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7/23/2007

Not Safe to Turn on the TV Set

I am keeping the TV shut off for a few days. There are two things that I am trying to avoid looking at and hearing about these days. One is the enormous and confounding hype surrounding the New Harry Potter book and movie. The Second is the ghastly image of Tammy Fae Bakker in her final interview with Larry King.

In the first case, I am confounded because who - except for kids and a few adult fantasy geeks - gives a sweet crap? I have not read any Harry Potter books, and probably will not find a good reason to pick one up in the unforseeable future. I did see the first movie and parts of one of the others, mainly watching with my grandkids... Good kids' entertainment, but why does every talking head on TV and radio think the release of the last* book in the series is really important news for normal adults? I guess it's called marketing buzz - you get everyone talking about the latest hip thing and then people will turn into mindless zombie consumers and even stand in line for days to get it. Is this what the founding fathers were imagining when they created the Bill of Rights?

The second thing that I am trying to avoid is seeing pictures of the ghostly (and now, mercifully defunct) Tammy Fae of Jim and Tammy Fae fame. You remember them back in the 80's when they were notoriously successful Televangelists. Remember PTL? She was noted for her large French whore phony eyelashes, and pudgy cheeks. He was best remembered as the church secretary shtupper and embezzler of church funds to provide hush money. The Bakkers were brought down from their golden hippocritical thrones and made to wallow in shame when his crimes were revealed by the shtuppee, Jessica Hahn who went on to become a Playboy Playmate (and a regular guest on the Howard Stern Show). He did jail time. Tammy Fae divorced him but got custody of her fake Eyelashes.
So it was with horror that I was assailed with a brief clip of Larry King's interview with the wasted 60 pound husk of Tammy Fae, now 66 years old and dying of cancer. Someone allowed her to go before a camera with the heavy eyelashes and red makeup that made her look grotesque, to put it kindly. If you did not see it, count your self lucky; it would haunt your worst dreams. I condemn everyone involved with that program as sheer freak show purveyers. I think I can safely say that the founding fathers would have disapproved as well.

Take my advice and keep your TV off for a few more days.

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*After the return of Rocky, and Superman, how can we ever feel safe that a series will ever truly terminate?

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