Ghettos Behind Gates

The writers' strike is slowly affecting most Americans' television watching. The news reports very few shows have many episodes left to air, which can only mean more of the nonsense that proliferates the airwaves--reality television. One of shows I find myself watching in horror and utter disbelief is "The Real Housewives of Orange Country," a show that follows a group of forty-something, Botoxed, silicone-enhanced, bleached blonds as moms, real estate agents, and BIMBOS. There are so many shows that mirror the debasement of our culture, but this one is all the more disturbing because they are women, who are, supposedly, raising kids--the future generation.

What's fascinating to note, once you've watched enough episodes, something I found myself doing during Bravo's marathon last night, is how all of their "money" is made by selling something. Whether it is real estate, insurance, cars, or worse, themselves, they are all hawking a commodity. The show's purpose, I assume, is to highlight the life of privilege that these women live. But somehow behind the facade of shiny, fancy, expensive cars, and the horrific McMansion subdivision that is the center of their universe, their lives appear small, shallow, and a step above middle America's mall-shopping, chain restaurant eating, and endless turnstile life of gluttonous behavior and endless dieting. Each restaurant scene shows, yet, another restaurant that is essentially a chain restaurant where the size of the portion is more important than quality.

All of these superficial judgments about their lifestyle is nothing compared to their roles as mothers to their troubled, troubled, out of work, barely in school kids. A few of their progenies turned 21, which meant these women felt it appropriate to take their kids out to nightclubs, downing shots to show their children they are still 'with it'. It does make one question the state of our country when you watch these barely intelligible kids and their mothers on television acting more than a fool.

The other thing that is shocking is the profligate use, or rather, misuse of grammar by each of these morons. It goes beyond split infinitives. Someone should clearly give them a thorough lesson on the use of subjective and objective pronouns. Really, if you closed your eyes and simply listened, they sound no more educated than the stereotype of a 'ghetto' kid, who delights in the use of Ebonics. The difference is the ghetto, in this instance, is behind gates in Orange County. There are cab drivers in New York city from places like Nigeria, Trinindad, or Dominican Republic, whose English use is more proper and articulate. I'm sure it is shows like this that give fodder for the extremists in the world, the ones ranting about the moral lapses of this great nation.

I can only imagine what the networks will come up with to fill all those hours in the day since writers on both coasts are busy walking up and down blocks holding their placards. You would think the dearth of quality shows, always questionable even when writers aren't on strike, would propel to read more, spend time with their kids, or take up other meaningful hobbies like crochet. I'm sure once this season's "Biggest Loser" reveals another obese person (there are so many of them, the statistic say) to be booted off the show, leaving the 'champion,' we will turn into a show about the fastest pie eater in the country. And we learn each day just how big it is, this country.