In Praise of the 'Boob Tube'

People used to call TV the "idiot box" and it was a mindless way to occupy your mind. People who were "readers" often looked down on those who would prefer to watch the "boob tube" than pick up a book. There used to be talk of shows that "intellectuals" watched because it was considered "smart TV."  But lately, as in the last several years lately, more and more television is becoming less idiot box, less boob tube, and is just compelling as books.

I, for one, know I've watched more TV in the last several years than I have in my entire adult life. My access to Netflix and the ability to binge watch TV has heightened my awareness for what I think is good TV, and I'm willing to sacrifice my reading time to watch. Netflix is my hook. I didn't watch WEEDS when it was on; instead I watched hours and hours of it at a time. The same with LAW AND ORDER SVU and THE WEST WING. I became addicted, a junkie. If I wasn't at work or sleeping, I was watching. Because I could. Because it's GOOD. Because of my need to have the occasional instant gratification.  I didn't watched DEXTER or BREAKING BAD or TRUE DETECTIVES one episode a week, for years and years. No I waited and now I watch in big gulps.  I think we all now, have a tendency to binge watch a TV show, since we can stream entire series or seasons at a time- thank you technology for all the streaming capabilities!

The only television show I watch week after week, retiring to my chair, stopping the world, is to watch MAD MEN. Even with that, I didn't see the first 2 seasons when they originally aired. No, I rented them one season at a time from either the local library or video store but since then I've been hooked and I watched every Sunday night. And when it comes back on in February for the series finale, you can find me glued to my chair on Sundays at 10 pm to watch Don Draper and crew play out the advertising game to the bitter end, win or lose.

Let's face it, TV is good. It really is, and I know I don't even like most of the stuff that wins Emmys but I do LIKE lots of TV now. Good TV is a crack in the levee, but a flood is coming to Hollywood and the world of entertainment. There's going to be less theater movie watching (because TV is good AND movies are soooo bad right now!) and less reading. Records are showing that books sales are low and so are theater ticket sales. I know, that for one, because I'm watching more TV, I'm certainly reading less. In 2009 I read 117 books. Compare that to last year when I read a total of 67 books. This year, as of today, I'm at 51 books read. My other hobbies are being hit hard as well, but my reading is the one suffering most. When I have time to relax, I find I'm not minding spending some of that rare down time watching good television.  I think TV is better developing characters and story arcs, diving deeper into backgrounds, providing such rich visual details, plots evolve, characters evolve--- there's less stock characters and stereotypes, there is more textures to a story... some TV shows are taking on that book-like quality which leaves me wanting to watch.

 

I'll never abandon books for they are my true and constant companions, and I do love my other hobbies but right now, I'm enjoying what television has to offer. Bring on the 'boob tube.'

Yours,

Maggie

The Pope Channel

For some reason we have a channel that's all church, all the time. I have no idea what it's really called but Mac and I have taken to calling it The Pope Channel.

There's a guy who looked like a Pope, or at least he's wearing a Pope looking hat, conducting Mass. All the time. Every single time I turn this channel on, this Pope looking guy is giving mass. It doesn't matter what day or time, there was Mass. Same guy, same hat, same church. I want to say I'm not Catholic, as we all know. I have nothing against Catholics and in reality I'm kinda fascinated with the whole religion. I was raised Methodist and went to church often as a kid.

Then we had a change because one day Mac and I were changing the channels and there was a nun, talking to the screen, just chatting away. Okay... she was an old nun, too. And she had on the full habit, the entire nun headgear and the long cloak thingy. And then it segued from her to a cartoon. A Catholic Cartoon. A poorly drawn Catholic cartoon. These little kids were sitting around the table telling their parents how great Sunday school was and how much they loved believing in God. Mac and I were struck kinda dumb. A whole cartoon for Catholic kids? We were stuck in car wreck mode- can't look away but knowing we should... And we laughed lots. Mac couldn't believe any real, human child would actually watch that when they could watch say... Jimmy Neutron... on a different channel.

