Don't let them steal your manhood.
I feel a rant coming on...
This particular rant happens to be on behalf of any and all non-kretin men inhabiting the planet. WHAT THE HECK IS WITH THE SO-MARKETED "MALE" VALUES ESPOUSED ON CABLE TELEVISION??? I give you:
Exhibit A: The Man Show
Exhibit B: The First Network for Men
If I were a man, I would resent these characterizations. As it happens, I do resent Lifetime, WE, and Oxygen, but for some reason the "women's" channels do not seem nearly as degrading and insulting as their male counterparts.
And why is devolution appealing when couched in comedy, as if somehow it's... funny? Granted, it might be funny if it weren't so painfully real. If every frat party weren't an hômmage to Animal House minus the endearing characters and quotable lines. If people didn't actually die as a result of alcohol abuse or sexually transmitted diseases.
Why is it ok to personify the phrase lowest common denominator? Why aren't "men" concerned with the advancement of the species? Why? Why?
Let's face it, the networks are just programming to the demographic.
Reality shows are now a continual plague because the first crop was successful (not only in the ratings, but because the networks didn't have to shell out Guild scale or above for actors or writers). Despicable talk shows like Jerry Springer pull in the ratings, so they hang around like an unwelcome houseguest. And the ratings on The Man Show proved that there was a market for that sort of thing, so now The Nashville Network has mutated once again in hopes of cashing in on that segment of the market.
Same with movies: profitability drives form. People go in droves to endless sequels and remakes, so Hollywood has no impetus to seek out original screenplays (and the few that are original frequently underperform the 'franchise' pictures). Likewise, manufactured "pop stars", easily disposable once their novelty wears off, take the place of real musicians.
I don't know if the general American public actually likes this stuff or if they're just so lazy that they'll accept whatever pablum is fed to them — but as long as people keep watching bad TV, seeing bad movies and paying attention to "singers" whose voices have to be fed through effects processors just to get them on pitch, the situation isn't going to change.
If nobody watched it, it would go away.
Posted by: Jeff on September 12, 2003 03:06 PMI have the same complaints about the portrayals of blacks on BET as promiscuous criminals.
Posted by: Patrick on September 13, 2003 12:35 AMbeen married 55 years to same sweeetie... I never watch the junk channels. There are still a few good men left, that realize they are the image of our creator, and proud to be men.
Posted by: Oray on October 18, 2004 03:31 PM