Tuesday, January 29, 2008

we interrupt this program for a special news bulletin

I know the writers' strike has made TV a little less exciting to watch recently. Last night was no different in terms of exciting to watch, but it wasn't because of the writers' strike, it was because of the State of the Union Address.
I know I am 26 now and I can't use the classic line of, "oh, I'll be more interested in that stuff when I am 'grown up.'" I am sort of grown up now. But to be honest, that speech still bores me. And with the clapping.......It turns a 40 minute speech in a 70 minutes one.
Give me a break.
I just don't like that all of the networks, DURING PRIMETIME TV preempt the regularly scheduled shows to have pregame "political talk", the actual speech, then "postgame" talk recapping WHAT WE JUST SAW. Now maybe I am being hypocritical, but this isn't football. We don't need all of this pregame and postgame stuff. It isn't like the experts are being neutral like most of the college football talking heads (expect for Kirk who loves him some Ohio State and Mark May, who hates him some UGA). If the "expert" is a Democrat, he/she is going to say W blew it or he/she hated it. If the expert is a republican, he/she obviously loved the speech. COME ON!
And it isn't just with State of the Union stuff. ANYTIME Bush gives a speech from the Oval office, the major networks always interrupt, and Bush can NEVER give a speech at 6:30, it has to be 8pm or 9pm, right when Prisonbreak or Grey's Anatomy is coming on.
And some of my anger goes to the networks. NBC, you have, what CNBC and MSNBC that you could air this on and keep Deal or No Deal on? Fox, you have Fox News et al. Give me Prisonbreak! CBS, ABC, come on, why haven't you guys come out with networks on cable that you could run that stuff on? KEEP REGULARLY SCHEDULED STUFF ON TV. If the only reason you are running it on the major networks is because you are worried that some people won't get to see it because they don't have cable, let me tell you a little secret....if the person doesn't have cable, they DON'T CARE about the speech!
But the worst part is that because it was on at 9, that meant MTV was airing reruns of True Life and Real World/Road Rules. Their new episodes don't come on until 10, so again I fault Congress for the timing. Do this thing at 6:30 with NO clapping until 7, aka during the World Nightly news. And then let us have our TV shows at 8.
That's all I ask for. Well that and for the Writers' Union to realize they are COSTING their members WAY more money than they will ever get from holding out.

That's it. (PS, I thought it was funny during the SAG awards when the one lady said she was honored to be given this award by her union, in a time where it is so important to stand by your union. Yeah, so important. Writers are out of work because of their union, again LOSING more money than they were originally seeking. Good work UNION!)

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