I'd like to be able to follow my own advice and not consume (see post below) but Mrs. Wolfers watches it religiously. I entertain myself in other ways, flying sorties over the blogosphere or reading a book, walking the real snowolf, doing the washing up, whatever.
I'm not even sure why she watches it, she doesn't seem to enjoy it.
What am I talking about?
Eastenders.
I've never enjoyed it. I'm not a lover of soap operas at all, but Eastenders takes the biscuit. Corrie is bearable, there is at least some comic relief, and from what I've seen the stories aren't as far fetched, and the actors, in my opinion, are better. Emmerdale used to be on the menu as well, but for reasons unknown to me has fallen off. The two Aussie ones I am spared, however the English equivalent, the truly toe-curlingly awful Hollyoaks does make an appearance on the occasional Sunday morning - it seems to go on for about 4 hours, and it is utter, utter tripe. I am assured by some that the girls are well fit, however when I do see it, all I see is a parade of young ladies who look identical and are all totally without bosom or behind. I'll have a proper woman with a proper figure please.
Anyhow, back to Eastenders. Before getting too earnest, can anyone explain to me how the pub is always packed to the gunwhales, unless there is something going on down the club, which, I hasten to add is the quietest nightclub in history? Nobody owns a car or a washing machine, and despite the presence of a tube station, will normally take a cab 'up west'. Nobody works outside the environs of the square - not one person commutes into town for work, and despite these low wage jobs, they can all afford to run these enormous, seemingly 8 bedroom, late Victorian town houses. Perhaps this accounts for the lack of washing machines and cars? Despite this low level of vehicle ownership, 'Phil' can make a living running a small backstreet grease pit, and can seemingly buy any business he wants, just like that.
It's all a bit odd.
What really does bug me about this programme though is the fact that no-one, not one character is permitted even a moment's fleeting joy or happiness. Any good news is almost immediately followed up with a personal or communal disaster. I appreciate that this is a dramatic construct, but it just seems to go on with unrelenting misery, for everyone. Perpetually. It is soul destroying stuff.
Further to that, I believe that the show puts out a very bad message. Nobody shows any aspiration beyond working on a fruit stall or loading and unloading washing machines and tumble dryers. Kids that do well at school and go off to university seem to be socially awkward or incompetent in some regard, or will return to the square a few weeks in to their first term having failed to cope with the demands placed upon them.
People are bad with money, forever tapping up the same old people for a loan, loans which are normally given with humiliating strings attached. Indeed anyone who does have money or is a success tends to be a criminal or morally objectionable in some other fashion.
The message to me is clear; You'll never amount to anything, so why even try? Everyone who has money, drive or ambition is a crook, conman or an arsehole, and you don't want to be like them. Just stick to what you know and make do with what you've been given.
It is a hateful, despicable programme, and quite why anyone watches it is beyond me.
I'm not suggesting it be banned, that just isn't my style, but I hold Eastenders up as a prime exhibit as to why the licence fee should be scrapped.
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Monday, 11 July 2011
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Wow, what an eye opener.
I'm too often negative on here. But then there's a damn sight more to attack than there is to defend in this world if you ask me.
I'm normally very hard on religion, or at least religious organisations, but on this occasion I'm going to cut a bloody huge length of slack.
I've been enjoying the series run by Channel 4 on a group of Amish teenagers who have been over in the UK on an activity which apparently plays a very important part in their culture. At first I thought this was going be another mawkish freak-show, but the Amish youngsters have been portrayed in a very good light, and I've found the series (the third episode of which was this evening) to be very thought provoking.
I think the point of the show, which is available on 4OD for those of you who may have missed it, is to give us an idea of how someone from an alien culture views our society. The Amish are ideal for this purpose, they speak English but are about as far removed from our culture as you can get without having to rely on people who spend their time ranting and raving on the street about demons whilst burning flags and throwing shoes at people.
But what has struck me has been the Amish themselves, rather than their views on us. They don't go into too much detail about the Amish, the usual, no electricity, no TV, big families, funny beards, horses, but nothing of any great substance.
What is clear is that here is a community which is completely at peace with itself. Crime is almost unheard of (barring one fairly major incident recently), the respect between neighbours is remarkable, and in the case of barn raising, it would seem the Amish really like their barns, the whole community will turn out to help out with the raising and have a bit of a party, as much as being Amish allows a party, to celebrate.
The kids are schooled within the community in their own schools, or at home. It is obvious they love one another and are completely devoted to their families. The result? From what I've seen of the kids on the TV show, educated, compassionate, friendly, honest and thoroughly decent people.
These are the sort of people you would love to have move in next door to you, they seem generous and willing to help, without knocking on the door every ten minutes and they certainly don't seem to pry into others' lives.
The one thing I do have an issue with is the whole religion thing. They set great store by the bible and their submission to God's will. I've no time for organised religion, I've stated before that if I were God, then those who claim to speak for me would be first in the line when my smiting trousers came back from the dry cleaners.
