I missed my bus today.
Every morning as I get ready, I have the news on the television. I like to hear about the weather and I think the audible sounds help stimulate my bunny Blackberry. Of course, I have no proof that the noise is good for him, but I like to think I am doing my part to avoid bunny-brain atrophy.
Anyway, like I said, I like to hear the weather and other local news, so I usually watch the NBC or CBS affiliate. Today however, the most compelling stories were on ABC's Good Morning America. So compelling that I sat down to watch the news and finally left my apartment just in time to see my bus roar down the street as I waited on my floor for the elevator to arrive.
What was so compelling? GMC showed footage of the two young journalists who were imprisoned in North Korea coming off the plane and into the arms of their loving and relieved families.
Euna Lee and Laura Ling (younger sister of journalist and former "The View" co-host Lisa Ling) were safely back in the United States after 140 days of imprisonment. Tears ran down my cheeks as Euna hugged her 4-year-old daughter and husband. Wouldn't you know it, I had already put on my make-up, so I was trying to dab my eyes so I wouldn't get streaks down my face, but Bare Minerals (which I just recently began using) is actually quite forgiving and I just left my face the way it was.
Anyway, I digress. I do not know if it is because they are Asian or women or Asian women, but this story makes me choke up every time I hear or read about it. Maybe it is because I keep thinking about a little girl not knowing what was going on, but just that her mommy was not there. Maybe it is because North Korea's Kim Jong Il is so darn unpredictable and seemingly kind of crazy.
Ling did not focus on how scared they must have been. She did briefly mention worrying about being placed in a hard labor camp. I would think there were darker things I would have been afraid of imprisoned by myself (they kept both women separated). She said they were called into a "meeting" and were led into a conference room. I can imagine being so afraid of the unknown. After nearly 5 months, where are they taking me? What fate awaits? And then as the door opens, seeing President Clinton. I think I would have lost it. I probably would have collapsed in tears of relief and pent-up anxiety. Ling said as soon as they saw the former President, "We were shocked but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end, and now we stand here, home and free."
President Clinton was the diplomatic envoy that got the two women out of North Korea. He looked good. Distinguished, proud, but suitably humble and very Statesman-esque as he followed the women off the plane and embraced his former Vice-President Al Gore and shook the hands of the family and well-wishers.
Of course now the media is buzzing about potential repercussions. Everyone has been very careful to separate this "humanitarian" mission from any sort of official diplomatic message or position from the current White House. Relations with North Korea are tenuous. Clinton went to Pyongyang at the behest of Kim Jong Il. Mix into that morass the three American hikers who were arrested in Iran, possibly for spying. How does Clinton's humanitarian trip influence Iran's perspective of America in these types of situations?
And of course, the other big story this morning was about George Sodini of Bridgeville, PA who shot up a gym leaving 3 dead, 15 wounded before committing suicide. Apparently he had written about his loneliness and killing plans in his on-line journal. I wonder if anyone had been reading it, and if so, did they think he was just blowing off steam? It is difficult to determine sometimes what is just "venting" and what may be a real cry for help. Ah...but that is fodder for another post.
There is so much to be concerned about...but for now I am going to be happy for Euna and Laura. That they are home, safe with their families. God bless.
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Reality TV Love, Another Look
I watch a lot of television. In fact, I probably watch too much television. I think it has something to do with my propensity toward addictive behavior, but that’s fodder for another post. The reason I bring up television is because there are two shows that I really am kind of falling in love with . . . and they’re both “reality” or unscripted shows.
Part of the reason I am writing about this is because I hope to garner some understanding about why I have latched so strongly on to these two shows in particular. What is it about them has me repeatedly watching repeat episodes?
The first show is on TLC and is called “Jon and Kate Plus 8.” It is about a couple who has two sets of multiple-birthed children (is that what it’s called?) Anyway, they have twin girls and sextuplets (3 boys and 3 girls). I believe the twins are 7 years old and the sextuplets are almost 4 years old. The couple (Jon and Kate) are in their mid-30s, I am guessing. Kate is a nurse and now a stay-at-home mom. Jon is an IT person.
My first thought on why I like this show is because their kids are adorable. But there are adorable kids all over television. Then I thought, maybe it is because I get to “peek” into their family life. Some kind of family voyeur (but not in a creepy way). I am somewhat privy to the couple’s relationship with each other as well as the relationship they have with their children, and the children’s relationship to one another. But that kind of dynamic is rife in television, with the plethora of Nanny type shows and American Chopper and Little People, Big World, Hogan Knows Best, Kardashians, etc. I am not addicted to those shows.
So perhaps it is because the kids are a quarter Korean? They really pull toward the Asian features. Jon is hapa, having a Korean mom and a Caucasian father. Kate is Caucasian. Am I so thirsty to see Asians on television that it accounts for my fascination with this show? I do not know.
