Is anyone else sickened by the turn that "reality TV" has taken? I used to watch reality TV in the early stages, when it felt more informative, intimate and like a documentary. Now for the most part it has turned into a horrible boil on the butt of humanity. For example cooking shows like Iron Chef would showcase cooking talent. Now shows like Rocco's Dinner Pary showcase a rude, egomaniacal restaurantuer who just wants to flaunt famous friends and belittle people. In addition, the shows either encourage participants to behave rudely, or just edit to showcase bad behavior. Yuck.
What worse is now people strive to become these "stars". The super wealthy like the Kardashians exploit the viewing public for their monetary gain. I don't know what skills or talents this family might have, but they seem to fall into the realm of being famous for being famous, ala a Paris Hilton. On top of it you have everyday people doing rude, mean, societally invaluable things to become a "star" on TV. And why not? When the people on the Jersey Shore show make more money in one year than some college-educated people, then kids see that as a "profession" particularly because it involves little to no intelligence, education or heaven forbid "work".
Personally I would be bored senseless to be doing any of it, but I am an introspective person who enjoys learning and good intellectual discussion. I wouldn't mind having the money these people have, but I certainly don't want to be famous. It makes me wonder are they in for the money or the fame? I would like to live comfortably and know my retirement is secure, but I would hate having papparazzi following me or the world judging my decisions. Do they need the validation, or do they really think they are deserving or entitled to the attention/money?
I guess with the information superhighway and ease and speed of access to information, that is why we have the reality TV. It is not replacing the useful information or intelligent discussion, but it is providing a common thread of information into the genre of pop culture that most people can easily read and digest. It is sort of like everyone is in high school again, and rather than discussing the SATs or AP exams or athletics or history or math, people talk about who is dating who, who bought a new pair of jeans or has a new car or got caught cheating.
With all this information and ease of access, there is something for everyone. Good thing I can choose to tune into what I want or tune out what I don't.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A Good Read
In previous posts I have discussed music and movies, but today I am moved to write about books. What a person likes to read can be so subjective. I like to read the occasional novel (John Grisham is an author I consistently enjoy) and I have found the occasional Janet Evanovich is a be a nice distraction. But for the most part I like reading what can best be described as "informative, yet entertaining, nonfiction". Currently I am reading The Disappearing Spoon which is about the history and drama behind the periodic table of elements. I loved chemistry in college and have always been fascinated by it, so this book is proving to be a captivating and interesting read. The author also makes liberal use of interesting footnotes, though inconveniently placed in the back of the book.
My absolute favorite author (who uses footnotes both judiciously and hilariously) is Mary Roach. In fact, I am surprised I haven't talked more about her writing in this blog. I started with her first book Stiff, which is about the scientific use of cadavers. After eating that up, I quickly went through her other books, Spook (about the science of the afterlife) and Bonk (about the science of sex). At this point I was hooked and was then excited to hear that she was coming out with Packing for Mars, about the exploration of outer space. I bought it the day it came out and read through it with relish. When she stopped by Austin on a book tour, I was out of town, so my husband graciously went to hear her speak and got her to autograph one of my books. He has since become a fan as well. He was also able to learn the title of her next upcoming book, which sounds interesting, though I don't want to make any assumptions about the content based on the title.
What makes me enjoy Ms. Roach's writing so much is her thoughtful insight and hilarious commentary on the topics about which she writes. She is a science writer, so the topics are informative, but in the most interesting way. Her commentary and writing is thus supported by extensive research. I mean, this woman contacts the most relevant researchers and gets unprecedented access to the places that can best explain/illustrate the topic she is covering. For example, while researching space exploration, she got access to Russian cosmonauts and their space program, as well as got to ride in the US's "vomit comet" the plane which does a parabolic flight to mimic weightlessness. Awesome! Through it all, she describes the experience and discusses the topic with grace and humor.
I realized I hadn't written in this blog for awhile, and at the same time I am mulling inviting Ms. Roach to speak at the place I work. (It is not a stretch at all for her to be a speaker, here, though I personally might do it if I thought it was necessary). In fact, it was one of my colleagues who suggested inviting her to speak, which I wish I had thought of myself. This is the same colleauge who shares my love of film and applies it to our work. So naturally, we get along aces. Well, I am off to extend the invitation to Ms. Roach. I hope it works out.
My absolute favorite author (who uses footnotes both judiciously and hilariously) is Mary Roach. In fact, I am surprised I haven't talked more about her writing in this blog. I started with her first book Stiff, which is about the scientific use of cadavers. After eating that up, I quickly went through her other books, Spook (about the science of the afterlife) and Bonk (about the science of sex). At this point I was hooked and was then excited to hear that she was coming out with Packing for Mars, about the exploration of outer space. I bought it the day it came out and read through it with relish. When she stopped by Austin on a book tour, I was out of town, so my husband graciously went to hear her speak and got her to autograph one of my books. He has since become a fan as well. He was also able to learn the title of her next upcoming book, which sounds interesting, though I don't want to make any assumptions about the content based on the title.
What makes me enjoy Ms. Roach's writing so much is her thoughtful insight and hilarious commentary on the topics about which she writes. She is a science writer, so the topics are informative, but in the most interesting way. Her commentary and writing is thus supported by extensive research. I mean, this woman contacts the most relevant researchers and gets unprecedented access to the places that can best explain/illustrate the topic she is covering. For example, while researching space exploration, she got access to Russian cosmonauts and their space program, as well as got to ride in the US's "vomit comet" the plane which does a parabolic flight to mimic weightlessness. Awesome! Through it all, she describes the experience and discusses the topic with grace and humor.
I realized I hadn't written in this blog for awhile, and at the same time I am mulling inviting Ms. Roach to speak at the place I work. (It is not a stretch at all for her to be a speaker, here, though I personally might do it if I thought it was necessary). In fact, it was one of my colleagues who suggested inviting her to speak, which I wish I had thought of myself. This is the same colleauge who shares my love of film and applies it to our work. So naturally, we get along aces. Well, I am off to extend the invitation to Ms. Roach. I hope it works out.
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