I suppose that makes sense: a dramatic show would be too, you know, depressing and stuff. Oh, wait:
"In the meantime, next week NBC's Third Watch will begin series of three episodes addressing the September 11 tragedies."
Silly me.
"Network president Leslie Moonves told reported Thursday that he's considering green-lighting a romantic comedy series about two people brought together after their spouses are killed in the collapse of the landmark complex."
Oh, man, that just screams FUNNY! You know what would be *really* funny? "Afghan Friends"! Like Friends, but set in Osama's cave complex! Terrorists in their late 20s can get together, drink...I dunno, whatever they drink, and whine about their lack of romantic success! And their wacky attempts to destroy the symbols of America! Hey, at least the women would have a good reason to look like they're starving. Except that we wouldn't be able to see them. Damn. You can't have a sitcom without a bunch of really skinny chicks. Maybe they can take off their robes in private. And then mud wrestle. That'll bring in the 18-35 white male audience. Better not make them look too ethnic, though. They are blonde and redheaded Afghanis, right?
Ok, maybe I'm being too hard on the people who come up with ideas for TV shows. On the other hand, someone thought that Emeril was a great idea, so I'm probably not far off the mark. Hrm. Does Emeril have a skinny chick in the cast...why, yes, it does. And, judging by the many pictures of him in the cast photos, it looks like they're heavily pushing this teenage boy cast member. Or else they're appealing to the pedophile market. Which brings this digression back to the subject of taste, or the lack thereof.
Oh, sure, I know it's stupid to look to TV for examples of good taste, and I have to admit that I was only wondering which network would be the first to admit that they were working on a show like this. But I was expecting an overly dramatic, tear-jerking Movie Event. It's not that I think that we should pretend that the event never happened, but the thing is, we're already getting the full TV treatment of it. It was carried live, and the attacks and their repercussions have been the subject of most of the broadcasting since September 11th. So, what more needs to be shown? I don't think there's any point to showing us the trials, tribulations, and wacky hijinks of fictional characters as they deal with the tragedy. It's especially jarring after the great TV god has spent the past month showing us how to feel with weepy music and images, followed by strong, patriotic slogans and symbols that would put a high school drama student to shame ("America Rises!", for example, not to mention "Operation Infinite Justice", for when finite justice just isn't justice enough).
Which is just dumb. We've seen, if not actually known, in real life, real people dealing with it. Are these fictional characters supposed to be cathartic, or something? It's ok to laugh at them, because, golly, we've been itching to laugh at someone whose life was ruined by the attacks, and it just wouldn't do to laugh at real people.
Not that I'm saying that we should all wear black and cover our heads forevermore. Certainly not. If Americans do one thing really well, it's mocking our enemies. Just look at the cartoons made during WWII, where Hitler replaces Yosemite Sam as the butt of Bugs Bunny's antics. And Hollywood at least had enough respect to wait 60 years before releasing a terrible movie about Pearl Harbor.
Ok, I admit it: I'm just picking on an easy target, and something that I think is incredibly stupid. None of this upsets me, or inspires me to protest CBS, or anything of the sort. Nothing that strong, but, by gum, I feel it's my duty to mock those who are begging to be mocked. Like the whole thing about digitally removing the twin towers from TV shows, but then making no mention of the event in the shows themselves. So you won't see the towers in episodes of Friends, but it's not like any of the characters won't be seen anymore, having been crushed beneath tons of rubble. Dammit.
Wait, I think I just argued against myself. No, it's ok, I still think the comedy idea is a bad one. But I'm certainly willing to watch bad ideas fail spectacularly.