Sweeps

    For watching as much television as I do, it’s quite strange this page [now, category] is updated so seldomly. Part of the reason might be that I actively despise all forms of “reality television”. Whether they are the dregs of humanity on the Springer show or the so-called “real” people auditioning for Survivor or whatever latest Roman coliseum the networks have planned. I loathe them all. This month has been particularly bad. We had the finales of several reality TV series as well as premieres, plus an embarrassing glut of Michael-Jackson-gawking on all major networks. (He’s got every neuroses money can buy; he doesn’t need ratings, he needs professional help). So it’s come to the point where the must-see shows have been greatly outnumbered by the must-avoid-at-all-cost shows. First the networks punish their viewers in person in small groups and then punish their national viewers on a weekly basis. And now that they’ve gotten their first taste of the manipulation and cruelty of a wife-beater mentality, it’s only going to get worse.