The Best and Worst Of.....

OK, so it is the end of the year and this is the time when people roll out their lists of the best of 2007 and the worst of 2007. This isn't one of those lists. This is basically a list of stuff that I have seen in the media over the past year that I either like or don't like. If you have any things you would like to add, please feel free to do so. I think my natural tendency would be to just run down a list of things that annoy me. However, Missy has been a good influence and helped me to look at the positives in life as well.

So on to the annoying things:

-Anything Britney Spears. I used to really not like her. Now I just feel bad for her. The poor thing. She can't brush her teeth without making it an international event. The tabloids go after her so hard, she should have her own reality show......oh wait, she did.

-Reality shows - Other than the Amazing Race (which has won best reality show every year this decade), these things are out of control. I honestly feel myself getting dumber when I watch them. And with the writer's strike, there are only going to be more of them because it takes no talent to make one (Right, Paris Hilton?). You know it is out of control when one reality show (The Surreal Life) brings back from the dead Flava Flav - a guy I haven't even thought about since Reagan was President - where he starts a relationship with Brigette Nielsen (another 80's resurrection) which spun off into a reality show (Strange Love) but they didn't stay together so Flav had to find a new girlfriend which spun off into another show (Flavor of Love) and one of the cast offs from that show needed an extra 15 minutes of fame so THAT spun off into TWO seasons of a show (I Love New York and I Love New York2). The saddest part is that I have a college degree and I know this stuff.

-Baseball fans that wave to the camera while on their cell phones telling their buddy that they are on TV just over Derek Jeter's right shoulder - I watched a lot of baseball games this year and this drove me CRAZY. It happened in EVERY game. It is why I would be in favor of snipers at sporting events.

-NBA players congratulating/consoling each other when a teammate makes/misses a free throw. You make more than the Gross National Product of any country south of Texas and you need to be congratulated when you make a free throw?????? If they make free throw no one should say anything, it is expected that they make it. If they miss, they should take away one of their Escalades.

-Any celebrity news show - Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Extra - I lose brain cells just watching the commercials for these shows

-Negative Political Ads - we are in a great location in this country because when an election comes up (which I thought was every four years but apparently they happen twice every year), we don't just get negative ads from one state. We get them from THREE. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. These ads are ridiculous. I am waiting for the one that says, "Joe Nelson. He Hates Puppies!" or "This November, say NO to Michelle Johnson, because she burns down schools." I am at the point where if someone says ANYTHING positive, I will vote for them. I don't care if they are running under the Fraternity Party, if their ad shows them smiling and walking in slow motion with some kids, I'll vote for them.


OK, onto the positives:

-Lost - oh man, this show is the best. Two summers ago, Missy and I made a decision to allow ourselves to get hooked on this show (we started watching the DVD's for Season 1 and 2 before Season 3 started) and it took about 4 minutes to get us. If you have never watched the show, don't start now. Unless you take about 3 straight weekends and watch the first three seasons until your eyes start to bleed. Which I recommend.

-24 - another one that is great to marathon watch - not as good as Lost but it has enough twists and turns to keep you interested.

-The Office - this show kills me. I have watched every episode about 10 times and they still crack me up.

-Sportscenter - Missy makes fun of me because Sportscenter repeats every hour but I still watch it 3 times in a row. Just like in college.

-Any commercial that has slapstick humor - if someone gets hit in the face or the groin or runs into a wall, I love it because Missy has a special slapstick humor laugh that gets me every time.

-That new "Dude" commercial for Miller Lite. That's a guy's commercial

-The Discovery Channel - smart enough TV that I can convince myself I am not lowering my IQ by watching it - favorite shows: Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch and Man vs. Wild.

GUILTY PLEASURES THAT I BLAME ON MY WIFE:

-Project Runway - yes, I know it is a reality show but the fact that Heidi Klum is on it negates everything I said earlier.

-Makeover/Renovation shows - I have seen more bathrooms and kitchens unveiled in the last 5 months than I can even begin to count. And still I find myself saying things like, "Wow, I really like the color of that trim." Welcome to married life.


There are a few other guilty pleasures that I think I will take with me to my grave but if you have anything you would like to share, please don't hesitate to do so. I would be curious to hear what things you like and don't like in the media.

One thing that I already knew but this post has certainly reminded me of is that I watch A LOT of TV. Since Riley was born, we wanted to make a concerted effort to watch less TV. Sometimes I think we do a good job of that, other times we don't.

The last thing I would want for him is to grow up to be able to list what reality shows spun off of other reality shows. Anyone who can do that, well, they need to read a book.