The second show I am addicted to is “Run’s House” on MTV. No Asians there! It is about Joseph Simmons (or Rev. Run or DJ Run) from the seminal rap group Run DMC, and his family. He has a wife, 3 daughters (one newly adopted) and 3 sons. The two older daughters are living in California, but come home to New York often. The oldest son is in a rap group trying to break into the business, the youngest son is interested in cooking and they seem like a really nice family.
The Simmons household is not crazy and chaotic. The kids listen (somewhat!) to their parents and speak to them respectfully. Likewise, the parents speak to their children with love and respect. Of course there are arguments and disagreements and people are irritable with each other, but on the whole, it is obvious that this couple (Rev and Justine) have managed to raise solid, caring children in the midst of wealth and notoriety.
At the end of each episode, they show Rev soaking in a bubble bath and providing a “Final Thought” a la Jerry Springer on his Blackberry. He has a nice way of summing up the events filmed for the show and has a positive message.
One commonality is that I believe they are both Christian families. Jon and Kate attend an Assembly of God church and talk a little about their faith on the show. The Simmons family does not really talk about church, but Joseph’s nickname is “The Reverend” and he ends each show by saying something like, “God bless.” It also seemed like he (Rev) avoided any shenanigans while on tour with Kid Rock. The Rev would go to his room alone while the rest partied. Of course, this does not necessarily mean they are a Christian family, but maybe they are.
So, perhaps what draws me to these shows is that they portray loving families. They may argue and speak harshly to each other, but they apologize and try to make things right. When television shows you war, death, struggle, hunger, fear, greed, sensationalism and pain in the world around you, there is comfort in knowing people like that exist. Families like that exist. They are not perfect, but they are trying their best. They face different kinds of challenges, but find strength in the love they share.
That may sound hokey, but it is also encouraging and uplifting . . . and maybe our world needs a little bit more hokey-ness. If I am going to be addicted and oddly fascinated with television shows, well, I guess I could be addicted to a lot worse than that!
Part of the reason I am writing about this is because I hope to garner some understanding about why I have latched so strongly on to these two shows in particular. What is it about them has me repeatedly watching repeat episodes?
The first show is on TLC and is called “Jon and Kate Plus 8.” It is about a couple who has two sets of multiple-birthed children (is that what it’s called?) Anyway, they have twin girls and sextuplets (3 boys and 3 girls). I believe the twins are 7 years old and the sextuplets are almost 4 years old. The couple (Jon and Kate) are in their mid-30s, I am guessing. Kate is a nurse and now a stay-at-home mom. Jon is an IT person.
My first thought on why I like this show is because their kids are adorable. But there are adorable kids all over television. Then I thought, maybe it is because I get to “peek” into their family life. Some kind of family voyeur (but not in a creepy way). I am somewhat privy to the couple’s relationship with each other as well as the relationship they have with their children, and the children’s relationship to one another. But that kind of dynamic is rife in television, with the plethora of Nanny type shows and American Chopper and Little People, Big World, Hogan Knows Best, Kardashians, etc. I am not addicted to those shows.
So perhaps it is because the kids are a quarter Korean? They really pull toward the Asian features. Jon is hapa, having a Korean mom and a Caucasian father. Kate is Caucasian. Am I so thirsty to see Asians on television that it accounts for my fascination with this show? I do not know.
The second show I am addicted to is “Run’s House” on MTV. No Asians there! It is about Joseph Simmons (or Rev. Run or DJ Run) from the seminal rap group Run DMC, and his family. He has a wife, 3 daughters (one newly adopted) and 3 sons. The two older daughters are living in California, but come home to New York often. The oldest son is in a rap group trying to break into the business, the youngest son is interested in cooking and they seem like a really nice family.
The Simmons household is not crazy and chaotic. The kids listen (somewhat!) to their parents and speak to them respectfully. Likewise, the parents speak to their children with love and respect. Of course there are arguments and disagreements and people are irritable with each other, but on the whole, it is obvious that this couple (Rev and Justine) have managed to raise solid, caring children in the midst of wealth and notoriety.
At the end of each episode, they show Rev soaking in a bubble bath and providing a “Final Thought” a la Jerry Springer on his Blackberry. He has a nice way of summing up the events filmed for the show and has a positive message.
One commonality is that I believe they are both Christian families. Jon and Kate attend an Assembly of God church and talk a little about their faith on the show. The Simmons family does not really talk about church, but Joseph’s nickname is “The Reverend” and he ends each show by saying something like, “God bless.” It also seemed like he (Rev) avoided any shenanigans while on tour with Kid Rock. The Rev would go to his room alone while the rest partied. Of course, this does not necessarily mean they are a Christian family, but maybe they are.
