Unwinnable

Every day, I marvel at the ease of access to information on the Internet. Whether I’m looking up the filmography of an obscure actor or actress while watching TV or finding how to fix a plumbing problem on YouTube, the Internet has it all. But it’s definitely a different beast from what it was even ten years ago. Sure, the world as a whole has changed, but in some ways it’s also a case of same stuff, different day of the week. As a preteen I desired access to much information, but that required checking out a stack of books from the library or spending a chunk of cash I didn’t have on film and genre magazines. Nowhere was this more apparent than with information pertaining to that old taboo known as sex. Fragments and elements of sex were accessible on TV, but it was ultimately confusing indeed, like setting out to construct a He-Man jigsaw puzzle that winds up being a Smurf. (more…)

This is the true story… of eight strangers… picked to live in a house…work together and have their lives taped… to find out what happens… when people stop being polite… and start getting real…The Real World.

You know what it is. With one measly sentence, the world was introduced to what would become known as Reality TV. What better place for the format to debut than MTV (Music Television), a station that until shortly before The Real World‘s 1992 debut, primarily played new wave music videos? Well, that’s what the show’s co-creators Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray thought, anyway. We have them to thank (or blame) for 20 years of sex, booze and bitch slaps (not to mention my favorite reality TV image, Survivor champ Richard Hatch’s pixelated penis.) But the truth is, the network that today drags TV down to new depths with trashploitation shows like My Super Sweet 16 and, of course, Jersey Shore, was once a magnet for young (and weird!) artists with fresh voices. (more…)

We always want what we don’t have. We could have all of the money, power and fame in the world but it always seems like there is one thing that eludes us, some magical key to happiness. For me growing up, that one thing was cable television. I was the one kid my age who didn’t have it and it is what I wanted more than anything. (more…)

It’s like nothing has changed.

The show begins with the guttural “huhhuhuh” and “heheheh,” the title card comes up and the all-too-familiar theme song kicks in. Beavis and Butt-Head are back! I’m happy to report that while there are some cosmetic changes, there is also the familiar delivery of laugh-inducing shenanigans and moronic yet insightful criticism from our two favorite cartoon residents of Highland, Texas. (more…)