Thursday, March 10, 2011

TV: It's Just Not the Same

By: Ebony L. McCline

Nowadays, everyone claims to be busy, having crazy schedules that leave minimal time for fun or even sleep. Between work, school, family, and friends, there is little to no time for the simple pleasures, like sitting in front of the TV to watch your favorite show. Most people watch online or record the show to watch at a later date; Hardly anyone has the time to watch an episode when it originally airs. Furthermore, it seems like people are just not watching as much TV, if at all. I’m left wondering if this can be attributed to busy schedules or the lack of quality scripted shows.

It’s no secret that reality TV has taken over the airwaves, as well as most of our lives. If you miss an episode of your favorite one, you most likely avoid any and all conversation regarding that episode until you’ve had time to watch it. Let’s face it, for some odd reason, these shows engulf us, whether it’s by choice or by force. The events that occur in each episode are the topic on the phone, via social networking sites, and at the dinner table. Unfortunately, if you don’t watch a particular show, you tend to feel left out, which might lead to you watching a marathon of a show that you claimed you’d only watch over your dead body.

The question is: are we watching reality TV because more times than not it’s our only option? Gone are the days of quality scripted shows like Fresh Prince, Martin, My Wife & Kids, Cosby Show, A Different World, and One on One. While we have shows like The Game, Are We There Yet, and House of Payne, they pale in comparison to the amount of reality TV shows that exist.

Now, I have no clue what this means for the future of television, but luckily we can relive those shows that we love so much by purchasing DVD box sets or watching reruns online over and over again. Thank you technology!

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