job running Congress than Republicans. Of course, all of this may mean nothing a year from now, when the next meaningful elections will be held. Still, it is an encouraging sign. And although I shouldn't be smug, I can't help but wonder: what exactly did people expect when they put people who hate government in charge of it?
Bush and the Republican's plummet in popularity mirrors a decline in interest in a popular trend that I have always found just as perplexing as Chimpy's electability: Reality TV. I've been waiting for the backlash against so-called "Reality" television for the better part of a decade now. While many of these shows have experienced painful public implosions (Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire), or enjoyed flashy success before quickly disappearing (Joe Millionaire), or in a lot of cases just never made it out of the starting-gate (Who's Your Daddy--Dear God, was that actually put on the air?), the fact is that this is the genre that has dominated television for years now. Oh sure, there have been rumors here and there, and the genre's death has been predicted more than a few times in the past. But year after year I continue to have to watch mostly cable for innovative and entertaining television--or better yet not watch TV at all, but that's a different post--because year after year it seems all I can find on the networks are overblown karaoke contests or close-up video montages of good-looking wanna-be's bitching about each other.
So perhaps I should be cynical and greet the latest reports of the decline of reality TV with skepticism. But stories from CNN and the New York Times detail the shrinking fortunes of such shows as The Apprentice (both Donald and Martha versions), Wife Swap, and the one that really started the onslaught in this country, Survivor. Also noted is that fact that a number of high-profile newcomers to the fake-reality scene like Three Wishes have failed to gain traction, and networks are ordering fewer and fewer of these series for the upcoming season. Both articles are quick to point out that no one is declaring reality TV dead, and frankly neither of these news outlets could really be classified as The Voice Of Red State America, Red America being the portion of the country that seems especially likely to find these shows so irresistible. Nevertheless, these are good signs.
Both the AM-radio Right and "Reality" TV have become too powerful and created too firm a base for themselves over the years to disappear overnight, so both will continue to plague this country for years to come, even under the best of circumstances. But perhaps people are finally getting wise to the sheer ugliness of both of these hideous cultural warts that disfigure the face of a great nation. And if not, well, at least I can enjoy watching the bastards sweat for a while.
It seems that a healthy majority of my countrymen and women may finally be realizing what an incompetent load our Frat-Boy-In-Chief is. One wonders what took them so long to figure it out when you consider the fact that the guy has a functional vocabulary of about 500 words, but better late than never I guess. Check out the latest numbers in the NBC-Wall Street Journal poll that came out yesterday. Bush's approval is at 39%, the lowest that poll has ever had it (other polls have put him even lower). Worse yet, only 28% believes the country is headed in the right direction. And the number that really shocked me, only 2% of Black Americans who responded said they approved of Bush's leadership. TWO PERCENT! That means that 98% either disapprove or are indifferent. You can't get 98% of any group of people to agree that the sky is blue. Also encouraging is the notion that considerably more Americans feel that Democrats would do a better job running Congress than Republicans. Of course, all of this may mean nothing a year from now, when the next meaningful elections will be held. Still, it is an encouraging sign. And although I shouldn't be smug, I can't help but wonder: what exactly did people expect when they put people who hate government in charge of it?
Bush and the Republican's plummet in popularity mirrors a decline in interest in a popular trend that I have always found just as perplexing as Chimpy's electability: Reality TV. I've been waiting for the backlash against so-called "Reality" television for the better part of a decade now. While many of these shows have experienced painful public implosions (Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire), or enjoyed flashy success before quickly disappearing (Joe Millionaire), or in a lot of cases just never made it out of the starting-gate (Who's Your Daddy--Dear God, was that actually put on the air?), the fact is that this is the genre that has dominated television for years now. Oh sure, there have been rumors here and there, and the genre's death has been predicted more than a few times in the past. But year after year I continue to have to watch mostly cable for innovative and entertaining television--or better yet not watch TV at all, but that's a different post--because year after year it seems all I can find on the networks are overblown karaoke contests or close-up video montages of good-looking wanna-be's bitching about each other.
So perhaps I should be cynical and greet the latest reports of the decline of reality TV with skepticism. But stories from CNN and the New York Times detail the shrinking fortunes of such shows as The Apprentice (both Donald and Martha versions), Wife Swap, and the one that really started the onslaught in this country, Survivor. Also noted is that fact that a number of high-profile newcomers to the fake-reality scene like Three Wishes have failed to gain traction, and networks are ordering fewer and fewer of these series for the upcoming season. Both articles are quick to point out that no one is declaring reality TV dead, and frankly neither of these news outlets could really be classified as The Voice Of Red State America, Red America being the portion of the country that seems especially likely to find these shows so irresistible. Nevertheless, these are good signs.
Both the AM-radio Right and "Reality" TV have become too powerful and created too firm a base for themselves over the years to disappear overnight, so both will continue to plague this country for years to come, even under the best of circumstances. But perhaps people are finally getting wise to the sheer ugliness of both of these hideous cultural warts that disfigure the face of a great nation. And if not, well, at least I can enjoy watching the bastards sweat for a while.
posted by Yukon Sully | 9:27 PM
5 Comments:
no major disagreements with you here on the performance of the federal gov. but i doubt we would be in any better shape right now with democrats in charge of the white house or congress. bush may be a self-interested nitwit, but i don't see ted kennedy and hillary clinton as the answer to our troubles. since the gov. is already too big for it's britches i would prefer less government to a bluer government. i don't see either major party getting the job done or even justifying their bloated existence. there are still hurricane victims in the southeast that haven't seen a government official in the past 6 weeks.
I think that the difference is that Democrats believe that government can be a positive force in society and has certain basic obligations relating to the health and welfare of it's citizens. In their hearts, I think a lot of conservatives feel that the only thing government is good for is putting poor people in jail and bombing A-rabs.
Right there with you on the political topic, but must admit that I do enjoy some reality tv...but try not to get too low brow.
Okay, Yukon, how do you feel about Bush's second nomination to the Supreme Court, a woman who has never been a judge but she is a born-again Christian and that makes her qualified!!! ???!!!
I think it's sort of fun to watch Bush manage to alienate even his most rabid supporters.
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