I love television. And I have always suspected that most other people do as well, they just don’t want admit it. It is much more sophisticated to refer to tv as a mindless waste of time and that you prefer to spend your time pondering on the writings of Nietzsche. Really, we all know that when you are sitting at home alone, you are sitting on the couch, dumbfounded at the kitchen wonder that is the Magic Bullet (and honestly, who wouldn’t be? That thing is AMAZING!). It reminds me of high school, when for some inexplicable reason it was uncool to like McDonalds. Taco Bell and Wendys were perfectly ok, but NEVER McDonalds. But now that we are trying to grow up and be honest about our feelings, we can admit to the fact that some days, nothing hits the spot quite like a Big Mac and fries.
We have yet to hit that point with tv. Some things are much less controversial, like the Olympics. The Olympics are a time when all mankind agrees that the television is a remarkable invention—it is able to capture the spirit of the Olympics like written news never will. However, the rift between tv fans and foes widens with other shows. Lots of people watch late night talk shows, a few less people watch any number of reality tv shows, and no one will admit to watching the lowest of the low. MTV reality shows. And I am talking about the really shameful shows, like Punk’d, Pimp My Ride, My Super Sweet Sixteen and my personal favorite, Laguna Beach. I don’t know why I am so drawn to the melodramatic lives of wealthy teenagers, but I am. And so are a lot of other people. But if this show is ever brought up in mixed company (and by mixed, I am referring to fans and non-fans), it is almost immediately met with a collective sigh and head shake. But I am ok with standing alone. Or at least, what I thought was alone…
So the other day, I was watching Laguna Beach reruns after I got home from work. Included in this particular episode was a scene set to the Journey hit “Don’t Stop Believing.” Well, the next day at work, I could NOT get that song out of my head! I tried to ignore it, hoping that it would pass like a flu and I would be fine the next day. I lied to myself like this for 3 days. So on Friday, I broke down and went to Wal Mart on my lunch break to purchase Journey’s Greatest Hits. Wow, that is some great music to sing along with at the top of your lungs. It got me all the way through my go-home traffic, which normally drives (pun intended) me to a murderous rage. When I got home, I still hadn’t had enough, so I blasted the cd while I cleaned the apartment. I was so caught up in perfecting my next karaoke act that I missed a call from my uncle (who is apparently a dead ringer for Joey from Friends). I returned his call promptly and explained to him that I hadn’t been able to hear my phone ringing over the stunning vocals of Steve Perry. (Quick side note: in this day and age of the ringtone, is it still appropriate to say that one’s phone was ringing? Or would it be more accurate to say that your phone “sounded” or “sang”?) He laughed and said that at work earlier that day, he was downloading songs off of iTunes (BYU professors have busy days, apparently) and was baffled to see a Journey song on the Top 10 Downloaded Songs List. “Was it ‘Don’t Stop Believing'?” I asked. Indeed it was. I explained that that very song was what had inspired my purchase earlier that day, because it had been on Laguna Beach that week. Clearly, this strong of a response to this particular song can’t be a coincidence. Journey hasn't been mainstream in years, and now it is all of a sudden the number 8 download on iTunes.
Interpret it as you wish-- I see it as undeniable evidence that Laguna Beach is the new McDonalds.
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