Sunday, June 12, 2005
Televisual Cretinism
When spending a weekend with c, I am subject to some really trashy television. I saw Big Brother for the very first time this week, some none-entity was being evicted - I looked at the housemates, one of them appeared to be of the transgendered variety. I cottoned on to the fact that this was Big Brother's winning formula - transgendered males al-a-Nadia (who appears to have the build of lorry driver and the face of a woman who used to rent me a room). I could not help feeling that there is something exploitative about this form of television; the monkey house in the zoo is a good comparison.
Then there was Celebrity Love Island, a couple apparently got their rocks off much to the chagrin of their fellow contestants - mucho gossip, my reaction was "SO!". Then the contestants sat on the balcony and watched a tropical storm from the safety of their bedcovers.
What is really fucking ironic is that:
a. Thousands of people successfully graduate from drama school at personal and parental expense - they will make excellent actors entertaining people in whatever way they can, but not on television!.
b. Thousands of people successfully graduate from University at personal and parental expense with degrees in writing, literature, classics; they will write excellent dramas and comedies but not for television.
Time was television used to invite dramatic genius exploring what is fantastical about the human condition. Not anymore. No, TV producers believe that the populace of the UK is cretinous and does not deserve genius!
Then there was Celebrity Love Island, a couple apparently got their rocks off much to the chagrin of their fellow contestants - mucho gossip, my reaction was "SO!". Then the contestants sat on the balcony and watched a tropical storm from the safety of their bedcovers.
What is really fucking ironic is that:
a. Thousands of people successfully graduate from drama school at personal and parental expense - they will make excellent actors entertaining people in whatever way they can, but not on television!.
b. Thousands of people successfully graduate from University at personal and parental expense with degrees in writing, literature, classics; they will write excellent dramas and comedies but not for television.
Time was television used to invite dramatic genius exploring what is fantastical about the human condition. Not anymore. No, TV producers believe that the populace of the UK is cretinous and does not deserve genius!