It's become such a joke around our house that I can be in the living room and Mac can be in the kitchen and we can decide that "nothing is on TV" and he'll holler to check "The Pope Channel" just in case. Just in case there's a special report just in that Armageddon is upon us? Another cartoon? A new Pope that's not a Nazi?

Since we discovered the nun and the cartoon, we also occasionally see a guy who looks like Grizzly Adams but dressed like a Monk. He gives religious talks to the camera. No audience; he just sits on a chair in front of a stained glass window, talking about church-y stuff.

I have to admit Mac and I usually don't listen to what is being said; we're more gabby about if it's the nun, the monk, the cartoons, or the Pope. Which led us astray to a discussion about Catholic clergy fashion trends- or the lack thereof. (I guess you could say we have a tendency to be a bit smarmy...)

And we only found the cartoon once- on a day when we were both home, just chilling. Maybe we were both having the same hallucination? Did I mention my amazing discovery? The Pope Channel has an hour long program... that's like HOME Shopping for the Good Catholic. I just can't even begin to describe that...

Maggie

The boob-tube

I'm such a complete and total slug and part of this is making me a TV junkie. We are 21 days into the new year and I've NOT read A SINGLE BOOK but I'm totally killing on my TV viewing.

I'm a total Criminal Minds junkie. I love Derek Morgan. I want to grow up and be Penelope Garcia. And I have a thing of Dr. Spencer Reid. I DVR this show on a regular basis and watch them all the time. My goal is to watch every episode but I'm doing it the poor woman's way: on cable rather than renting the whole series. (Damn Netflix for not having this!) Thank goodness that A&E has CM marathons on daily.

I've been watching a House marathon, too. And I found that the canceled TV show Without a Trace is on sometimes so I also DVR that. Mondays is 2 Broke Girls and Mike and Molly. Tuesdays is Glee and New Girl. Wednesday is Criminal Minds. Thursdays is Big Bang Theory. I also DVR Once Upon a Time- I have no idea when it's on each week because I DVR it- so why bother (wow, DVR has made me even a MORE lazy tv watcher. Ironic? Pathetic.) Lately I've been home on Friday nights so I watch CSI:NY and Blue Bloods. I watch Big Bang reruns And if I can find 2.5 Men with Sheen I'll watch that. And reruns of West Wing- oh I LOVE West Wing!!!

And if I'm totally honest I just figured out we have Starz and Encore. Oh, holy shit. And we have Netflix. I am officially a TV junkie. What's a book, again??

I think my back hurts from sitting (okay so I don't really sit. I sort of Cleopatra lay across the couch) so long. Is that even possible?

At least I haven't caved to reality television. I haven't sunk that low. Yet.

Mags

Random Tuesday musings

Just because I love Johnny Depp doesn't mean I want to sit through Rango.

I'm almost 40 and I have zits on my forehead. A complete "you've got to be kidding" moment.

I wish I could wear a pencil skirt.

Gwyneth Paltrow is amazing, and I enjoy her in everything, including Glee!

I downloaded the Boggle app on my phone and I'm becoming addicted. I was thinking that tomorrow's lunch at school is disgusting so I was going to just sit in my library and play Boggle. I might need therapy.

There's a barber shop where the stylists dress like a Hooter's waitress to cut hair. The walls are covered in huge flat screen tvs that play sports over and over. The haircuts are about $30. You've got to be kidding- again.

Alcatraz is going to an all year round school schedule the next school year. So much for summers off- which I think is a GOOD thing. I'll let you know the details as they are forthcoming.

Randomly yours,
Maggie

The Monday Exhaustions

I have no idea why I am so tired every. single. Monday. I come home from work and can barely keep my eyes open. I might even grab a cat nap but I still can't manage to think straight and want to be in bed by 7:30 pm. What is this? I've been suffering from this ever since I started teaching in the Wild West, even in the summer time, I have the Monday Tireds.

