The Guilty Pleasures of Cable TV

Until we decide to go "tv-less" again, which may never happen due to college football and certain sportsfishing cable channels, I have spent a few nights while P works late delving deep into the lurid, silly, and sometimes hilarious world of cable television. There are some really well written shows out there, such as "Mad Men", "The Tudors", and "Six Feet Under" (which was put to rest a few years ago). I enjoy the reruns, and get some via Netflix. I also enjoy some of the reality shows on Bravo like "Top Chef", "Flipping Out" and "Project Runway"...although after about 3 seasons of these type shows, the novelty starts to wear off and they lose their "coolness." However, when this stuff just isn't on, or I'm in the mood try other televised visions of humanity, there are always the guilty pleasures of tv...for example:

My Big Fat Redneck Wedding (CMT)- if you ever want to see Billy Bob and Joelle get married in on a big plot of land, after rolling around mud wrestling and eating chicken wings with their gas station wedding cake- this show is just the thing. The host, that guy who married Rosanne Barr, is pretty funny, and although the themes repeat themselves (the diving for pickled pigs feet, the all day beer drinking, the romantic tractor rides through soft red Georgia clay), it is a slice of life that makes me laugh. Sometimes, I get a little scared, though, because I know people who are just like that. They are or have been my friends, and more power to them. Hope I get invited to their weddings, because they look like fun. I"ll just make sure to get all my shots updated first.
Rock of Love (vh1)- there is a new one out called "Bus of love" or something, but it should be called "My new girlfriend has the cooties, slides on poles, and drinks Tequila for breakfast." Bret Michaels wears his bandanna with panache as he picks the ho's off one by one in this icky love fest. It's like watching a trainwreck that's heading out of Hooterville and straight into the Cafe Risque. The contestants range from Ragdoll/ Heroin chick to Blow Up Fish lips and they all LOVE BRET! And he LOVES THE GIRLS! Watch as he tries to pick the perfect new girlfriend, and spray yourself with Lysol after every episode. It's funny, but I sometimes worry about these girls, and think-- glad I don't have a daughter.
"The Real Housewives of Orange County"- I wrote about this previously but had to mention it again. Catty fake friendships, Mercedes birthdays, identical McMansions on every corner, and identical hair, boos, and tans. and shoes. entertaining, yet getting old...just like the women on it.
"Jon and Kate Plus 8"- I've seen this 2-3 times, and was amazed at how they have organized all their brood and their daily routines. What is really fun to watch, though, is the all too real jib-jabbing that goes on between the husband and wife team. Like any tired parent, they point out things the other has forgotten to do, their own faults, and the things they do not like about each child. That is reality tv.
"The Young and the Restless"- I admit it, i've loosely kept up with this one soap opera since the early 1990's. Watching this Genoa City drama is like a modern day Shakespeare play. There's the good guys, the bad guys, the innocents, the naive, the young, the restless, the bedhoppers, the stable of young studs. The main guy, Victor Newman says every single word just like this- "I AM VICTOR NEWMAN. I OWN JABOT AND NEWMAN ENTERPRISES AND NO ONE TELLS ME WHAT TO DO." In the course of about a year, he always cuts off his children financially, ends up in jail, divorces his wife Nikki for the third time, and fathers a new child. THis has been going on for about 20 years. Most of the actors are very good at what they do, and there's no crazy ghost stories or that nonsense the other soaps have. But really, I do feel guilty watching it. Why? Just because it's not a Charlie Rose interview doesn't mean I'm stupid.
"Dirty Jobs" Discovery- Not a bad show at all, just fun. Mike Rowe rolls around in sludge, digs for clams, pulls out fis guts, and cleans sewers in this show about- dirty jobs. He is sarcastic, has charisma, flirts with the women when he's around them, all the while pushing muck out of a cow or some poor stopped -up pipe. Realty tv that gives props to the jobs we all wouldn't want to do. The pay-off is that most of the people that do these jobs are doing well and like their jobs. Who knew.. Americans that arent whining and complaining about their place in life.
"Law and Order"- what channel is this not aired, or re-ran on. I have watched this since it began and love the original early ones with Chris Noth, and "Lenny". Is it the finality to the "DONG DONG" of the gavel that sounds after every scene, leading down the path to the final piece of the crime puzzle, or is it the writing is so tight you could throw a penny off of it? Don't feel guilty about these, they're good for you. Not usually quite as gruesome as the flashy CSI series, Law & Order keeps the revolving door of main characters solid by layering the stories with grit, reality, and nice one-liners that end each episode on a thoughtful, if somewhat blue note.
There are more interesting things I've come across the past few years, but just thinking about this topic has slowly zapped my brain cells for the evening. See? This is what tv does to you! Hmm... maybe it's finally that month to unplug our tv again and cancel the cable. I think our Scrabble game is sad that we haven't visited lately. But wait! There's always "Jeopardy!" to stimulate my intellect, right?
Maybe I'll just wait till these cold, long winter nights are over.