Nobody's Fool

Television, I Heart You

Blah. I have nothing interesting to report about my life that does not involve cute chubby cheeks and important things like rolling. So I will, naturally, default to writing about TV.

• It's old news by now, because Tim Goodman basically summed up everything I wanted to say about it, but I have been deeply disappointed by the latest Aaron Snore-kin show "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Yet, as Goodman observed, I continued to watch it because I am an Aaron Sorkin loyalist, and "Sports Night" and "The West Wing" changed my life. (Well, OK, not really, but they certainly the way I felt about and watched television.) Every week the show would appear on my TiVO "Now Playing" list, and every week I would have that sinking feeling of having to tackle a chore I didn't really want to do. Then it would take me four days to slog through the episode. My manager summed it up the best: "The show is just dreary." Anyway, I have to say that it's a relief that it's probably off the air, because I would probably have continued torturing myself every week just on principle, and now I can use my time more productively.
• Every week I promise myself I will pay attention to the new season of "Survivor." And every week I do email and surf the Web instead of watching it while it's on. I have no freaking idea what's going on this season. I've tested the waters with Andrew about maybe just canceling our TiVO subscription and watching "The Office" (which we always have to download from iTunes because it's on at the same time) instead, but Andrew wants to tough it out. He's actually paying attention to it, because every time something happens he makes little comments: "Interesting. They're voting Silvia out!" And I'll pretend I'm on top of it too: "Mmm hmmm. Wow." Meanwhile, I have no clue who Silvia is and why everyone hates her.
• I have made solemn vows to stay up late enough to watch "Lost" with Andrew each week. Watching "Lost" is a thing we do together. It's our couple-bonding time. Since it's been back on in its new time slot, two times I've given up and gone to bed just before it started, and this week I fell asleep on the couch about 30 minutes into it. Staying up for a 10:00 show is just no longer an option for me.
• Speaking of "Lost," some people have entirely too much time on their hands.
• One of the perils of trying to watch a TV series on DVD is that I'm tempted to watch the current season on TV at the same time that I'm still working on episodes from a few seasons back. I'm just starting season 5 of "Gilmore Girls" but have been watching the new episodes of season 7 on the CW. I really shouldn't do it; I'm learning all sorts of spoilers that are kind of ruining things for me. A lot of stuff can happen in two seasons, I guess. (The same thing happened when I was first watching "The Sopranos.")
• I have learned recently that whether you love or hate "The Family Guy" (Andrew and I hate it) can be a divisive issue among good friends.
• I should really find a hobby. Like reading for a change.

Kill Your Television

Oh crap.

("Arrested Development" goes the way of "Sports Night" and "Undeclared" — brilliantly written, groundbreaking TV butchered by a network more interested in catering to a viewing public that prefers its comedy bland and vacuous.)

Bon Voyage to the Non-Survivor

Stephenie:

You are the kind of girl I would have been intimidated by, and therefore would probably have hated, in high school. What with your easygoing ability to be popular with everyone, and your confidence, and your athleticism, and your uncanny ability to tan deeply after an hour and a half in the sun. And, believe me. You probably would have hated me back.

But, high school social order aside, I was really rooting for you, girl. You made Survivor interesting again.

---

On another note: a Google search turns up an Internet debate on whether or not Stephenie could be considered annoying.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from "The West Wing"

So my books are done, the holidays are over, and I'm trying to learn how to enjoy downtime again. Now that I have a new PowerBook with a DVD player, I've been watching a lot of season 1 and season 2 episodes of "The West Wing" — one of my favorite shows of all times, at least in its early seasons.

The following post not only outs me as a complete nerd, but also suggests that I turn to television, not celebrated works of literature or brilliant philosophers or major religions, for the secret of how to live my life. Please consider that I just wrapped a harrowing year, and that geeking out over little bits of wisdom in "The West Wing" is just about as deep as I can get right now.

I have been finding myself thinking and acting upon a lot of themes that are arising in these brilliant, earnest little 50-minute mini-dramas. I never plan to learn anything from TV (except from "Good Eats," of course),  but I'm taking away little life lessons from this show that seem to follow me through my days lately. I've been hearing the show described recently as one of the best workplace dramas on television, and maybe that's why it's resonating, as I'm sorting out some workplace issues (and assorted other things) of my own. Some examples.

• People at work don't always get along. This is a "duh," but a good reminder that the relationships we have with the people we spend 8 to 10 hours a day with can be complex, and can have peaks and valleys, but can remain solid as long as they're built on respect.
• Similarly, in your day-to-day work life, you aren't always on your game. There are awkward moments. Sometimes you make a fool of yourself. But it's not the end of the line when you do. People do keep score, but they also forgive easily, especially when you step up and redeem yourself. At work, unlike perhaps in other areas of your life, sometimes you win more points for doing well than what you lose when you screw up.
• "Decisions are made by those who show up." (From a speech President Bartlet delivered to a group of students just before he was shot in season 1.) I like this idea. Right after I watched that episode, I sent an email to Senators Boxer and Feinstein (who, apropos of nothing, has an office one floor up from mine) and Rep. Lee asking them to fight for Social Security. I honestly don't usually bother with making my voice heard as often as I probably should.
• Writing is cool. This is particularly meaningful to me because I recently engaged in a debate with a co-worker (and a senior-level one at that) who is of the mindset that writers have no special talent, that there's really no artform associated with being able to write (or to design for that matter). Which of course, sensitive as I am, had me feeling kinda down on myself for a few days. But watching speechwriters, communications strategists, labor over word choice, tone, sentence structure and flow to create messages that shape the mood and direction of our country — well, it's not usually you see on TV, that's for sure. But it's something that gets my blood pumping about my chosen profession all over again.