Three stories in the news caught my eye today.
Betty Broderick is up for parole. Back in the early nineties, she shot and killed her ex-husband and his much younger wife after a really nasty divorce. She portrayed herself as a victim and a bunch of women supported her. She became the poster child for housewives who feared their husbands would dump them for younger babes. That happens so frequently in California. Books were written about her. Merideth Baxter (from "Family Ties")played her in a couple of TV movies.
Frankly a prosecutor friend of mine put it best: the solution for a bad marriage is divorce, not murder. Especially not a double murder where the killer slips into the house and kills the happy couple in bed.
A big thumbs down on Betty to the California Parole Board. No, I don't think she's a risk to society at large. But I sure wouldn't lay odds on the survivability of any new boyfriend who pisses her off.
Speaking of "victims," Conan O'Brien is reportedly signing a deal today that will give him $32 million to leave NBC in the wake of the Jay Leno fiasco. His staff will split an additional $12 million. It's been one of the better and more fun stories to watch in this grim new year. A bunch of idiots with money to burn screwing each other.
And now, thanks to the US Supreme Court, another bunch of idiots with money to burn will be able to use it to bankroll American elections.
The Supremes ruled today that business, unions and non-profits can contribute more freely to political candidates. It's a freedom of speech thing, say the Justices.
My favorite quote comes from Justice Anthony Kennedy, one of the High Court's conservative members, voting with the majority.
He says, "The appearance of influence or access," he wrote, "will not cause the electorate to lose faith in our democracy."
Oh really?
Showing posts with label reality tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reality tv. Show all posts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Unreality of Reality TV
Until recently, I thought the show "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" was a popular Saturday morning cartoon. Guess not. More of a caricature of modern life.
From reading the cover of People and short blurbs in the Tribune and Sun-Times, my take-away is that the show is about two morons who produced eight offspring and basically now act hatefully toward each other while they daily force their children to put up with pandemonium and chaos for (as various reports have it) 50 to 75 thousand dollars per episode.
Let's see a show of hands...how many of you think this show is really for real? I sure don't. Then again, I never believed a single moment of Survivor or Amazing Race or Fear Factor or even Maury or Jerry. And we all know about the WWF (wink wink).
No, Kate and Jon aren't professional actors, nor are their kids. But don't think for a moment they don't have professional producers, wise in the ways of television and ratings, egging them on and demanding the performances that will win big advertiser dollars. What better to end one season and start another than a huge cheating scandal blown up by the tabloids? Why not sow conflict and hatred to make the big bucks?
Come on, folks. This is domestic life's version of pro-wrestling. These people are being paid to explode their family and destroy their kids' futures just as the guests on Jerry and Maury are paid to showcase their depravity and ignorance.
And you're buying every minute of it, aren't you?
Frankly, I don't care what happens to Jon and Kate. But somebody should get a childrens' advocate into that house/studio and remove those kids before they are scarred for life by two parents who have been seduced by the network's flim-flammers and blinded by the bright lights of unreality.
From reading the cover of People and short blurbs in the Tribune and Sun-Times, my take-away is that the show is about two morons who produced eight offspring and basically now act hatefully toward each other while they daily force their children to put up with pandemonium and chaos for (as various reports have it) 50 to 75 thousand dollars per episode.
Let's see a show of hands...how many of you think this show is really for real? I sure don't. Then again, I never believed a single moment of Survivor or Amazing Race or Fear Factor or even Maury or Jerry. And we all know about the WWF (wink wink).
No, Kate and Jon aren't professional actors, nor are their kids. But don't think for a moment they don't have professional producers, wise in the ways of television and ratings, egging them on and demanding the performances that will win big advertiser dollars. What better to end one season and start another than a huge cheating scandal blown up by the tabloids? Why not sow conflict and hatred to make the big bucks?
Come on, folks. This is domestic life's version of pro-wrestling. These people are being paid to explode their family and destroy their kids' futures just as the guests on Jerry and Maury are paid to showcase their depravity and ignorance.
And you're buying every minute of it, aren't you?
Frankly, I don't care what happens to Jon and Kate. But somebody should get a childrens' advocate into that house/studio and remove those kids before they are scarred for life by two parents who have been seduced by the network's flim-flammers and blinded by the bright lights of unreality.
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