Sunday, January 12, 2003 :::
The American Broadcasting Company decided that they could make a good show by finding a bachelor, finding him twenty-five prospective wives, and having them fight for his affections for a few weeks. Low and behold, Americans watched. Fox, having used a single-evening version of this concept once (remember "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?"), thought that this was a great idea with some life left in it, but that it needed a little something extra, like fraud. Fox also, I learn, is about to show something called "Man vs. Beast", in which they pit fifty midgets (I swear I didn't make this up) against an elephant in a feat of strength.
I applaud this.
I suppose most of you think this is a further example of the degeneration of our culture -- you can already hear the Marge Simpson of a few years hence commenting that "Fox became a hard-core sex channel so gradually, we hardly even noticed." And I suppose that, normally, I'd agree with you; however, I've recently learned that PBS will be broadcasting a new show called "Sandwiches that You Will Like". It's entirely possible that "Sandwiches" will be a fine show. Perhaps the title is meant to be lame, in an ironic, "That '70s Show", kind of way. But it strikes me as the title of a game show developed by the BBC in one of its more continental moments, or maybe a Japanese show that loses something in translation. Maybe something developed by the CBC, specifically to draw a contrast with the hoodlums down south. It is, at any rate, a distinctly unAmerican title.
I've always maintained that, while I have too much shame and/or self-respect to be a regular viewer of "The Man Show", I'm pleased to live in a culture that would create such a thing. I stand by that. Bring on the midgets, and don't change the channel. Especially not to PBS -- I might get queasy.
::: posted by Steven at 1:28 AM
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