I slept okay last night. It took awhile for me to fall asleep but once I did I wasn't waking up in the night. I slept right until my alarm clock went off. Today wasn't stressful at work; we watched a movie in each class. Big whoot- I just had to make just the kids didn't sleep and that I didn't fall asleep.

After school I had to take mac to the doctor and then we went on a mini road trip (after running errands) and went to the mall and got McDonalds and stuff. I even participated in some stimulating conversations but the whole time I could barely keep my eyes open.

And here I sit thinking I need to blog but I want to sleep... so here's some randomness:

• Can I wear wigs? Lady Gaga does it so why can't I just wear it right into the public sector? I could have lots of fun with it. And since I hate my hair it would be cool for me. And I could change my color and style with my mood.
• I think it is one of the coolest thing ever that the new Rock Band 3 is going to come out with a REAL guitar with its game. That's awesome. It'll have strings rather than buttons. I am psyched about it. I secretly have a fetish for the Rock Band games (though I guess as of this post it's no longer a secret). I like to sing and play the guitar, though I'm not talented enough to do both.
• Today was humorous and stressful because I had to explain the concept and purpose of a suppository use to Mac. He is not impressed.
• Big Bang Theory is the best show on television and I love to watch even the re-runs.
• I go with Mac to the Game Stop store and the guys there flirt with me. They are often guys who are my age, but are gamers. It's like talking to a grown up version of a teenage boy. Talking to Mac is more mentally stimulating. And they think they're so "cool." If they were like the guys on the aforementioned Big Bang Theory, then I would be much more impressed.
• I bought Gerber Daisies this weekend and planted them. Yes, I am attempting to nurture a living thing in plant form. Wish me luck. They're yellow, orange and bright pink (of course!)
• Waiting for the toilet tank to refill is like waiting for a pot of water to boil. I'm just sayin'...
• Mac is trying to find a job- still- and everywhere he goes he's told they only hire 18 years old (or older) people. Makes it tough on a kid to find a job.
• A tree fell down over the weekend. It was in the neighbor's yard. It didn't hurt anything but it did cover the street and the street department had to come out and chop it up enough and move it to the tree lawn so cars could pass. I think it's the first time I ever saw 1 street guy working and doing his job WITHOUT 4 or 7 or 9 other standing around, watching.
• I bought more books. And... oh hell, this is a long enough thought that I'll save it for a post. But saving bought books is like only using the good china on a holiday. More on that later!
  

Okay, that's it. That's all I got.

Ready to count some sheep,
Mags

And this is why some people should not have children

One in four women misread a pregnancy test. I was just watching TV and a commercial for a pregnancy test came on and this is the statistic that started the advertisement. Right there, in big bold letters. (And no, it doesn't say where this data was collected so it could be made up by mad men in advertising for I know. Or care.)

The product is for 2 types of tests. One test prints the word 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant'. And the second test is the one that actually *SPEAKS 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant.'

This could be my PMS talking or me spending too much time with kids who should be sterilized because if they procreated the world is doomed or me just being a bitch, but I think if a woman can't read 1 line to mean pregnant and 2 lines to mean not, and she NEEDS a test that SPEAKS, then that woman should NOT be having children to start with.

And I won't even go on a tangent about the fact that my local Dollar Tree (where everything in the store is $1 or less) sells pregnancy tests for a buck. Uh, no. I'm sure that's 'nuff said, right?

* People exempt from this snarky post are those who are vision impaired.
** And I hope no women were insulted by the views expressed in this post.

Sometimes I want to shut off my brain

After yesterday's moving and riveting post about rice which had a Seinfeld-esque quality about it (which I have to tell ya was impressive, if I do say so myself. Who knew I could say so much about rice? And I had no intention of writing about rice when I started. I WAS going to write about all the food my dad ate but hated and stuff I couldn't fix unless I wanted to eat it alone and sometime I hopped a rickshaw to rice... go figure.) I thought I should give you peek inside my head. You want to know why I can write about rice??? Well...