But that being said, whilst it is obvious that their faith is the single most important thing in their lives, there doesn't seem to be any desire to stamp their feet and demand rights or special treatment. You don't see Amish preaching on street corners or knocking on doors trying to convert people to their truth. Not once has one of the Amish youngsters been judgemental about those they have been staying with, and only once or twice expressed alarm or unease over what they have been exposed to, and that in voice over rather than on camera.
Their isolationism appears to give them a refreshing view of the world. They may not know who Marilyn Monroe or John F. Kennedy are, they may be completely divorced from the politics of the country they live in, but it just doesn't matter to them. They have their own community and leave everyone else alone.
I've often heard them described as being secretive. But I don't think that's fair, this sounds like a name to slight them, make them seem as 'other', don't trust them. They don't want to be around us. I've not seen anyone secretive, I've seen people happy to discuss their way of life and beliefs, they're just not about to scream and shout about it. They don't mind if we take an interest or not, it doesn't matter to them. They don't care about our way of life. They're not making a judgement on us, it just isn't important to them. All that is important is surrounding them.
As far as organised religion is concerned, the Amish faith is probably the least organised one I've seen. I don't mean they're some kind of bumbling amateurs, it just seems to me that the practice of the faith is left to the individual church, family even person.
And then the clincher, before the kids are baptised into the church, they are told to bugger off, see the world and decide if their baptism is really what they want. What other religion does that? Which other sect asks those about to be baptised, 'are you really sure this is for you?'
This sounds like the most Libertarian religion I've ever come across, existing in a community which displays many classic examples of Libertarian community living. Their habit of eschewing technology, alcohol and tobacco would drive me up the bloody wall, but from what I've seen the Amish have a very enviable life.
But of course, the Amish would point out very politely and gently, and only if I asked them their opinion, that envy is a sin.
I'm normally very hard on religion, or at least religious organisations, but on this occasion I'm going to cut a bloody huge length of slack.
I've been enjoying the series run by Channel 4 on a group of Amish teenagers who have been over in the UK on an activity which apparently plays a very important part in their culture. At first I thought this was going be another mawkish freak-show, but the Amish youngsters have been portrayed in a very good light, and I've found the series (the third episode of which was this evening) to be very thought provoking.
I think the point of the show, which is available on 4OD for those of you who may have missed it, is to give us an idea of how someone from an alien culture views our society. The Amish are ideal for this purpose, they speak English but are about as far removed from our culture as you can get without having to rely on people who spend their time ranting and raving on the street about demons whilst burning flags and throwing shoes at people.
But what has struck me has been the Amish themselves, rather than their views on us. They don't go into too much detail about the Amish, the usual, no electricity, no TV, big families, funny beards, horses, but nothing of any great substance.
What is clear is that here is a community which is completely at peace with itself. Crime is almost unheard of (barring one fairly major incident recently), the respect between neighbours is remarkable, and in the case of barn raising, it would seem the Amish really like their barns, the whole community will turn out to help out with the raising and have a bit of a party, as much as being Amish allows a party, to celebrate.
The kids are schooled within the community in their own schools, or at home. It is obvious they love one another and are completely devoted to their families. The result? From what I've seen of the kids on the TV show, educated, compassionate, friendly, honest and thoroughly decent people.
These are the sort of people you would love to have move in next door to you, they seem generous and willing to help, without knocking on the door every ten minutes and they certainly don't seem to pry into others' lives.
The one thing I do have an issue with is the whole religion thing. They set great store by the bible and their submission to God's will. I've no time for organised religion, I've stated before that if I were God, then those who claim to speak for me would be first in the line when my smiting trousers came back from the dry cleaners.
But that being said, whilst it is obvious that their faith is the single most important thing in their lives, there doesn't seem to be any desire to stamp their feet and demand rights or special treatment. You don't see Amish preaching on street corners or knocking on doors trying to convert people to their truth. Not once has one of the Amish youngsters been judgemental about those they have been staying with, and only once or twice expressed alarm or unease over what they have been exposed to, and that in voice over rather than on camera.
Their isolationism appears to give them a refreshing view of the world. They may not know who Marilyn Monroe or John F. Kennedy are, they may be completely divorced from the politics of the country they live in, but it just doesn't matter to them. They have their own community and leave everyone else alone.
I've often heard them described as being secretive. But I don't think that's fair, this sounds like a name to slight them, make them seem as 'other', don't trust them. They don't want to be around us. I've not seen anyone secretive, I've seen people happy to discuss their way of life and beliefs, they're just not about to scream and shout about it. They don't mind if we take an interest or not, it doesn't matter to them. They don't care about our way of life. They're not making a judgement on us, it just isn't important to them. All that is important is surrounding them.
As far as organised religion is concerned, the Amish faith is probably the least organised one I've seen. I don't mean they're some kind of bumbling amateurs, it just seems to me that the practice of the faith is left to the individual church, family even person.
And then the clincher, before the kids are baptised into the church, they are told to bugger off, see the world and decide if their baptism is really what they want. What other religion does that? Which other sect asks those about to be baptised, 'are you really sure this is for you?'
