Thursday, September 4, 2008

TV today...

Turn on the television during primetime nowadays and it just isn’t what it used to be. You won’t find the wholesome “7th Heaven,” or “Gilmore Girls,” and there sure isn’t anything similar to “Clarissa Explains it All.” Instead, shows like “Gossip Girl,” “The Hills,” and the newest addition of the return to tv “90210” dominate the ratings. It all seemed to start with the hit show “The OC,” where the wealthy sun-kissed Cali kids shopped till’ they dropped, wore head to toe designer clothing and went to school just like they were attending another lavish social event.

I found this article in the New York Times today, titled “Fancy-Schmancy Kids, Now Much Schmancier." How incredibly true…

I wonder if anyone else thinks about this infatuation of the lives of the super wealthy, particularly, the dramatic lives of teenagers and their families. But it isn’t just the middle and high schoolers tuning in. I for one know college students, young adults and even the occasional addicted mothers tuning in to watch. Of course, the dramatic plot lines are hard to turn away from, but why are we so drawn to these shows? And why aren’t there new series with more innocent, wholesome plots and better family values? How come we only want the racy and provocative stories? Are we that bored, that we need over-the-top excitement? Or maybe it’s just a portrait of reality. With a society obsessed with celebrities and the rich and famous… Maybe we just watch because for that hour, we get to live those lives we follow on the Internet, in the magazines and in the movies.

I for one, am not sure. But I will admit to watching these shows and if anyone else has any other opinions. Feel free to let me know…


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