So, perhaps what draws me to these shows is that they portray loving families. They may argue and speak harshly to each other, but they apologize and try to make things right. When television shows you war, death, struggle, hunger, fear, greed, sensationalism and pain in the world around you, there is comfort in knowing people like that exist. Families like that exist. They are not perfect, but they are trying their best. They face different kinds of challenges, but find strength in the love they share.
That may sound hokey, but it is also encouraging and uplifting . . . and maybe our world needs a little bit more hokey-ness. If I am going to be addicted and oddly fascinated with television shows, well, I guess I could be addicted to a lot worse than that!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Reality TV Love
I have a confession. (((Deep Breath))) Last night I . . . well, I . . . I watched the last episode and the subsequent season post-mortem of Tila Tequilla’s Shot at Love. And no, VH-1 wasn’t the only channel I could catch that evening. I was channel surfing and there was something morbidly compelling about it that caused me to waste, er, spend two hours of my life watching these episodes. I’m sure it does not speak well of me or my taste in TV.
For the uninitiated, Tila Tequilla is a bi-sexual internet star. For this show, she invites men and women to compete for her affection in full “reality” TV style. It came down to two finalists: one man and one woman. Tila rejects the man, who professed his love and was obviously devastated by her decision.
Then Tila meets with the woman and offers her a “shot at love.” The woman declines and Tila is crying, shaking and in full “why me, what’s wrong with me, why can’t I find love” mode. The woman (I forget her name) says she rejected Tila because she is confused about whether she wants a relationship with a man or a woman and is also unsure if she can meet Tila’s expectations for a partner. She also mentioned she sees Tila more as a friend than in a romantic way. Ouch!
So, as one may be able to guess, the post-mortem / reunion show was strange, awkward and painful. When the man (I forget his name, too) confronts Tila, he is quite civil, but wanted an explanation why she did not pick him. Tila gives some lame excuses, which basically tells me she just wasn’t into him, even though she professed her love to him on several occasions (they showed clips of that).
The big confrontation occurred between Tila and the woman. The woman was explaining why she rejected Tila, but Tila was having none of it. She was obviously still hurt and embarrassed and it quickly degenerated into a screaming, name-calling fiasco.
Anyway, after watching this, I did not feel well. I didn’t feel dirty or anything, but it kind of hurt my heart to see all this pain, anger and selfishness up for public consumption. I was also kind of irritated that Tila seemed to blithely dismiss the man and his feelings and made it all about her – that somehow Tila was wronged and hoodwinked, but refused to see how she had done the same thing to others.
It made me start to wonder about love. What does love mean? What makes anyone think love can be found in the artificial world of a TV show? Have we (society) perverted love? Or have we created something unobtainable in our expectations of romantic love?
So here are some relationship lessons I learned in those two hours (see, they weren't a complete waste of time):
Lesson #1: Loving another person means humbling yourself and truly wanting what is best for them.
I think most of my irritation stemmed from the seeming hypocrisy of Tila going on and on about how much she loved this woman, made herself vulnerable and now is broken hearted, when it seemed more like her pride was damaged than her heart. Tila was mean, vindictive and hurtful when she spoke to the woman on stage.
Compare that with the man whom Tila rejected. The moderator asked him if knowing Tila got rejected after she rejected him made him feel any better. His answer was no. In fact, he said that it made him hurt more, knowing Tila was hurting and did not find her true love. That sounds more like love to me. Even though Tila hurt him, he cared about her enough to truly wish the best for her. Tila was not empathetic or sympathetic towards the woman at all. In fact, she was was not empathetic or sympathetic towards the man, either.
During another part of the show, the moderator created this hypo: what if the man and woman had been together with Tila to hear her decision? And then, after choosing the woman and being rejected, what if at that point Tila turned back to the man? Would he have started a relationship with her knowing he was her second choice? His answer: he was not sure. He said maybe they could go on from that point and forget the past and build something better together.
Wow, that was cool. That's humble love. Love without pride and self-righteousness. Perhaps when I feel that way about someone, I will know I am truly in love.
All this also goes along with Lesson #2: You can learn a lot about a person by how that person behaves and handles a situation in which he or she does not get something he or she really wants.
Lesson #3: Beware of hearing only what you want to hear and forcing everything to fit into the paradigm of your own construction at the expense of reality.
During their last date, the woman expressed her doubts and insecurities to Tila. Tila interpreted that as the woman being afraid to let herself be vulnerable and fall in love. Tila imagined herself being the one person that would make the woman feel safe so she could love Tila and be loved in return. What the woman really meant was, "I do not know if I want this. I do not know if I want to be with you."
