Maybe there is hope for mankind yet

In probably the happiest news I've learned about in year I can now say that the Fox 'Reality' Channel will be ending. That's right, a 'reality' network is going to dust.

After what seemed like an endless run of this programming trend, turning countless numbers of people into chattel for the television corporations, an end is in sight. And not a moment too soon as Flava Flav is about to venture into schools and directly corrupt minds with this trash.

I cannot say that I will miss a single program. In fact, I can say with glee that I have never seen more than 5 minutes of any 'reality' program since I watched a full episode of Survivor the first season. That experience was enough to kill more brain cells than the grain alcohol party in my freshman year in college.

Maybe, just maybe, television executives will spend a little money and get writers to provide something with the semblance of originality. Just maybe a spark of innovation will venture through the ITV and provide the next generation something more than the notion that acting like a buffoon is desirable.

Considering the plethora of copycat shows (CSI is CIS: NY is NCIS, Law & Order is Law & Order with an alphabet, they all are more original than Medium, Numbe3rs, Cold Case and so on) and the near limitless ways that Viacom found to market Flav and his nymphette minions, I was ready to declare that the Romans watching the gladiators as Rome decayed into ruin were riding the crest of the wave of their civilizations demise compared to today. But Fox may be ahead of the curve in noticing that reality is what people want to escape while watching TV. And there is just so many times you can watch some idiot make a complete churl of themselves.

I don't know what the next trend in television might be, but I can only hope that it might have some tiny bit of imagination and intelligence. I'm asking for way too much, but you never know. You can't get what you don't ask for.

Flava Flav is back at VH1 - don't set your Tivo

I was going to write about Tiger Woods and his yet again record breaking feat, when I ran across a bit of news that stopped me in my tracks. It's news that I am sure Sumner Redstone felt was groundbreaking. hundreds of fans will be elated to know that... Flava Flav has a new reality television show.

Yet the king of VH1 "reality" programming will be back. But sadly this time there will not be a slew of morally corrupt, attention starved, stereotypical women or men on the program. That's right, instead of highlighting grown adults (particularly of color I'm sad to say) acting like complete fools for 15 minutes of fame the show will instead highlight kids in high school - likely also acting like fools hoping to gain 15 minutes of fame.

Of course the program is not focused on presenting the kids as buffoons. That's just the general way that people on reality programming wind up being portrayed. The goal is

"I just want to show the world it's never too late to get your diploma, and show kids they should stay in school and not wait until you're old to get it," Flav said. "Everybody sees me as this big love mogul. Now I got a baby girl, I've been there and done that and now it's time for the next episode."

Don't get me wrong, I commend most things that seek to highlight the importance of education. I want to emphasize that knowledge is the key to improving your life. But I neither believe nor trust Flava Flav, Sumner Redstone, and Viacom in getting that message out.

If this were an attempt to seriously promote education, especially to children of color, why is this not being presented on BET (which Viacom owns and Sumner Redstone controls)? If this were only about a positive message why not put it on broadcast television in primetime - because even with the lower viewership of broadcast TV it would still be available to a larger audience than VH1 will get.

Do I trust Viacom? Why should I. They took BET and removed all of its best features. They promoted the worst of music videos, of insanely stupid programming (remember Hot Ghetto Mess was their surefire hit idea), of the very least worth of movies (unless you think Soul Plane was unfairly overlooked by the Oscars). Viacom promoted Flava of Love at VH1, for multiple seasons, and then spun off even more brain-numbing spin-offs of the program. And let's not forget the decade+ long exclusion of music videos featuring African American entertainers - except Michael Jackson - at MTV.

As for Flava Flav, he has sold out in the worst way. Many younger readers may be completely unaware of how Flav got to become a celebrity. They likely have no idea what his enourmous clock is meant to represent.

Flav was a member of Public Enemy, a rap group that existed before gangsta rap was promoted as the only form of rap by music executives. Back when rap music was diversified, and positive political messages were empowering listeners - back when the music industry was calling rap a fad - Public Enemy was huge.

The rap group was controversial, but overall spread a message of empowerment and power of the people. They were political in a way similar to Malcolm X as compared to Dr. Martin Luther King. And at that time, the clock was meant to signify that time was running out. That people of color has to wake up and realize that they were becoming pawns in the political and societal goals of people that didn't care about issues in our communities.

Flav has gone a long way since those days. From protesting the minstrel show, to hosting it.

So given these facts about the key people involved in this "reality" program, do I think anyone will realize that Flava Flav is trying to promote education? I doubt it. But it does give me one more program, timeslot, and channel I don't have to consider in my choices of entertainment.

Ron Jeremy, Al Franken, Americone Dream - 2.15.2007.2

Well I have to say this sounds like a joke of sorts. A porn star wants to be paid to keep on clothes and an ice cream is named after a conservative. Perhaps the best is a comedian wants to be a politician (then again is there a difference?). They may sound funny [maybe not coming from me but I’m sure they could be] but each is true.

From the top there is Mr. Ron Jeremy. Possibly one of the most famous porn stars, especially for a man, and a veteran of over 1500 adult films Mr. Jeremy is looking to get a regular film career going. It seems that because he starred in the reality show Surreal Life women and young viewers have come to know of him without a connection to his 30 year career. The reality television program has lead to another program and an appearance in a movie comedy Finishing the Game.

I just find it amusing that a star of adult films, reputedly having been with 4000 women is now able to draw female television fans in this very PC world. The irony is huge. Plus this is probably the second best thing to happen to a reality television star. The first was Christopher Knight finding his wife. Third would be the massively unforeseen romance between Flava Flav and Ms. Bridgette Neilsen. I may not have watched these shows but it was almost impossible to not know of these things. And yes I was rooting for Flav and Ms. Neilsen to work things out. Got to root for the underdog, even if it doesn’t make sense.

Speaking of odd fits, Mr. Al Franken is now going to be the real Man of the Year. With the failure of Air America Radio, it went bankrupt in October 2006, Mr. Franken has decided to run for public office. I have to give it to him though, he is very intelligent and does occasionally make some good points. I don’t doubt that he will be the strongest candidate the Democrats will have in Minnesota. I imagine that his speeches and debates could be quite lively, especially if he turns out to be losing in the polls and decides to just ridicule his opponent. I’ll keep an eye out for the video bits, you know there will be lots of coverage.

Possibly the best bit of news though is the new ice cream. It’s the Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream by Ben & Jerry’s. It sounds tasty. Actually it probably tastes just like liberty, or so it’s advertised. You have to give it to Mr. Colbert. In little over a year he has affected the English language, had mascots and an eagle named after him, and been suggested as a write-in candidate for President along with Mr. Jon Stewart. If you seen the show you’d get why he’s done so well. I can’t wait til 2008 when the real election politics get started and he has a chance to rip the Democrats. I bet he gets a candidate on his show for an interview. I’d love to watch him rip Senator Clinton. That would be worth watching while eating Americone Dream. Talk about feeling the Liberty.

This is what I think, what do you think?