The Hot Button Issue Isn't So Hot Button Anymore

It’s an undisputed fact that there are a million hot button issues in the world today. In the past, these topics were avoided or discussed in hushed voices. Things like teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol problems, and how children were raised, were not talked about in the open. If you brought them up people gave you disgusted looks. Showing them on television was unheard of and, simply, not done.

Now, that isn’t the case anymore. If a topic had a chance of being controversial, it was taken head on and brought out into the light. You can bet that it, if it’s an issue happening currently, it will show up on TV, one way or another. Today, thanks to shows like The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Celebrity Rehab, Teen Mom, and True Life, hot button issues are being brought into the main stream in full force. These never openly discussed topics are not being held back any longer. The Secret Life of the American Teenager, which is based on the life of Amy Juergens as she faces the struggles of becoming a mother her freshman year of high school, may be based on a fictional storyline designed to maximize drama and ratings. But, Teen Mom brings the real-life trials that face teen moms. The show, in classic MTV fashion, brings out the up and downs these young families face. These girls aren’t being talked about in hushed tones like they may have been in the past. Now, thanks to these shows, the issue is being heard loud and clear.

There are even programs based on every other hop button topic you could come up with. Celebrity Rehab follows drug and alcohol addicts as they progress through treatment programs. Previously, rehab was mentioned in a tone associated with disappointment and disrespect. It seemed to be viewed as the ultimate mess up. Now, with the help of the show, views have been changed and people who seek help are looked at in a more respectful light.

And, what hasn’t the show, True Life, covered. If it was something controversial that a teen had face, the cameras were there to tell the story. Every thing from drug problems, to family issues, to coming out, to being bullied has been fair game. Let’s face it, what was once a hot button issue is now main stream media. It may still be very controversial, but thanks to television, it’s now being talked about like never before. The lines of communication have been opened and there’s no shutting them down.

Fact or Fiction?

We’ve all watched a television show or movie and didn’t believe a bit of what we were seeing. Well, it’s not hard to guess the ideas writers come up with is less the realistic, so to speak. For the most part, storylines are created to amuse the general public, or at least in my opinion anyway. There are several shows that have topics that we have no actual background knowledge about the ideas being featured. You know which ones I’m talking about; the ones that are based on medicine, science, law and various other topics. They are the types of shows that, from the opening dialogue, are over our heads. There is no way, without some extensive research, that we would know if the topics covered were real or not. Well, one show I came across has made that issue a little bit easier to resolve.

Grey’s Anatomy is no stranger to odd and over the top diseases or medical situations that the general public doesn’t have much experience with. Thanks to a section of the Grey’s Anatomy page on abc.go.com, it’s very simple to find out whether or not what you’re watching is real or, at the very least, possible. The Case File breaks down exactly what’s going.

It turns out that a lot research has gone into making sure the medical issues presented on the show are possible. The information on the website is even written by the head of research for the show.

For example, when Thatcher Grey needs a kidney transplant, Meredith steps up to help. Now, I certainly don’t doubt that this is possible, but little did I know there is a lot more to the story than the transplant. Well, the site breaks down the various aspects of a partial kidney transplant, gives you some information on finding out if you are a match for someone, and several other issues.

This is example isn’t the exception. The writer, Meg Marinis, does this for every episode and medical issue. It’s really impressive to know that what I’m watching could actually happen. So, next time you’re watching your favorite TV shows, question what you’re seeing and maybe even do a little research into what’s going on in the story. If you’re lucky, the show will help to explain it for you. This is just another example of television opening up the lines to expand what we know.

A Frozen Spin on Target Practice

I flipped on the TV at one point over the weekend to take part in some channeling surfing. As usual, there wasn’t much on that seemed to hold my attention. So, I decided to see what Olympic events were happening at that point in time. As I searched the channels I came across a sport that managed to catch my attention. Curling is something I had never really given much thought to, but as I watched the match, I became very interested. I realized that, while the concept seemed very simple, there was a lot to scoring. It occurred to me that I knew virtually nothing about the sport of curling. So, I decided to take part in a round of Google searches to see what I could find out about this particular activity.

Thanks to the Vancouver 2010 games website, I found exactly what I was trying to find. It turns out that curling has been around for a very long time, over 500 years to be exact. The earliest records of the activity can found in Scotland. It wasn’t until 1924 that the sport was played at the Olympics, but wasn’t until 1998 that men and women both had events.

