What Episode Are You On?
There was a time, not so long ago, when every dinner party conversation returned to the same, tired, depressing, bigly, orange subject. More recently, I notice that social gatherings circle back to another topic: TV. What are you watching? Have you seen this or that? Are you totally caught up on the season so I can speak freely? This is not new for me. I’m a TV addict. The Internet is my hobby. Lying down and watching television is my passion. When I walk into the house, my beagles immediately run to the couch. They know where I’m headed. While you’re reading a newsletter about news, I’m reading a few about what’s on TV tonight. But this TV obsession has crossed over to my normal friends who have varied interests and passions. Even the smarter, literary, intellectual types can’t hide their enthusiasm for the latest season of whatever. It make sense. The world seems bleak. Politics is depressing. The other side is hard to understand and therefore frustrating to think about. So we’re looking for an escape. Maybe we’re looking for something more, because we’re not just going for the Emmy-winning stuff like The Bear and Succession. More people than ever are turning off their life and turning on The Hallmark Channel. And it’s informative to examine what networks the rom coms are beating. NYT Mag (Gift Article): The World Needs Love. Hallmark Is Cashing in. “When more people are watching the Hallmark Channel than CNN, you know we’ve reached a new level of interpersonal isolation.” (Funny, I watch TV to achieve a new level of interpersonal isolation.)