Not-So-Special Report
Last night and early this afternoon, Robin and I had really been enjoying our local PBS station's airing of Soundtrack of the Century, an 8-part BBC programme from a few years back. I'd seen pretty much all of the first six shows, and we were engrossed in the seventh when there suddenly came the announcement "We interrupt this program to bring you a special report."
Oh my god, I thought, who died? Whom have we attacked? What stupidity has the man in the White House gotten us into now? I figured this is pretty much the standard reaction that goes through most viewers' minds when they hear those words.
Well, the special report turned out to be live coverage of the NYC mayoral inauguration.
Now, don't get me wrong. As devoid of substance as an event like this is, I don't mind a local channel covering it. But why as a special report interrupting regular programming? Did they somehow not know the inauguration was scheduled for today? Was it really that necessary to interrupt what was truly special programming to bring you Baba Wawa talking about how terrific the NYC government is, on the heels of one of the lowest moments in Bloomberg's mayoralty (the transit strike at which he made his "thuggish" remarks, the reverberations of which are still being felt in the black and Latino communities)? Almost makes me want to play hooky from work and go to a classroom that's showing the series this month, if I didn't know better that PBS will rerun it into the ground during upcoming pledge drives.
Last night and early this afternoon, Robin and I had really been enjoying our local PBS station's airing of Soundtrack of the Century, an 8-part BBC programme from a few years back. I'd seen pretty much all of the first six shows, and we were engrossed in the seventh when there suddenly came the announcement "We interrupt this program to bring you a special report."
Oh my god, I thought, who died? Whom have we attacked? What stupidity has the man in the White House gotten us into now? I figured this is pretty much the standard reaction that goes through most viewers' minds when they hear those words.
Well, the special report turned out to be live coverage of the NYC mayoral inauguration.
Now, don't get me wrong. As devoid of substance as an event like this is, I don't mind a local channel covering it. But why as a special report interrupting regular programming? Did they somehow not know the inauguration was scheduled for today? Was it really that necessary to interrupt what was truly special programming to bring you Baba Wawa talking about how terrific the NYC government is, on the heels of one of the lowest moments in Bloomberg's mayoralty (the transit strike at which he made his "thuggish" remarks, the reverberations of which are still being felt in the black and Latino communities)? Almost makes me want to play hooky from work and go to a classroom that's showing the series this month, if I didn't know better that PBS will rerun it into the ground during upcoming pledge drives.
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