Sometimes I wish I could stop thinking. I wish I could assume the brain power, like a switch to turn on and off at will, of a junior high school student. They seem to be able to "not think" on a whim. Why can't I do that?

I just can't stop thinking. Sometimes I just want to lay in front of the tv and watch mindless entertainment or a movie, to just do nothing mentally. I have the physical ability to do nothing pretty well down pat but I can't seem to get a handle on the letting my brain rest part.

Thoughts I've had today in the five minute period before I ever got out of bed:

• I hate my alarm clock and wish all alarm clocks would malfunction so no one would get blamed for being late to work if every clock in the world simultaneously stopped working.
• I'm subbing for Emotionally Disturbed kids today and I'll blend right in.
• I'm glad it's Friday and I can wear jeans.
• Can I wear jeans to a funeral? Probably not. Who cares?
  
• What the hell is wrong with Trooper? He married and divorced 2 women who were whack jobs and I seem like royalty by comparison yet he has no clue what to do with me on a long term basis... he does have some ideas on a short term...
  
• sex: haven't had any, wonder if I'll have any again, sex this year has been a low point of my year so far, sex this year has resembled putting a marshmallow in a parking meter, and I'm trying to decide it being celibate is better than bad sex?
• the weather: there are bad weather patterns that should be named as some sort of storm and people are going to be hurt because they think it's just rain but this is happening about 1000 miles from me but I'm still worried
• Will Teen Jeopardy ever be over? And where do these Stepford Students come from?
  
• Why is Mac so moody? Why does he insist on wearing his pajamas out of the house rather than jeans like a normal kid?
• What's up with Charlie Sheen's hair? It looks tall this season. And Two and a Half Men was funnier when he was single so I hope he gets rid of Chelsea, who had great tits.
• I can't stop thinking about religion since I read AJ Jacob's The Year of Living Biblically. I would like to stop think Bible and God thoughts. Furthermore, is it weird that when I read that book I got out 4 Bibles and decided to buy my own book so I could highlight important passages? And I like that my brain is challenged but now it needs to stop. And The Year of Living Biblically book is gonna get a blog post or 2 or 3 here as well and now I wonder if I could be a Jew...
  
• I gained weight. I'm fat. I want to lose weight but I still eat Oreos. Often.
  
• I worry CONSTANTLY about money and money and money.
  
• I'm excited for Christmas but scared of the cost. And of snow.
  
• I'm tired all the time. It could be because of the stress, depression or the weight gain. Or my tooth ache, which I have all the time since I broke a tooth.
• And why aren't House reruns on every night, just some nights?
• I hate Verizon Wireless. HATE.
  
• I worry my car is going to die
• My insurance payment is late (again) and I work at an insurance company, I want to be one of those people who could pay for three months but I can't afford to buy coffee.

This is just a sampling of what went on in my head, all before I even got out of bed. These thoughts just randomly smacked around in there, like pop-up ads. I don't want to shut off my head indefinitely but just for a few hours a day that doesn't involve sleeping (though I don't think my brain shuts off when I sleep considering stuff I'm thinking when my eyes open... yikes!)

And you wonder why I can write a whole blog post on rice?
Maggie

It happened

Today I saw the first Christmas commercial. Ashley Home Furniture is having a "holiday" sale, complete with Christmas carol music in the back ground, burning candles, and jingle bells...

This year I'm watching TV

I've always been a fan of TV but sometimes in my life I just don't have time to watch. But this year, I am SOOOOO gonna watch tv. I'm even thinking of calling it "Maggie and TV- the year I watched." I even made a list of what I want to watch. My problem is that we don't have TiVo here so I'm gonna have to resort to using the VCR. First I'm gonna check online and see what I can watch there. We also have Comcast so I guess some of the shows are on there if I hit the menu button and go through a bunch of menus and stuff...

