Dumb Down America
I have discussed this point on other blogs it was usually in the political sense, particularly as it relates to some candidates and issues. I also mentioned it on this blog in relation to MTVs Jersey Shore.
However, as I watch life go on across American I am again struck by how stupid we're becoming, particularly as it relates to the television shows we watch.
I like all kinds of entertainment. I love to read, go to movies, and watch television. My tastes vary widely and there is nothing wrong with light hearted fluff in the form of entertainment, but at some point the entertainment industry (i.e. big corporations) needs to take a little responsibility and allow some shows which have a lot of potential to develop and give the audiences something besides pre-digested fast food.
I was reminded of this while watching a couple of older series which were on one season, the same 2007 season in fact, and then cancelled.
One, John from Cincinnati, was a HBO series from the same guys who brought you Deadwood. There is no way in the world I can ever explain what JFC was about, other than it involved a family, friends, and surfing. The show was cancelled before the questions, of which there were many, were answered. I bought the series on DVD and have watched them several times and always come up with new twists and takes on what the creators were trying to say. Unfortunately, JFC hinted at a lot of things but didn't come right out and say them so it required you to think. A fatal mistake in television.
The second show was an NBC show by Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was a barely disguised show about making Saturday Night Live. I noticed that it is now on Netflix and highly recommend you watch it. The interaction between the characters is phenomenal, the jokes often esoteric, and it was phenomenal, if you are an intellectual and enjoy being challenged while you are being entertained.
Unfortunately, what is good and what sells is often entirely different, and the chance that a great show will catch on because it is great is less important to the suits than a mediocre showing doing well for now.
And if anyone who reads this watched JFC and can explain it, please email me, because I have an awful lot of questions.
