A News Hound with Voyeuristic Tendencies

I’m posting about TV today because I got so many comments about My Super Sweet Sixteen.

You know that scene in Animal House where there’s a devil on one of John Belushi’s shoulders and an angel on the other and they’re both acting as his conscience guiding his moral decisions?

Yeah, well I have that for television. One introductory comment – the thing I watch on TV more than anything else is sports. I love college football, college basketball, golf, tennis majors, baseball. We’re friends, right? Okay, true sharing: I also watch oodles of HGTV.

Here’s what the devil says:

Big Break
A reality show on The Golf Channel; golf + reality = Dufbliss

Chappelle Show
Often too racy for me, but makes me happy; musical guests are amazing.

Cops
That’s right. I occasionally watch COPS (usually when nothing better is on). In its entire history, I’ve maybe seen it 8 times.

Family Guy
I generally cover my mouth in shock and laughter when I watch it.

Flavor of Love (Seasons 1 and 2) and the Reunion Shows
I’ve seen every episode, and yes, I hate myself

MTV Cribs
One of my favorite shows. I often have no idea who the celeb is. But I love, love, love house tours and looking at people's fancy cars. It's not a coveting thing either. I envy neither the celeb nor their material goods. I just love the show. Sue me.

My Super Sweet Sixteen
I’ve seen 3 episodes, I hated every single minute.

The Real Housewives of Orange County
No kidding, I watched all 8 episodes in a row while recovering from surgery. I loved every minute of it. It may have been the codeine.

Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy
I usually miss this show, not as good as Wifeswap.

Wifeswap
One of my favorite shows; it’s an anthropological/sociological thing. I hate to miss it. I love insights into how people order their lives. If I were a producer on WS, I would, at least 3 times a year, just have ordinary people (instead of contrasted people). I think it would be just as entertaining. But perhaps that's why I'm not a network exec/producer.


A& E (gets its own special section):

Dog the Bounty Hunter
Can’t say why I love it, but I love it. I usually watch it when traveling.

The First 48
Part of the appeal for me is this show is often set in KC.

Intervention
I’ve seen it maybe three times. The bulimia episode made me sick to my stomach.



The Angel says:

60 Minutes
Decades of excellence.

CBS Sunday Morning
I’m not kidding, this is my favorite television show. Period. It has been my favorite for years. It will continue to be my favorite for years. Even stuff I think will bore me is amazing.

Frontline
Two nights ago I watched a Frontline show on the secret history of the credit card, if that doesn’t tell you how much I love this show, then nothing will. Their work earlier this year on the meth epidemic was the best television I’ve seen in years: harrowing but graceful.

The News Hour
When something big happens, this is my only TV news source.

Nightline
When I can stay up that late.

POV
I mostly watch this on Netflix, but it’s TV, so I count it. Great, great show.

This Week
I liked David Brinkley; I love George Stephanopoulus (but I wouldn’t mind it if he ramped up the energy just 2 or 3%).


And, as a liberal, I must acknowledge here that my philosophies and ideal are undermined by my occasional viewing habits. I watch shows that I consider sexist, racist and classist. I watch shows that portray people in a negative light and (potentially or intentionally) humiliate them. I watch shows knowing that my watching perpetuates them and shows like them.

I view it all through the lens of a middle class educated man and usually recognize that reality subjects are sacrificing a lot for my entertainment. I see that dynamic as horribly flawed.

But, I don't do it often, and for the most part I like my sexism expressed through athletic contests (boys makes millions, girls dance near-naked for free), but I thought I'd unveil all my ugly habits as a way of creating false intimacy and inviting comments that might influence me toward better behavior.

But before you take me to task, two things: (1) I'm significantly more likely to watch Frontline or CBS Sunday Morning than I am to watch MSSS or Cops; and (2) you can't knock me down a peg or two without telling your me a guilty TV pleasure (or two)...

We all have them.