How do you play? Well, in the Olympic version, two teams compete with the goal of sliding a stone weighing 19.1 kilograms towards a group of circles. The object is to send the stone along the ice and stop it as close to the center of the circles as possible. Each game has ten ends in which the four member team throws (the term for sliding) a total of sixteen stones toward the rings at the opposite end of the ice. Each team member actually throws two stones a piece. As the stone slides, two members sweep in front of it to control its speed and direction. To win, a team must score the most points or have a higher number of stones near the center of the circles. You might be wondering where the term “curl” comes from. Well, as the stone travels down the ice, its direction is called its curl.

Here is a video if you’ve never seen curling before.


If you want to read more about Olympic Curling check the link below. You can also learn more about your favorite events from the Vancouver 2010 games.
http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-curling/

If It’s Dirty, Disgusting, or Just Plain Strange, They’ll Try It

How many times have you caught yourself flinching, cringing, saying any number of yuck related phrases, or several other understandable reactions just from watching TV. Well, think about if you were actually there. Something tells me you would have a whole new appreciation for the people hosting shows like Dirty Jobs and Bizarre Foods. You can’t help but give these guys, and others, a heaping amount of credit for even considering taking these jobs.

In every episode, Mike Rowe, is faced with some of the world’s most disgusting and dirty jobs, ranging from making fireworks to cleaning the worst of sewers and beyond. I not entirely sure anything could qualify you for the types of things he has to do, but his previous work certainly didn’t in some respects. Rowe is a former opera singer with the Baltimore Opera. He has been “fired repeatedly from the QVC Cable Shopping Channel,” hosted a number of shows on various topics. None of those positions have been quite as extreme as working for Dirty Jobs, which he helped to create.

Andrew Zimmer, a New York native, has plenty of food experience. He started his formal culinary training at fourteen years old. Zimmer is one of the creators of his show. I’m not quite sure how you come up with an idea like that, but he managed to hit on something there. His show is centered on showcasing traditional foods from cultures all over the world. As a result, he encounters some of the most delicious and unusual tasting, looking, and smelling cuisine imaginable.

While both shows offer a unique chance to experience new opportunities and show the world things it might otherwise miss, I can’t help but wonder just how much a person’s stomach can handle. The moral of this story, finding the perfect host is key. Especially if the dirty, disgusting, and down right strange is involved.

Catch Dirty Jobs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Discovery Channel. Watch Bizarre Foods Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT and the new season on Mondays at 9 beginning April 26 on the Travel Channel.

SLUG BUG!

Think back to just about every car trip you took as a child. You may remember endless hours spent stuffed in the back seat of your family’s car. Finding things to occupy your time, that didn’t end with a parent yelling at you, were hard to come by. But, one game that has stood the test of time and parental bans is the tried and true slug bug game. If you don’t remember it, it goes a little something like this: Someone, we’ll go with an older sibling, sees a Volkswagen Beetle and punches you in the arm. And, the exchange happens similar to the following. “Slug Bug!” “Owww! No, I didn’t see it so it doesn’t count!”

Sound at least somewhat familiar. Well, think about how many times, as you’ve gotten older, that you’ve reverted back to your childhood activities. You may have colored in a coloring book and celebrated because you managed to stay in the lines or been caught playing with your little brother’s race car track.

Well, I think the advertising team at Volkswagen has taken a page from this particular book. I was watching TV the other, big surprise, and came across their latest advertising campaign. Personally, I think it’s rather amusing and puts a whole new twist on the old slug bug game. Now you have all new ways to play this painful game. Take a look and see what you think.

Is There Life After Television? Maybe There Should Be...

Let’s face it, we, as a whole, are watching even more television than ever. As an avid fan, I recognize that TV is not the only thing out there. I hate to admit the fact that so much time watching my favorite shows may not be productive, healthy, or beneficial. While I could argue that TV takes you to far away places, lets you learn in new ways, and ties people together like never before, there is another side.

If you are watching TV, you aren’t exercising, enriching your mind by reading, or spending time with your family. Though, television seems to be one of the few ways to bring people together these days. Discovery News published an article earlier this year on this issue of excessive amounts of TV time. It says that people watching over four hours of TV a day are increasing their risk of early death. The article, Watching Too Much TV Could Kill You, basically states that it’s bad for your heart and sitting for that long or longer means you aren’t working the muscles in your body. By failing to do so, your body isn’t burning fat and sugars in your system.

