Bush is Gone. Can we get rid of White Trash Television Now?
Bush is Gone. Can we get rid of White Trash Television Now?
I just got cable a few months ago. I have never had it in my life but I "bundled" and they threw in basic cable. Up until now, I got three channels one of which was PBS. PBS was keeping me perfectly happy but the cost to get basic cable with my DSL was ridiculously low so I said what the hey. I had trepidation because before this, I did something kind of old-fashioned--I read. As the cable guy was connecting my cable, kind of incredulous this was my first time getting it at my age, I felt the sinking feeling that I was relinquishing my brain and it would in fact turn into some kind of ooze. The result of my getting "real t.v." would be I would never put a coherent sentence together again (i.e. I could turn into a kind of George Bush). I knew I would get sucked into the television vortex and indeed, now, I have my "shows" that I have to watch (and I don't even get Jon Stewart or Colbert, vis a vis, the Comedy Channel where American gets its real news). It has evolved where I knew it would go. If a friend asks me if I want to do something, I am too embarassed to ask her if we can move it up or back an hour so I can make "my show". I say something like "uhm...I might have an appointment at 8 for some work or something." "8:00? At 8 p.m.? What kind of work appointment is this?"
I am becoming one of them.
I was kind of excited initially thinking television would be something like what I remember: intelligent, creative and truly entertaining. I grew up on All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, The Carol Burnett Show...you know, when television meant you did not have to worry your brain was going to turn into a kind of white trash ooze?
Oh My God. Wow. What in the hell happened? As I flipped through the stations of mostly standard broadcast channels, what I saw was what I can only call White Trash Television. The creme de la creme has to be The Gladiators. Then there are the incredibly stupid "reality shows", the obsession with medical shows and dectective shows where something is always getting blown up, a woman is being raped, there is a high speed chase and a car goes off a cliff, ridiculous drama with beautiful people as if they are going to hold any plot but they have to since there IS NO PLOT. Attorneys fucking attorneys. Wow. Now there's some creative thinking. Obstacle course shows where fat people fall into tubs of jello. What in the hell happened? Television now is crap. Is this the best we can do? Is there some kind of moratorium on intelligent creativity? Then again, this could take some time, to actually think up a decent television show. Just blow up some cars, make it really melodrammatic, throw in some good cleveage, and you're good. This is all the morons watching this crap need. (The few shows I watch totally parody all these other bad television shows, like Scrubs and Reno 911.).
Well, guess what? We just got rid of a moron from the white house so you can nix your White Trash Television now? There is chance the American people in making an intelligent choice for their president are a tad brighter than you think we are? We're not all watching your shows from our trailers with the pit bulls tearing apart a rooster in the backyard. This seems to be the audience your are shooting for or are those of you with these broadcast stations too stupid yourself to even know what good television is? Maybe your brains are the ooze you impart on to the rest of us? The irony about my having basic cable is I still watch PBS most of the time because all the rest of it is so phenomenally bad. Now I am on a quest...this cannot be the best we can do in 2009 for broadcast television.
The white trash is out of the white house. In the name of the spirit of "change", can we please now get it off our broadcast television stations? As my friends say that have a billion channels, "lotsa channels, nothin' on." The election of Barak Obama by America means the light's on now television folks. Anybody home?
Hmmm. I think the real troubles with the past eight years weren't white trash folk in beehives, eating at Appleby's and bottlenecking the ticket turnstiles at monster-truck rallies. The real catastrophes were cooked up by people who earned a lot more than me, spoke a lot better than I do, went to better schools and could afford - with other people's money - to redecorate an office to the tune of $1.2 million. I don't think it's white trash folk who prevent Keith Olbermann from breathing a word about Gaza, or PBS' "NewHour" from slipping deeper and deeper into neoconservative coma. The issue here is that we're so accustomed to trashing white trash, it's difficult to imagine any other villains out there. Added to that: White trash folk can't fight back; they have no public voice anyone would listen to. Makes it easy... no?
January 27, 2009 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good luck with that...
January 27, 2009 2:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great quote but I am not convinced what is on television IS what the people want. It is what the powers that be WANT in order to keep the dumbing down going (though it backfired the last election). FOX? Need I say more? Didn't Karl Rove say something to the effect that he thought all evangelical Christians were stupid simpletons but great for appealing to for votes (because they are stupid?). Let's keep the mentality attracted to this crap stupid and hopefully Reupblican. I do not think this is what "the people" want but it is what the NeoCons and Republicans want.
January 27, 2009 9:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
NO, unfortunately I believe "Fucks" News... I'm sorry.... Fox News is here to stay.
January 27, 2009 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's funny, but I've thought the same thing for a long time now. I was just talking to my mother last night and telling her that the whole country seems like it's turned into white trash. That's all there is on T.V. Every show: American Idol, Real Housewives, Everybody Loves Raymond, Reba, Wife Swap...there is nothing, NOTHING at all on for anyone other than white trash, brain dead morons. Even the standup comedians are white trash and stupid, and not at all funny. I didn't say this to my mother because she's a Republican, but I thought the exact same thing! Now that Bush is gone, take your white trash shows and shove 'em! Ha!
May 24, 2009 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's funny, but I've thought the same thing for a long time now. I was just talking to my mother last night and telling her that the whole country seems like it's turned into white trash. That's all there is on T.V. Every show: American Idol, Real Housewives, Everybody Loves Raymond, Reba, Wife Swap...there is nothing, NOTHING at all on for anyone other than white trash, brain dead morons. Even the standup comedians are white trash and stupid, and not at all funny. I didn't say this to my mother because she's a Republican, but I thought the exact same thing! Now that Bush is gone, take your white trash shows and shove 'em! Ha!
May 24, 2009 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Like it not, Bad mouthing the President, Current or Past, is yet another "White Trash Trait." You don't like him, you shouldn't vote for him(her). All I can say about our Current President is: "I didn't vote for him, so I accept no responsibility for his success or failures." This will require a complete reducation of the general public.
Terminate "no child left behind", Kids don't understand they actually have to TRY to make things happen. Everything is being given to them. (perpetuating White Trash.)
Terminate Trade Unions, they were great in their day but have absolutely no reason to exist today. They have forced our leading companies to "move their business" to other countries where workers can be paid a reasonable salary.
Forget "Politically Correct," we were there a few years ago but we now in "Politically Insane!" I called a coworker a "young lady" and she got all pissy! Come on, people; TUG REAL HARD ON BOTH EARs, When you hear the pop you've won! You finally pulled your head out of your hindend.
Revise our inadquate voting system. Yes you can run on a ticket together (x&y vs a&b vs m&n,) but "I", rembember me, THE VOTER, should decide if the ticket is the best way to go or if I want x for Pres and b for VP.
One reality show on the air at any given moment. That's world wide. I haven't watched TV in years except for movies & TV's version of news. By the way, don't sensationalize news, report the facts. I can still form rational thoughts and decide if it is really good, bad, or just mundane. I do not care how to make this or that and it has NOTHING to do with news. What, you mean reporters will have to find "newsworthy" stories. But I thought we paid them to "entertain us?" (Can you Say White Trash!)
October 28, 2009 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink