Like Rip Van Winkle who slumbered through 20 winters, I recently came out of a 10-year doze myself and turned the TV back on. Who says there's nothing on the tube? I find the commercials especially mesmerizing. Doesn't matter if they are selling a car or a tomato, the brains behind TV spots these days can create a ready made narrative dreamscape, complete with back story, character development, pathos and a punch line—all in 30 seconds.
By contrast, C-Span provides an unblinking 24-hour look at the momentous tedium on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where lawmakers present arguments, build factions, take votes and otherwise swagger and bluff their way into history. My favorite C-Span moment so far was spent watching my only favorite Republican, John McCain, put the screws to J. Steven Griles, former deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior, for his alleged involvement in fleecing the Jena Band of the Choctaw Indian Tribe of millions of dollars. He allegedly provided a "legislative fix" that would hamper efforts by the Choctaws to get land for a casino in Louisiana. Former lobbyist and con man Jack Abramoff represented a rival tribe, which he also bilked for several million dollars while acting as their economic advisor. Griles was packed like sausage into his suit and looked to be sweating and sunburned as McCain presented e-mail after e-mail implicating him in the scandal. Of course, Griles vehemently, though ineptly, insisted he was innocent. Even with such drama, C-Span lacks commercials and may need a filibuster to spice things up a bit.
Speaking of spice, there are pay-per-view shows featuring some extraordinarily uninhibited folks who dispense quickly with all pleasantries (as well as their attire) before engaging in a kind of reality TV that makes "Survivor" look like so much beating around the bush. Too much dirty talk and bad lighting for me.
Google has once again saved the day by coming out with Current TV, a newsy extension of their search engine makes the Internet a kind of prosthetic, free-association, über-mind I can no longer imagine living without.
How do you think I remembered how long Rip Van Winkle slept? Current TV has time-bars that tell you how long the currently playing show will last, an energetic 20-something style, and mini-documentaries from all over the place about stuff that really matters.
Some kids still know that it is sexy to be smart. (And so smart to be sexy.)
Tony Evans