LimiTV’s website touches the issue of obesity. The site hits on studies that have drawn a connection between television and weight issues in children. I don’t think this point is too hard to argue. By watching excessive amounts of television, kids are decreasing their physical activity and subjecting themselves to mouth watering ads for restaurants and food items.

The article touches on an idea that I had never really given much consideration; a connection between ADHD and television. Studies on the issue have been researched for ages and are still on going. A main idea is that the quick pace that images and sounds change on the screen cause the body’s neurological system to become overwhelmed, which may turn into an attention issue as the child grows. Another study talked about the idea that kids with ADHD are simply copying the quick pace of television.

There are a million and one other issues involved with viewing too much television. I think those are no surprise either. As much as I adore television, I know there is such a thing as too much. Whether I choose to acknowledge that is beside the point. But, I think, we can all benefit from turning off the TV and picking up a book or going for a walk. Television isn’t going anywhere, and it’ll be there when we want to watch just a small amount.

Need A Valentine's Day Gift?

With Valentine’s Day just one day away, you may be scrambling to find a last minute gift for your loved one. A person could go with the standard chocolate, flowers, and jewelry. The problem is those gifts are overdone. They’re the standard, cliché found in almost every romantic scene from television and movies.

We all know that TV is a very powerful marketing tool. Commercials suck us in and we end up with those products just days after watching the advertisement. So, it’s easy enough to use television to come up with some creative ideas for your Valentine. It can really help a person to think past the typical, tried and true gift ideas. Just think of the response you’d receive from your loved one when they open a gift that you put a lot of thought into.

Just watching television for ideas may not help you one hundred percent. So, people across the airwaves set out to aid those in gift giving peril. One such person is Ellen DeGeneres and her show The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She has taken it upon herself to create some innovative new candy ideas for that special someone in your life...or that special someone you want out of your life. Ellen has the right gift for you. You could buy your loved one a heart shaped ring pop with humus. Or if you really don’t want someone to be your Valentine, give that person some conversation hearts with phrases like “No thinks” and “Do you Have a Sister.” Or maybe you could give them a special hug for Valentine’s Day.
With Valentine’s Day just one day away, you may be scrambling to find a last minute gift for your loved one. A person could go with the standard chocolate, flowers, and jewelry. The problem is those gifts are overdone. They’re the standard, cliché found in almost every romantic scene from television and movies.
We all know that TV is a very powerful marketing tool. Commercials suck us in and we end up with those products just days after watching the advertisement. So, it’s easy enough to use television to come up with some creative ideas for your Valentine. It can really help a person to think past the typical, tried and true gift ideas. Just think of the response you’d receive from your loved one when they open a gift that you put a lot of thought into.
Just watching television for ideas may not help you one hundred percent. So, people across the airwaves set out to aid those in gift giving peril. One such person is Ellen DeGeneres and her show The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She has taken it upon herself to create some innovative new candy ideas for that special someone in your life. Or, that special someone you want out of your life. Ellen has the right gift for you. You could buy your loved one a heart shaped ring pop with humus. Or if you really don’t want someone to be your Valentine, give that person some conversation hearts with phrases like “No thinks” and “Do you Have a Sister.” Or Ellen dug up this idea.

Ellen doesn't reccommend the hug, though.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Busted!

Let’s face it; there is a lot of junk on TV these days. Now, that’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable junk. It’s mostly fake storylines. Writers script shows to gain ratings and, for the most part, we love whatever they through at us. The shows do have some factual aspects or else advocate groups and experts would have a field day with our entertainment, but on the whole, none of it is real. Personally, I love that about television. The idea that something unbelievable could actually happen, but isn’t anywhere near likely, is great. At some point, though, doesn’t it seem difficult to separate what’s real and fake? I think, to some extent, it does. But, here’s the thing, there are legitimate shows that have creditable casts who know what there doing. MythBusters happens to be one of those real-ly amazing shows. How do we know it isn’t a bunch of actors pretending they know how to build rockets and do complicated math problems to prove their ideas? Jamie Hyman is more than a mustached, beret wearing actor. He’s had a host of jobs including survival expert, diver, and boat captain. He eventually found a home in the world of visual-effects where he has a great amount of experience creating special effects and models. So, I guess you could say he knows what he’s doing when you see him making an explosive device. Adam Savage, who always dresses the part, has had a million a one jobs including “projectionist, animator, graphic designer, carpenter, interior and stage designer, toy designer, welder, and scenic painter, he's worked with every material and process he could get his hands on — metal, paper, glass, plastic, rubber, foam, plaster, pneumatics, hydraulics, animatronics, neon, glassblowing, mold making and injection molding, to name just a few.” He also focuses on special effects and knows how to build whatever you can dream up. Tory Belleci, Grant Imahara, and Kari Byron are no less talented. Tory’s work in the film industry and model building has helped gain MythBusters fame. Grant has an electrical engineering degree and is an electronics guru. Kari started out as an artist, which led her into the world of toy-prototyping and model making. While this imaginative group of people may not be actual scientists. They have the skills and knowledge of an industry based on building awesome explosions and funky, working gadgets. If you’ve ever watched the shows, this group isn’t afraid to roll up there sleeves and create a rocket launcher big enough to shoot a certain beloved crash test dummy. So, while most of the TV we know and love is nowhere near the real thing, the gang on MythBusters makes it as legitimate as possible. If you want to read more about the show and cast, go to http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/mythbusters.html .
I wanted to add a couple of videos show off the show.
The first clip doesn’t show them building anything, but it’s awesome.