Lesson #4: Tattoos are forever, but relationships may not be; therefore, if you choose to tattoo, please tattoo wisely.
Both the man and the woman got tattoos. While the man said he did not regret it, he did wish it was smaller and less gaudy. The woman's tattoo was of a star similar to one Tila has. The woman's brother, mom and dad all got similar tattoos to make it a family thing. Remember Johnny Depp's "Winona/Whino Forever?" A cautionary tale for sure.
Lesson #5: If you find yourself contemplating finding love on a "reality" television show with a bi-sexual internet personality, run quickly in the opposite direction.
For the uninitiated, Tila Tequilla is a bi-sexual internet star. For this show, she invites men and women to compete for her affection in full “reality” TV style. It came down to two finalists: one man and one woman. Tila rejects the man, who professed his love and was obviously devastated by her decision.
Then Tila meets with the woman and offers her a “shot at love.” The woman declines and Tila is crying, shaking and in full “why me, what’s wrong with me, why can’t I find love” mode. The woman (I forget her name) says she rejected Tila because she is confused about whether she wants a relationship with a man or a woman and is also unsure if she can meet Tila’s expectations for a partner. She also mentioned she sees Tila more as a friend than in a romantic way. Ouch!
So, as one may be able to guess, the post-mortem / reunion show was strange, awkward and painful. When the man (I forget his name, too) confronts Tila, he is quite civil, but wanted an explanation why she did not pick him. Tila gives some lame excuses, which basically tells me she just wasn’t into him, even though she professed her love to him on several occasions (they showed clips of that).
The big confrontation occurred between Tila and the woman. The woman was explaining why she rejected Tila, but Tila was having none of it. She was obviously still hurt and embarrassed and it quickly degenerated into a screaming, name-calling fiasco.
Anyway, after watching this, I did not feel well. I didn’t feel dirty or anything, but it kind of hurt my heart to see all this pain, anger and selfishness up for public consumption. I was also kind of irritated that Tila seemed to blithely dismiss the man and his feelings and made it all about her – that somehow Tila was wronged and hoodwinked, but refused to see how she had done the same thing to others.
It made me start to wonder about love. What does love mean? What makes anyone think love can be found in the artificial world of a TV show? Have we (society) perverted love? Or have we created something unobtainable in our expectations of romantic love?
So here are some relationship lessons I learned in those two hours (see, they weren't a complete waste of time):
Lesson #1: Loving another person means humbling yourself and truly wanting what is best for them.
I think most of my irritation stemmed from the seeming hypocrisy of Tila going on and on about how much she loved this woman, made herself vulnerable and now is broken hearted, when it seemed more like her pride was damaged than her heart. Tila was mean, vindictive and hurtful when she spoke to the woman on stage.
Compare that with the man whom Tila rejected. The moderator asked him if knowing Tila got rejected after she rejected him made him feel any better. His answer was no. In fact, he said that it made him hurt more, knowing Tila was hurting and did not find her true love. That sounds more like love to me. Even though Tila hurt him, he cared about her enough to truly wish the best for her. Tila was not empathetic or sympathetic towards the woman at all. In fact, she was was not empathetic or sympathetic towards the man, either.
During another part of the show, the moderator created this hypo: what if the man and woman had been together with Tila to hear her decision? And then, after choosing the woman and being rejected, what if at that point Tila turned back to the man? Would he have started a relationship with her knowing he was her second choice? His answer: he was not sure. He said maybe they could go on from that point and forget the past and build something better together.
Wow, that was cool. That's humble love. Love without pride and self-righteousness. Perhaps when I feel that way about someone, I will know I am truly in love.
All this also goes along with Lesson #2: You can learn a lot about a person by how that person behaves and handles a situation in which he or she does not get something he or she really wants.
Lesson #3: Beware of hearing only what you want to hear and forcing everything to fit into the paradigm of your own construction at the expense of reality.
During their last date, the woman expressed her doubts and insecurities to Tila. Tila interpreted that as the woman being afraid to let herself be vulnerable and fall in love. Tila imagined herself being the one person that would make the woman feel safe so she could love Tila and be loved in return. What the woman really meant was, "I do not know if I want this. I do not know if I want to be with you."
Lesson #4: Tattoos are forever, but relationships may not be; therefore, if you choose to tattoo, please tattoo wisely.
Both the man and the woman got tattoos. While the man said he did not regret it, he did wish it was smaller and less gaudy. The woman's tattoo was of a star similar to one Tila has. The woman's brother, mom and dad all got similar tattoos to make it a family thing. Remember Johnny Depp's "Winona/Whino Forever?" A cautionary tale for sure.
Lesson #5: If you find yourself contemplating finding love on a "reality" television show with a bi-sexual internet personality, run quickly in the opposite direction.
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