My TV habits can be strange and fickle, but aside from my geeky consumption of shows such as Star Trek, Buffy, Angel, The West Wing, and a few others I have mentioned before, here are some guilty pleasures I also dip into from time to time (just to show that I’m even stranger than I first appear…):
WWE Raw and Smackdown
Yes, I actually DO watch these shows. They are the ultimate male soap opera. They are funny, crude, lewd, full of sexual innuendo, and topped off with impressive feats of acrobatic athleticism (and a touch of brutality too). It’s uncompromising, unapologetic, and thoroughly entertaining. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? It’s certainly head and shoulders above the mass-market reality TV crap that is consuming our airwaves.
The O.C.
This is an absolutely brilliant soap opera, with some stellar writing, fine acting, and adults who are NOT clueless. What impresses me the most is not the younger members of the cast, who out-90210 their soapy predecessors, but the adult cast members. Seth’s mom and dad are stable, normal, happy people secure in their relationship, and marvellously in love. They represent a stability amid the (sometimes wacky) chaos of each episode — rare role models indeed.
Gilmore Girls
You thought the proto-adults of Dawson’s Creek spouted pretentious dialogue that would make David Mamet hide under his bed? Well, let me introduce you to this mother-daughter show that is written by a writing staff taking a combination of crack and speed…and loving every minute of it. This show wallows, delights, and frolicks in the English language the way you and I luxuriate in a hot bubble bath. Forget the plots — just tune in for the rapid fire dialogue, brought to you by writers who write for the sheer pleasure of it all.
Are you truly frightened of me? If not, don’t worry…I’m sure I’ll have even stranger items to share in the future…