The second video involves the myth that you can’t fold a piece of paper more than seven times. What the clip doesn’t show is the amount of testing and research that went into this idea.

Evolving the Revolving Door

Trends, in everything from clothes to shows, go in and out. That's not secret and happens to be common place in life. One day something comes flying into the public eye and, literally, a day later has become old news. I think it’s fair to say that television, like so many other things, is a revolving door. Just a couple of episodes can determine whether the creators have a hit on their hands or if the show will flop after the pilot. Characters come and go just as easily. At one point a beloved member of a show is favored by everyone and the next, because of something he or she did as per the writers’ directions, sends that person flying out of the limelight. It’s also interesting to look at television as a way to visually track the changes of time. You can easily observe fashion, technology, mannerisms, décor, and a hundred other things evolve. Now, I love to watch reruns of old shows that were, sadly, replaced by the new “in” thing. Take for example, The Nanny. The show featured Fran Drescher as the nanny, with no experience, to a wealthy Broadway producer in the early ninety’s. Now, the styles of Fran Fine are outrageous, but the other cast members show a definite evolution of fashion over nearly a decade. Ms. Fine seemed to be holding on to past clothing trends, which goes against every popular fashion idea. Once it’s out you can’t be caught dead in it. Ms. Fine’s big hair and wild patterned clothes made for an interesting contrast to the Sheffields more conservative attire. Today, we are faced with highest of fashion trends in shows like Gossip Girl or The Real Housewives of which every city you prefer. In which fashion and all that’s new and now reign supreme. It’s easy to see how we know what to wear, which phone to use, what cars to drive, and how to decorate our homes. All a person has to do is switch on the TV to see the next fad. To me, the most interesting part is watching just how much times have changed. Not only in what clothes a cast is outfitted in, but how they are scripted to act and what gadgets they use. You can definitely see how, we, as a cultured have changed. That’s also pretty evident that what we’re willing to watch has shifted with the trends as well. It’s not so much about the happy family, but how dysfunctional that family is and how much drama they can bring to the table. Trends change and will continue to do so. That’s no surprise and keeps us on our toes to stay in with the “in”crowd. The one thing we can be sure of is that the revolving door will always be present and ready to spin, no matter what the latest fad brings into the public eye.

If you’re interested in ready about The Nanny, Gossip Girl, or The Real Housewives you can look them up at http://www.imdb.com/. Just search the show titles.

Thanks to the Season

I want to take you on a little memory trip today. You are about six years old and it is early December. Your major goal has nothing to do with school or a sports team, but composing your letter to Santa. Christmas is right around the corner and if you don’t complete your task you may end up with socks. You wake up one morning and are greeted with the most wonderful news; school has been cancelled due to the bucks of snow that fell during the night. Now, the problem with all this is that your mother has forbidden you to go outside because “It’s just too cold.” So, she allows you to watch TV. Morning cartoons easily occupy your time, but they are broken up by a seemingly endless amount of commercials. As they come and go you begin to see items that interest you and then your mind begins to work. If you’re like me you may have composed a large part of your Christmas lists with the help of television commercials. Now, commercials are abundant throughout the year, but it seems that they increase drastically over the holidays. I remember one year, specifically, my whole list was made from watching television. I’ve never doubted the power of a well scripted commercial. Have you ever considered just how influential they are? It really hadn’t fully occurred to me until I was thinking about writing this. Especially as children, if seems that we are putty in the hands of marketers. Even if it was a commercial for a cleaning product, we were more than willing to talk our parents into it. All it took was a snappy jingle, cute puppy, or actor from one of our favorite shows to suck us in. Even now, I think, we’re just as susceptible to marketing gimmicks. Take the Toyota commercial, for example that features scenes of fields and flowers, but all the grass, clouds, sun, and other objects are a made up of groups of people.

