What's up with syndication?
I'll be brief.
For me.
This is something I've noticed in other countries, too, but the amount of ass-on-couch time I've been spending lately has brought it to the forefront of my mind. What's up with the crap that America exports to TV channels in other countries??? It's no wonder that everyone has such an absurd impression of us as a nation!
We have satellite in our apartment, which is actually quite common around here ... every apartment building has three or four satellites, at least, mounted to the roof (I think we have about nine, but haven't actually counted). Anyhow, one of these has two channels, MBC 2 and MBC 4 that regularly show American stuff - MBC 2 is 24-hour movies, and MBC 4 is shows. Obviously, these channels are a bit more entertaining to me than the local stuff, since I can at least understand what's going on, so they get a lot of air-time in our apartment. (Not as much as you'd expect, though - my two German roommates are lucky enough to have an entire SATELLITE of German-language programming!)
MBC 2 is a fascinating assortment of almost-popular movies and stuff I've never heard of. We saw G.I. Jane one night, which was cool, and Four Weddings and a Funeral was on the other day ... but I was also subjected to some 50's movie with a guy who had to swim across the country, back to his home, through other peoples' pools (maybe some of you know what I'm talking about ... the actor was burly and blue-eyed - does Heston have blue eyes?), and some John Ritter/Kathy Bates movie that opened with Ritter being wheeled across the floor on a dolly, which gave me the impression it was supposed to be a comedy ... fifteen minutes and zero laughs later, I gave up.
MBC 4 is even better, though. Every day at 7 is Dr. Phil, Oprah is on at 9, and Super Nanny shows at 10. I even caught an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun yesterday. So far, so good, eh? Maybe not all shows I like, but shows that are at least popular in the states ... But don't get too excited, because my current obsession is nothing nearly so admirable. Nope - I'm fixated on a show called "Popular," which as far as I can tell, is about six years old (based on references to the millenium and Monica Lewinsky). It's kind of a high-school 90210 - currently, I'm on the edge of my seat wondering if the cheerleaders (or, as they prefer, "Glamazons") will get their funding back, and if the QB will choose the musical (in which he stars) or the homecoming game ... Fascinating stuff.
Seriously. As embarrassing as it is that I watch this in the first place, I feel even worse that THIS is the crap that we're exporting to other countries! I really can't blame the Muslim culture of Egypt for thinking I'm morals-free (or, at the very least, morals-lite) when my country sends them characters who say things like "My life goal is to wear a belly shirt. No, seriously!" and pass notes saying, "After dinner tonight, are we going to 1. go to first base, 2. round third, or 3. hit a home run?" to girls who agonize over whether they'll be perceived as a slut if they bring the condoms. Maybe the international opinion of the US would be better if instead we exported stuff like ...
Okay, I just tried to think of a really intelligent show that represents America well - figured it'd be a good closing. But I drew a blank. Either I don't watch enough TV (something I've never been accused of before) or we really are a bit morals-lite ...
For me.
This is something I've noticed in other countries, too, but the amount of ass-on-couch time I've been spending lately has brought it to the forefront of my mind. What's up with the crap that America exports to TV channels in other countries??? It's no wonder that everyone has such an absurd impression of us as a nation!
We have satellite in our apartment, which is actually quite common around here ... every apartment building has three or four satellites, at least, mounted to the roof (I think we have about nine, but haven't actually counted). Anyhow, one of these has two channels, MBC 2 and MBC 4 that regularly show American stuff - MBC 2 is 24-hour movies, and MBC 4 is shows. Obviously, these channels are a bit more entertaining to me than the local stuff, since I can at least understand what's going on, so they get a lot of air-time in our apartment. (Not as much as you'd expect, though - my two German roommates are lucky enough to have an entire SATELLITE of German-language programming!)
MBC 2 is a fascinating assortment of almost-popular movies and stuff I've never heard of. We saw G.I. Jane one night, which was cool, and Four Weddings and a Funeral was on the other day ... but I was also subjected to some 50's movie with a guy who had to swim across the country, back to his home, through other peoples' pools (maybe some of you know what I'm talking about ... the actor was burly and blue-eyed - does Heston have blue eyes?), and some John Ritter/Kathy Bates movie that opened with Ritter being wheeled across the floor on a dolly, which gave me the impression it was supposed to be a comedy ... fifteen minutes and zero laughs later, I gave up.
MBC 4 is even better, though. Every day at 7 is Dr. Phil, Oprah is on at 9, and Super Nanny shows at 10. I even caught an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun yesterday. So far, so good, eh? Maybe not all shows I like, but shows that are at least popular in the states ... But don't get too excited, because my current obsession is nothing nearly so admirable. Nope - I'm fixated on a show called "Popular," which as far as I can tell, is about six years old (based on references to the millenium and Monica Lewinsky). It's kind of a high-school 90210 - currently, I'm on the edge of my seat wondering if the cheerleaders (or, as they prefer, "Glamazons") will get their funding back, and if the QB will choose the musical (in which he stars) or the homecoming game ... Fascinating stuff.
Seriously. As embarrassing as it is that I watch this in the first place, I feel even worse that THIS is the crap that we're exporting to other countries! I really can't blame the Muslim culture of Egypt for thinking I'm morals-free (or, at the very least, morals-lite) when my country sends them characters who say things like "My life goal is to wear a belly shirt. No, seriously!" and pass notes saying, "After dinner tonight, are we going to 1. go to first base, 2. round third, or 3. hit a home run?" to girls who agonize over whether they'll be perceived as a slut if they bring the condoms. Maybe the international opinion of the US would be better if instead we exported stuff like ...
Okay, I just tried to think of a really intelligent show that represents America well - figured it'd be a good closing. But I drew a blank. Either I don't watch enough TV (something I've never been accused of before) or we really are a bit morals-lite ...
posted by Teale at 2:26 PM
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