So, here are my viewing plans: (and the * denotes new to this season)

Monday:
House
How I met Your Mother
Two and a Half men
Big Bang Theory
Trauma*
CSI Miami

Tuesday:
NCIS
NCIS LA*
The Good Wife*
The Forgotten*

Wednesday:
Mercy*
Criminal Minds
Law and Order: SVU
CSI NY
Eastwick*

Thursday:
Grey's Anatomy

Friday:
Numb3rs

Saturday:
nada

Sunday:
Three Rivers*
Cold Case

For me, with new shows, I don't give them much of a chance to impress me. I'll try them once and if I don't like 'em then I won't come back to it. This is what happened to me and The Mentalist (though if Simon could speak with his accent I might have to rethink this show) and Samantha Who.

Also, because Thursdays are looking so sparse I can watch other stuff that I've taped (I feel like such an old geek who's completely un-hip to say I tape stuff) the rest of the week, or that I find online via a network or Hulu or wherever shows are.

I worry that Eastwick is just gonna be like Charmed and while I know it was HUGELY popular I just wasn't a fan. I'm hoping it's more like... the movie Practical Magic. Guess we'll see.

And I also want to watch Rescue Me because Mac got me all sorts of hooked on it. And I wanted to see the show on TNT called Hawthorne (that one with Jada Pinkett- Smith) but I can't find it listed. I supposed I should Google it and see if it was cancelled already or if it's a summer show or a mid season replacement. And I want to watch Mad Men. I watched the entire first season on the airplane when I flew back from Ireland- again, I need to see where this is listed on my cable network.

And what happened to Without a Trace? Did it get canceled? Again, I suppose I should be Googling this information.

The new show I am most excited about is The Good Wife. Julianne Margulies is a great actress and it's nice to see her back on television again after her stint on er. And Christ Noth is on it and we all know how much I just a-DORE Chris Noth (aka Mr. Big).

And anyone who is as much of a tv junkie as I am probably noticed the 30 minute gap on my Monday viewing schedule between Mother and Two and a Half Men... I think the new show Accidentally On Purpose looks stupid but I guess I will watch it once. And if it sucks, then that 30 minutes is when I can take a shower or blog or do laundry.

Gawd, is John Corbett on tv somewhere because if he were then it would only be a perfect season!

Okay so what are you're viewing plans for tv this season? Anyone??

I should be a Nielsen girl,
Mags

Voodoo isn't always a bad thing, right?

The above is my voodoo doll. Okay, I bought it for my folks when I was in The Big Easy about 10 years ago and after my post last week, Daddy-O dug it out.

But here's the news that's fit to print. Think I should or should NOT use the Ol' Black Magic?

• Sperm Donor had emergency surgery and came out fine. He was in the hospital for 5 days and was in a lot of pain but is home now.
• Grandma Shrew is in the hospital as well with some sort of flu. She was there for a whole day and never called anyone because she couldn't remember any numbers, even though I live at the same number my mother (her daughter) had for 40 years. I'm just too terrible of a human being to call apparently. (Actually it's a good thing she didn't call. I don't want that sort of responsibility to her.) She would rather sit in the hospital without her family knowing than call me. COOL!
  
• Trooper has not told me to go away, though his gun shy-ness is shining through, but he's sweet about it. he's such a... trooper. *giggle* (Oh come on! That was a great pun!)
  
• ItalianSam sent me an email about a job that he has connections to so I might actually get an interview, at least. It's in Wisconsin somewhere... And it was a nice olive branch from him.
  
• The insurance office might have a full time opening and I might be considered- if I want to become an insurance sales person... That would involve commission and more schooling.
• The ice cream owner has to have some medical stuff done and wants me to run the day to day operations while this happens.
• I can't find a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue that I bought for AIISam last March at duty free. I've had it here in my room since the break up and was going to give it to Farrago as a birthday gift and now it's missing. And no I didn't drink it.
• I can't find my tv remote, either.
• When I told the bank about all the hoops I have to jump through for that stupid fucking Verizon Wireless to give me the overdraft fees back, they just credited my checking account and told me to not worry about it.
• I almost have free Indianapolis Colts tickets and am taking Trooper there on a date, if they come through. Now, am I the coolest could be girlfriend in history? (I think he might consider drastic measures if I scored Packers tickets... HAHA!)
  