This sounds like the most Libertarian religion I've ever come across, existing in a community which displays many classic examples of Libertarian community living. Their habit of eschewing technology, alcohol and tobacco would drive me up the bloody wall, but from what I've seen the Amish have a very enviable life.
But of course, the Amish would point out very politely and gently, and only if I asked them their opinion, that envy is a sin.
Friday, 9 May 2008
The one that would write a letter of complaint if it wasn't so hot and if it thought anyone would take the blindest bit of notice.
How interesting to see that the BBC has admitted to keeping £106,000 that it managed to cream off premium rate phone calls, and should have gone to charity.
Now, that may seem a little startling at first glance, but of course it is peanuts. Peanuts compared to the £700,000 it spanked on the BBC2 idents back in February last year, or the £18 million proposed in October for the launch of a Gaelic language channel - max audience: 70,000, or indeed the insane and costly move of a large number of services (Radio 5 et al) from London, where all the news is, to Salford, where all the news isn't, for no reason other than it seemed a good idea in the pub at the time.
What a fine example of a public body the BBC is turning out to be, running out biaised news coverage (for example the complete failure to talk about the oft referred to EU aspect in the recent report on Royal Fail, sorry, Mail.), rehashing old tut and passing it off as something new, such as Bianca and Rickaaaaaay in Brain Stem Deathenders, Celebrity do anything for TV exposure and charity (except we now know that money wasn't actually going to charity) and a seemingly ceaseless parade of shows detailing the auction of cheap antiques and the sale of houses.
A shame as what the BBC does well, it does very well. Like. . . well. . . . OK, I'm struggling to think of something at present. The kids' programming is nothing but crap imports, we don't need Brain Stem Deathenders on 15 nights a week, Life on Mars was excellent, except for the fact it was destroyed by the bloody awful Ashes to Ashes. Comedy is now nothing but sketch shows (Little Miss Jocelyn? Titty Bang Bang? Give me strength) and the sports coverage shrinks each year and offers nothing but tired presentation and banal punditry.
Hang on, what AM I paying my licence fee for? If the BBC were a subscription channel like Sky, would I subscribe? Probably not. Perhaps it is time to scrap the licence fee, or at the very least have a directly elected head of the organisation that we take out back and quietly shoot if things go pear-shaped.
Hmmmm.
Oooooh, the Mediaeval season on BBC4 has been quite good, and I'd turn on to watch Stephen Fry on anything. Perhaps they could commission a series where he goes round to celebrities houses and reads their meter before telling them how much their house is worth, cooking them dinner and sniggering at their worthless knick-kancks. We could call it 'The Very Embodiment of The Dumbing Down and Destruction of a National Institution, and the BBC.'
I bet Ant and Fucking Dec wouldn't beat that in the People's Choice award either.
Now, that may seem a little startling at first glance, but of course it is peanuts. Peanuts compared to the £700,000 it spanked on the BBC2 idents back in February last year, or the £18 million proposed in October for the launch of a Gaelic language channel - max audience: 70,000, or indeed the insane and costly move of a large number of services (Radio 5 et al) from London, where all the news is, to Salford, where all the news isn't, for no reason other than it seemed a good idea in the pub at the time.
What a fine example of a public body the BBC is turning out to be, running out biaised news coverage (for example the complete failure to talk about the oft referred to EU aspect in the recent report on Royal Fail, sorry, Mail.), rehashing old tut and passing it off as something new, such as Bianca and Rickaaaaaay in Brain Stem Deathenders, Celebrity do anything for TV exposure and charity (except we now know that money wasn't actually going to charity) and a seemingly ceaseless parade of shows detailing the auction of cheap antiques and the sale of houses.
A shame as what the BBC does well, it does very well. Like. . . well. . . . OK, I'm struggling to think of something at present. The kids' programming is nothing but crap imports, we don't need Brain Stem Deathenders on 15 nights a week, Life on Mars was excellent, except for the fact it was destroyed by the bloody awful Ashes to Ashes. Comedy is now nothing but sketch shows (Little Miss Jocelyn? Titty Bang Bang? Give me strength) and the sports coverage shrinks each year and offers nothing but tired presentation and banal punditry.
Hang on, what AM I paying my licence fee for? If the BBC were a subscription channel like Sky, would I subscribe? Probably not. Perhaps it is time to scrap the licence fee, or at the very least have a directly elected head of the organisation that we take out back and quietly shoot if things go pear-shaped.
Hmmmm.
Oooooh, the Mediaeval season on BBC4 has been quite good, and I'd turn on to watch Stephen Fry on anything. Perhaps they could commission a series where he goes round to celebrities houses and reads their meter before telling them how much their house is worth, cooking them dinner and sniggering at their worthless knick-kancks. We could call it 'The Very Embodiment of The Dumbing Down and Destruction of a National Institution, and the BBC.'
I bet Ant and Fucking Dec wouldn't beat that in the People's Choice award either.
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