It’s probably on of the coolest commercials I’ve seen. There was some definite creativity involved its making. Even if you have absolutely no interest in a Toyota Prius, you’ll remember the commercial. If you’re car shopping, something may trigger you to remember the commercial and, in turn, head to a Toyota dealership to see what other models they offer. And, I’m not even going to talk about the snappy jingles that drive us nuts for days thanks to a TV commercial, which of course pops into your head as you pass the item in the store. So, the power of commercials may have begun in our younger Christmas list days, but it certainly hasn’t faded in the time since.

It's Not Going Anywhere

The economy is in bad shape, that’s nothing new to everyone in American. I, personally, had a feeling that this recession was going to have an impact on television. People have bills to pay and a million other expenses popping up and, as a result, are cutting back. Some could say that television is not an essential part of surviving. I, however, might argue that idea, but that’s beside the point. I came across an article on the CNN website from February 24, 2009. TV Viewing at ‘all-time high,’ Nielsen Says busts any myth that television is hurting in lack of time spent in front of the television. The article touches on the fact that people are spending over 151 hours watching TV a month. It seems to me that, despite the cut backs of things deemed unnecessary, entertainment, specifically the television world, hasn’t been hurt terribly. The more I think about this fact, the more sense it makes. People aren’t traveling, dining out, or spending money on the things they would have before. So, what are they doing? Staying home, playing games, watching TV, and doing other less costly activities. It makes perfect sense that viewing hours would go up. Robert Thompson, who is the founding director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture says that “DVR has helped keep television alive and well.”

This supports the idea that TV viewing is not lagging behind. I feel like, with jobs in the position that they are, people are working as much as they can and, therefore, can’t always catch their favorite programs. Or, there’s the idea that there are so many things to watch and we can’t catch them all. I think one could assume that people are recording programs to watch later with their families, or at times when young children won’t be there to view things unsuitable for them. People are also in multitasking mode and using DVR is their way of keeping up with everything. Just because television is not an absolute need to survive doesn’t mean is doesn’t help us get by in tougher times. If you want to read the whole article, you can go to this link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/24/us.video.nielsen/.

Just Because I Haven’t Met You Yet Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Have Crazy Love for You

Television, in my opinion, can open a lot of doors. Maybe not in the opportunities sense, but in a broadening of interests sense. There have been several times that I’ve been hanging out with a friend and that person suggested watching something I’d never seen. As a result, I now like that show or movie. The same thing has happened in reverse. I’ve influenced my friends like and dislikes based on shows we watched together. I think it’s very interesting that I can see something on TV and decide it might be cool to know more about that topic. Television really does connect people and cultures and broaden people’s interests and knowledge, to some extent. Here’s a clip from Oprah sometime last year, I think maybe October. In it you’re going to see a performance by Michael Bublè.

So, I had heard of Michael Bublè before and even had one of his songs on my iPod. I had also decided that I hate jazz; playing it, listening to it, the whole deal. Well, Michael Bublè’s music is considered jazz, which was a strike against him. Before watching this show, I wasn’t really super into his music. I watched the interview and his following performance and fell completely in love with the song, Haven’t Met You Yet. He is such an entertaining performer with an unbelievable voice. Some people, when they sing, make it look like so much work; Michael doesn’t. He has so much energy and, even though he doesn’t really do much in the clip, he can dance really well. The song lyrics are the perfect fairy tale romantic type that I love, which was a definite bonus. So, I got on line to listen to some of the other songs on his newest album and loved them all. He’s known for doing a lot of really awesome remakes of classic songs. Now, I listen to him all the time. By opening my eyes to actually liking certain types of jazz, I now find myself checking out other styles outside my regular choices. Thanks to television, I have definitely added to my list of interests and will probably continue to do so. I definitely encourage all of you to check out Michael Bublè’s cd, Crazy Love.

The interview he did before performing is really funny, or at least I think so. If you want to watch it, just search Michael Bublè on Oprah.