Monday, October 24, 2005

Am I Listening?


Read this.
Paddy O. makes a point I should have made in my post. Not that I understood this point then. But I do now that he has helped me see something I did not see before.

I should be clearer in saying that while I begrudge being told what is inappropriate by an organization whose advisory board includes Pat Boone and Billy Ray Cyrus, it is okay, in fact it is good to clearly state what is inappropriate for families. I guess I am bothered by what they deem appropriate for families. Did you read this yet? I agree, we do need to know what is good and also what we should avoid. As for the PTC's picks for "Worsts," there is not a show on the list I would let my 5 year old nephew watch. More than half of them are shows I won't watch. But the same is true of the "Bests." Only "Bernie Mac" and "Everybody Hates Chris" are good, not because of the "depiction of a loving, close knit family" and other "traditional values," well, not only because of those things, but they are well written, honest, touching but not sappy, mostly original, wholesome but not preachy, fun shows. Bernie Mac's addresses to "America" are one of the best things on TV. (Maybe there's something better, I don't have cable.) The transition titles and text add ins are smart and funny, the acting is great- especially from kid actors, and "Everybody Hates Chris," while it may be the "Wonder Years" a la Chris Rock, I liked "The Wonder Years." (Though it's not just the "Wonder Years" a la Chris Rock). Like blueberries, these shows are good and good for you. Which though I am doing it now, should not be seen as too separate.
On the other hand, the other shows on their "Best" list are shallow, pointless, testaments to greed, vanity, or empty-headed silliness. If I'm going to do the food thing again they are the... Olestra Ruffles of TV.
And as Le Var would say, "But don't take my word for it."

Also note another link in the blog roll. The new link is to a blog written by one of the people providentially present in my youth saying what I needed to hear before I knew I needed to hear it.

What do you think would be the point of a site like i-am-asian.com? Would you be surprised if you came across yet another reason to not eat at Mc Donald's?

I Am Listening
Batman -Danny Elfman
The Times They Are A-Changin'- Bob Dylan
Ed Is Dead- The Pixies
Shake For Me- Howlin' Wolf
I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself- The White Stripes
Isobel- Bjork
Overture- The Who

2 comments:

Bob Ramsey said...

Thanks for the blog love, Robert.

I've only seen four of the ten recommended shows by the PTC, and five up the ten worst.

The OC is bad not because it is immoral but because it is so unrelentingly stupid that if fuels my already brimming misanthropy.

Family Guy is just mean, and American Dad is horrible, but notice the PTC does not condemn them on the basis of quality. And if they were concerned about quality, they would love Arrested Development.

What really annoys me is the support they give to Extreme Maker Over and Three Wishes. Both of these shows are, in the formal sense of the word, idolatrous. They conciously place materialism and corporate money in the place properly occupied by God.

Blech.

Bob Ramsey said...

And, as you can see, I am one of many who can only notice typos after something is published, and Blogger does not allow you to fix them.

Just so you know.