Well, it's that time of year again: smoggy air, after-Christmas sales, and the return of Fox's winter schedule. What that means for some is a sudden bounty of DVR-clogging programming, perfect for these long winter nights. Yet for me, the return of Fox's "24" and "American Idol" signifies America's delight for (and absolute obsession with) pure, unadulterated pain.
"American Idol" represents the best and worst of our society: We rejoice in the discovery of new talent, embrace the show's finalists, and devote two of our precious weekday evenings to the talent competition. But no less pleasurable (or disturbing) is our unhealthy obsession with horrific, embarrassingly bad "singing." Why do we enjoy seeing people utterly destroyed in front of terribly insensitive judges? Why are we absolutely entranced by impressions of the cowardly lion? Or black, male, talentless Celine Dion wannabes? Why does it make us so ridiculously happy to see nerve-wracked Idol-hopefuls understandably forget lyric after lyrics? Because we're masochists, that's why.
Skeptical? Look no further than the fictional, terrorist-heavy world of my Fox favorite, "24." Where else is behavior that by any other standard would be reprehensible (if not criminal) is not only permitted, but encouraged? Witness a few examples from this week's season premiere: two separate shoulder-stabbings, numerous bloody shootings, a freaky vampire-ish Jack Bauer-escape, and one casualty-heavy nuclear explosion. And yet through all the gory mayhem, those who give it a chance find themselves utterly addicted, and with the simple snap of a neck, we're pulled into another stress-filled 24 hours. Masochists, I tell you...all of us. At least until May...
What were your favorite cringe-worthy moments from the "24" and "American Idol" premieres?
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4 comments:
I for one am proud of you for tuning in to AI last night. I nearly forgot about the impressions of the cowardly lion....thank you ever so much for reminding me.
yeah for Jay - I read your blog - I enjoyed it and now I am commenting. Hip hip hooray for Jay!
My favorite is Misha from Wednesday night's American Idol in Seattle. As if it weren't bad enough that she was singing "unsupported", her mother, who was invited in the room, was mouthing the words along with her daughter, "Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me." Ahhh, TV at it's best.
I bet they buy lipstick in bulk at Costco too...poor ladies :)
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