Oh, the Humanity
Reality TV intrigues me, although I'm not quite sure why. I almost never watch it. I liked the first season of "The Mole" and I watched the "Survivor" season where the first person voted off was the woman who had fallen in love with her late husband's son, and the winner was announced on live TV, and it was a blonde nurse in her late 30's who beat out some young kid from Texas. You know what I mean.
I've never watched "The Great Race," though, so I didn't find out about the winners, Uchenna and Joyce, until today. The news is pointing out that the two of them very nearly lost because they had no money to pay the cab driver who got them to the finish line, and they insisted on begging enough money to pay the man before running off.
That's a classy move, and by itself may serve to justify the whole reality TV binge of the last few years. We see plenty of humanity's worst qualities, to be sure, but occasionally we see some of humanity's best, as well. Which explains why it's called "reality TV" – the setups are pure fantasy, but we do get genuine human responses. Ninety-three percent banal, seven percent angelic.
Which brings me to my teacher, Tony Pierce. (Excuse me if that didn't work too well, I'm still new at this.) He's kvelling over Uchenna and Joyce's evident willingness to toss away a chance at a million bucks for the sake of doing the right thing, partially because he and they are all black. Funny thing – I found myself getting annoyed as he pointed out the virtues of his own ethnic group, but I had to stop myself. Wouldn't I react exactly the same way if Uchenna and Joyce were Jewish? Didn't I react exactly the same way when I found out what Hank Greenberg said to Jackie Robinson? Didn't I think to myself, "Hey, homeboy did us all proud"? You bet I did. So you just sit back and enjoy it, Tony, and I hope for many more such opportunities in your immediate future.
Besides, Tony worked in a nice compliment to Bob and Amber and their classy reaction to the difficulties brought on by their fame, so it's not like the man is totally ethnocentric.
Benshlomo says, Oy gevald, such a mensch.
I've never watched "The Great Race," though, so I didn't find out about the winners, Uchenna and Joyce, until today. The news is pointing out that the two of them very nearly lost because they had no money to pay the cab driver who got them to the finish line, and they insisted on begging enough money to pay the man before running off.
That's a classy move, and by itself may serve to justify the whole reality TV binge of the last few years. We see plenty of humanity's worst qualities, to be sure, but occasionally we see some of humanity's best, as well. Which explains why it's called "reality TV" – the setups are pure fantasy, but we do get genuine human responses. Ninety-three percent banal, seven percent angelic.
Which brings me to my teacher, Tony Pierce. (Excuse me if that didn't work too well, I'm still new at this.) He's kvelling over Uchenna and Joyce's evident willingness to toss away a chance at a million bucks for the sake of doing the right thing, partially because he and they are all black. Funny thing – I found myself getting annoyed as he pointed out the virtues of his own ethnic group, but I had to stop myself. Wouldn't I react exactly the same way if Uchenna and Joyce were Jewish? Didn't I react exactly the same way when I found out what Hank Greenberg said to Jackie Robinson? Didn't I think to myself, "Hey, homeboy did us all proud"? You bet I did. So you just sit back and enjoy it, Tony, and I hope for many more such opportunities in your immediate future.
Besides, Tony worked in a nice compliment to Bob and Amber and their classy reaction to the difficulties brought on by their fame, so it's not like the man is totally ethnocentric.
Benshlomo says, Oy gevald, such a mensch.
posted by benshlomo at 5:21 PM
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