So, it's a mish- mash of all sorts of blessings and curses.

Witchy woman,
Maggie

News junkie needs a fix

I know nothing about what's going on in the world today. I used to know stuff. I used to be "in the know." But now- well, I'm a current events idiot. And I blame myself, my lack of man, and my lack of job for this. Follow me here....

Back in the day, I was a news, politics and current events junkie. seriously. I used to watch CNN every morning, listen to NPR on the way to work, listen to the news at night and read 3-4 daily papers. And I don't count my local "podunksville" newspaper in that list- I read the Post, the Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and USA Today, and occasionally the Journal. I devoured news and politics like I did my morning coffee.

As the post-college years went on, I took in a little less. I still caught the nightly news with Tom B. and still had my CNN fix. I read USA Today and the Sunday NY Times. I still listened to NPR but not as much because it became Rush Radio.

Then the Internet exploded and I went back to my daily diet of newspapers but online. I also became a pretty good magazine junkie and took Time, Newsweek, and Vanity Fair (ok, gimmie a break- they do have a current events and a political section which are very well written). I could also check out other news sources like The Onion and links to various international papers. I was also speaking on daily basis to AlaskaSam who inhales politics and news like air; we are often like minded about such views so we could bat around ideas and events, having healthy conversations and debates (Gawd, he is so smart!)

When I lived in the Wild West, I almost dropped off the map when it came to news for a few reasons. When I dated Sams there, no one ever followed politics unless it affected ranchers or farmers so I had no one to discuss it with. And when I did try, I was treated like an idiot and ridiculed because I'm rather... liberal. I could only take being berated so much. I was also so very very busy. Anyone who read my old blog knew the amount of time I spent grading, prepping, working on programs for my students, sponsoring activities. I did the bare news information minimum- I either caught the top of the hour headlines on CNN and tried to watch a local news station to keep up with my new "home" state or I skimmed the Times on my prep period. Or sadly and more often, I scanned the MSN headlines.

Then I moved back here and my brain became stagnant. I love President Obama but I feel like I'm an idiot. This carries back to the last few months of the Bush era as well when I could barely stand the TV and all the Bush talk. Now I feel like every time I turn on the news, I hear the same stories over and over and over. Just a different variation. Oil prices (still too high). War in Iraq and now Iran (I have no idea why we war there now). I hear about how Americans are idiots about a national health care system (they are). About the current state of the economy (it sucks). The job market (it sucks, too.) Dead pop stars (who cares?). Seth Rogen is skinny (again who cares? But he is hot; I thought he was cute before, but now...!). I feel like the news is stuck on a loop. I feel like the media re-hashes it over and over again and brings out all these experts, quotes politicos that I don't know. I then get completely and utterly bored from hearing the same thing day in and day out so I stop watching and reading. I also hated everything ending with "follow us @ Twitter" or "visit us at www.icantreporttheentirenewsstoryhere.com". Now, I'm so confused and I feel stupid. When I do get it sorted out, I've also realized I don't know anyone who has a shared interest in political and current events.

No one I work with at any job follows anything about current events or politics. Neither do my family members. And I'm not dating anyone so that's not an outlet, either. I was getting back into my political groove back when AIISam and I were an item since he was a news junkie but that was short lived.

I don't need other people to enjoy the news but right now I'm so behind about what's going on I need a sounding board to help get me back on track. I tried to read my Time mag cover to cover and I feel like I've been living in a cave for all I know about what's happening in the world around me.

And to think, at one time I wanted to be a lobbyist in DC! I'm an embarrassment to my roots.

