The End Is Near!

The End Is Near!

Whatever
happened to quality in entertainment programming!

Many of us
I think have either seen or heard about some of the mind numbing programs that
pass for entertainment on television. 
The Kardashians, Honey Boo Boo, Wife Swap, Toddlers and Tiaras, Jersey
Shore, any of The House Wives Of…,  and
of course The Bachelor rise, I mean sink, to the bottom of the list for
sure!  Now we have some new competition
for these programs that appeal to a segment of society that after watching even
a portion of these disasters must be brain dead!  That new competition is something called
“Splash”. The program follows so called celebrities who try to master the art
of diving into an Olympic size pool. 
What could be more exciting than watching a bunch of has-beens dive into
water!

Rest
assured I have not watched a minute of this mess so my brain, what is left of
it, is still unaffected!  But from
watching snippets on the nightly news or hearing reports of the program on the
local radio news programs provided me with a few insights.  In my mind anyone who watches this debacle is
a candidate for watching paint dry or sitting in a barbershop observing people
getting their hair cut – both of which I might add would be more exciting and
stimulating than watching even a minute of “Splash”.

What pushed
me over the top about this program is when I heard that 400 pound comedian
Louie Anderson wanted to dedicate his dive to the brave men and women in our
armed services.  Give me a break!  If I am in the military and hear this
dedication I want to immediately decline the endorsement and state:  “Please don’t think for a minute I want you
to dedicate anything to me.  Watching you
take a dive off the high board would be tantamount to my watching Shamu the
Whale – something else I am not inclined to do!”

Fortunately
many people have access to ME-TV which stands for Memorable Entertainment
TV.  This station provides classic
sitcoms, dramas and comedy shows.  Some
of the selections include the Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Bob Newhart Show,
Colombo, Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, M*A*S*H, and Perry Mason.  In my mind, these were all quality programs
which have stood the test of time.  The
current crop of reality shows and sitcoms demonstrate that we may not have as
yet reached Armageddon but we are drawing closer.

Now I’m
ready to watch another episode of my favorite detective – Lieutenant Colombo.
By the way, Lieutenant Colombo did have a first name.  Do you know what it is? Answer: Frank. 
Time to take cover.  I think I
just heard Louie Anderson’s cannonball dive reverberate off my windows!

Bill Kalmar