If you're going to watch the tube once in a while, it's a hell of a lot better to watch something a little informative than it is to tuck into some bad Hollywood drivel. At least it's not such a waste of time, right? Well, in the last year I've noticed that the Discovery Channel and National Geographic have lost their edge on providing high-quality educational programs. Now, you're more likely to see yet another World War Two doc, probably some other shows introducing the newest weapons on the market, and most definitely some show glorifying the lifestyles of the disgustingly rich. If a mathematician were to convert this into an equation it might look something like this:
Hitler+Stealth Bomber+10 mile Golden Yacht= (-4 jillion brain cells)
And these are just a few examples. Mentioning some of the embarrassing travel shows with green and arrogant hosts whining about street food and pollution would require an article unto itself. I don't really want to believe there is some conspiracy out there to dumb us down, but the more I watch, the more convinced I become that these so-called "learning" channels are making sure that we get a select few things branded into our heads. That Hitler was bad, that guns are cool, and that to be truly happy one must be filthy rich.
It's not just the content that annoys and exasperates me either. It's the writing, the editing, and the overall lack of originality. Each "documentary" is written in a tired vernacular--rife with outdated buzzwords, and bland idioms. Written in the most basic high-school essay format just to ensure the viewer he knows exactly whats coming next. Though I'm just making this up, an ending bit of narration on a show about samurai swords might be something like: "It's clear that the samurai sword is definitely...a cut above the rest." I can hear it now, being said in some Californian surfer voice. Puke city. It doesn't stop there either. If you were to cut out all of the reused master shots, factor in all the commercial breaks, you'd be left with about 7 minutes of content. But for some reason--maybe a lack of good material out there--Discovery and Nat Geo are buying it all up.
In their defense, the WWII stuff can be pretty amazing, and some of the recent programs show some great colorized rare footage of the war. It's just the sheer frequency I can't get over. Yes, WWII was awful. Yes, Hitler was a demon. But, I think we got the point by now. And, you know, if filmmakers are so dedicated to exposing the atrocities of history, there are a lot of unsung tragedies that could get a little more play--if any at all.
Also, the few nature docs that do get shown all have this horror film edge to them, as if animals are these evil monsters that will not only eat us alive, but enjoy our pain. The skewed angles and the shadowy lighting chosen, coupled with dark Hollywood-esque music are sickening. In the end, it seems like Discovery and National Geographic are doing a better job at further alienating us from the animal world than they are in teaching us to respect it. This I don't get. This seems conspiratorial to me--too coincidental. The weapons of war, the champagne sipping bourgeoisie, the evil creatures that live in our backyards. It's getting to point where watching Cops is almost the better option.
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