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Despite my opinions of Patti Stanger, I feel like mindless reality television or even smart sitcoms are a nice route for the escapist type who needs a break from dealing with the scrolling headlines of doom on CNN. So it was last week when I had these high hopes of settling down for an hour of The Office and during the commercials I would remove myself from the television to get away from GM and their rally caps. And then there was 30 Rock.
I went to the tube in preparation of having my sides split by the rapport between Jack and Kenneth and instead I'm greeted with Liz Lemon being told that due to financial constraints in these economic times she would have to start letting employees go. Enter an older man about to get laid off and poor Liz feels that it would be impossible to fire this older gentleman because what will he do for healthcare? When the recession starts affecting my favorite shows that's about when I'm ready to tell the recession exactly what to kiss and where to go.
Layoffs are very real as is the choice that employers have to make as to who to layoff and the knowledge that these are people with lives and health issues who wouldn't be able to afford already unaffordable healthcare if it weren't for the insurance provided by employers. Then again, they are the lucky ones and to wrap my mind around the incredible financial constraints that more and more are finding themselves trapped under makes my head ache.
Which is why I like to escape every once in awhile by spending an hour in front of utterly mind numbing reality television though even that is becoming tainted as most recently on The Real Housewives of New York Jill Zarin commented that "...considering the economy right now, I don't think it's appropriate to be spending all kinds of money on my birthday". And then she complained about her brand new Mercedes Benz because there was no way to plug in her iPhone. Seriously.
So I suppose the only escapist route left would be The Hills. Where I'm pretty sure that Speidi wouldn't know the affects of a recession if it smacked them in the face and poured a shot of tequila in their mouths. Who knew that I would one day find them to be somewhat useful.
Related Reading:
The subject was the sudden surge of recession-themed comedies this pilot season. Among them is ABC’s Canned,
starring Amanda Bynes, about young bankers after they all get, you
know, canned. Kelsey Grammer stars in an unnamed ABC pilot as a
laid-off Wall Streeter who must—quelle horreur!—spend time with his family.
Oh yes the recession, it's even
hurting our beloved fictional employees these days and TGS is no
exception. Well, that is of course, everyone who is not a "special" aka
Jenna and Tracy. Poor Jonathan is the first to be let go, but he does
not go quietly as he serenades Jack on his way out embodying the spirit
of early 90s Mariah Carey.
Bravo Network says, "What recession?"
So what people really want to see while they are losing their jobs and homes is a network devoted to the rich and spoiled? Go figure
Heather B. watches A LOT of awful reality television. She blogs at No Pasa Nada.
