Monday, February 23, 2009

Late-breaking revelation re: The Real World

I was watching The Real World this week, and had a mind-blowing revelation.  They haven't changed the tagline since the show aired in 1992 (either that or they've come back around to it because now it has retro charm):   

This is the true story
of seven strangers
picked to live in a house
and have their lives taped
Find out what happens
when people stop being polite
and start getting real

"Stop being polite and start getting real"?*   Let's diagram it: 

Real = not polite
Not polite = rude 
Thus, Rude = Real

I only just realized that The Real World may have originated the false dichotomy that has turned society* into a bunch of assholes. 

*Also weird because nobody has started off by being polite on that show since Season 1--now they get to the house, strip naked and get in the hot tub, and introduce themselves to the other roommates with racial epithets.

**By "society" I mean "the people who are cast in reality TV shows."

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

You should really watch Battlestar Galactica

I am mulling over the reasons for the infrequency of my blogging, and when I come to any conclusions I will share them with you.  (I'm sure the problem is contained in that very sentence, actually, but I still can't put my finger on it.) 

But in the meantime, a public service announcement:  You absolutely must watch Battlestar Galactica.  In case you haven't seen it, it's a post-apocolyptic outer-space show about the remnant of humanity left over after humanoid-looking robots, the Cylons, nuke their planets.  So it's not super cheerful, but it's got some of the best storytelling and acting out there, especially Mary McDonnell (the mom in Donnie Darko), as the totally relatable and also terrifyingly unitary-executivish President, who may also be the prophesied "dying leader" fated to bring her people to a new home, and Edward James Olmos as the gruff, possibly alcoholic Admiral-with-a-heart-of-gold.  Right now the last half-dozen or so episodes are airing, and I'm pretty sure they're going to reveal the actual fate of humanity.  Which, again, I'm not promising it will be cheerful, but at least we'll know what we're in for.