Needin' back on the news track,
Mags

Tids and Bits

• For the third week in a row Mac and I have been rained out of going to the zoo! Today would've been perfect but it's raining. So, we're going to try again tomorrow! The forecast says sun but since this is the third time- well, I guess anything could happen!
• Spent yesterday hanging out with Hecate. She seems to being feeling great after her surgery. We brunched, shopped, and talked- AND, I for one, had a super duper time. It'd been months since we'd done anything so this was fab! And everyone send her happy thought because she's interviewing (on Monday) for a kick ass full time college teaching gig in a business department! I have my fingers crossed for her!
• I've been watching the television show House. I'd never watched it before until Mac insisted on watching a marathon of it on the USA network. I was going to read but I found myself watching more than reading and became addicted. So we decided to rent season 1 but the video store didn't have it. They had season 2 but it was out so we rented 3 and 4. I want to watch seasons 1, 2 and 5 before season 6 premieres. Good stuff!
• On Monday was the 6 year "anniversary" of the passing of the great Katharine Hepburn. While I'm a huge Audrey fan, I also love the great Kate as well. I'm in the middle of reading her memoir right now, actually. But anyway, not only do people miss Kate as an actress but as a brownie maker. She was a chocolate lover and she loved to make brownies. Here's her special recipe if you want to have a go!
• I might get a wild hair and head to the late showing of Public Enemies tonight since today is the premiere and it stars- none other than Mr. Hottie, Sexy Johnny Depp. Yum!
• Last night was my favorite insurance telemarketing night of all nights because... I didn't have to make any calls! We purchase lists and I had called all the ones we owned so I did filing and data entry instead! Yahoo!!! Not one person hanging up on me or yelling! It was awesome.

Sharing random stuff,
Maggie

The Drama Queen Network

Mac says if - on TELEVISION- a woman is raped and molested and physically abused then stalked, and is a drunk or one who abuses pills and huddles in a shower crying, then it must be a made for TV movie on Lifetime. And while his example may be a bit to the extreme, I also thinks he has a point.

And for those of you who like Lifetime movies, then that's cool with me- entertainment for everyone, I say- so please, no hate mail about my ANTI Lifetime movie stand- please? So, that being said...

Around our house we have always made fun of the "high drama" and bad acting and "after school special" like quality of the movies on Lifetime. No, not all of them could be described that way, but LOTS of them can... and they are often cheesy, overdone and just plain... well, bad. Bad acting, bad scripts, bad bad bad.

But while subbing on this half day of school, for 2 periods, I learned of a new use for Lifetime Movies.

I was in a health class and the teacher left a movie for me to show. I popped the VHS tape in and bam- it was a Lifetime movie called Mom at Sixteen. Really. A Lifetime movie in a high school health class. As if subbing isn't tough enough, but now she makes me show a Lifetime movie? I got the giggles. There were boys in that class who were not what I would call impressed by this either. So, the kids watched the movie- and had to TAKE NOTES OVER IT! They were studying teen pregnancy/ STDs/ Sex in class and it did suit the purpose, but still... a Lifetime movie? I guess it was no different than when I was in high school and the same teacher showed us After School Specials to prove her points.

So the next class rolls in. It's an all girl's PE class who was having "health" day. And they were studying eating disorders. So in went the VHS tape- and it was another Lifetime movie, only about a teenage girl with bulimia. Oh. My. Goddess. I had another attack of the giggles.

And what was bad about the second movie, the bulimia one, was that the girl with bulimia had a boyfriend. Bulimiagirl's BF kissed her BFF at a party one night and half of the the students in my class were enraged that he cheated on her. The other half thought Bulimiagirl deserved it because she was a bitch to her BF. Oh. My. Goddess. I mean, Bulimiagirl is under huge stress, her hair is falling out, there is an obvious change in her mood and temperament and health and family problems because of her eating disorder but the girls in my class were pissed off over the "love triangle" aspect which lasted for about 3 minutes. Do you think the point was lost on these girls?

I told Mac about it today- and you know what he thought? He said making students watch Lifetime movies in class was a form of corporal punishment.

Cruel. Oh so very cruel.

Save the drama for your mama,
Mags