Opinion

Try it, you might like a different show

Thursday, July 4, 2013

I often hear other middle age plus folk complaining that there is nothing good on TV anymore. I often say it myself. I get tired of seeing actresses portraying lawyers or other professional people while wearing dresses with plunging necklines and skin tight skirts. But I know I have reached the stage where whatever I wear must be clean (at least when I put it on) and doesn't bind, pinch or sag. Everything else is OK.

But I have become "hooked" on a couple of shows this summer that I had been turning off earlier because I didn't think they had any appeal for me. Last night I was flipping through the remote buttons and couldn't find anything that interested me -- or that sounded like it would interest me. I got stopped by a phone call while the remote had stopped on a station that was showing something about "American Ninja War-riors." That certainly wasn't anything I wanted to see.

What is a Ninja Warrior anyway? And are the American ones any different than any other country's? As I answered the phone call and talked a minute with the caller I saw a little of what was going on. These athletes were going through a nearly impossible obstacle course trying to do it in shorter times than their competitors.

When they missed they fell into a pool of water underneath them. I watched a minute to see what the different obstacles were and then heard the commentator mention the rarity of women doing well at this event. Just then a woman was the one trying to complete the course. Of course my women's lib became active and I started cheering her on. She slipped on the next to last hurdle and fell into the water, but came up smiling and jubilant that she had gone as far as she did. She knew she had a chance of going to the next level if there were no more who had done better than she had by the time the program was over.

I became an expert in seeing how the different people approached each obstacle and suddenly I realized that I was really enjoying the show. All those good looking healthy people trying to perform an almost impossible course got me hooked. I will have to watch again next week and hope some more women will also compete.

I had been watching "The Voice" through much of the spring season and at first I thought it wasn't interesting because I had not become used to the judges' personalities and objected somewhat to what they were saying. But I soon discovered that the judges were competing with each other in trying to coach their chosen singers who were also competing against each other.

However, after watching a few shows I realized that there was a common feeling of affection between the judges, the singers and the audience. I didn't get involved enough to call in a vote for anyone, but I was rooting for the two male country singers who only came out in third place.

Now "America's Got Talent" is in its third or so week and we have only seen each performer one time. However there have been some outstanding acts this year and I am interested each week to see what else will be shown. When they start weeding them down with judges' and viewer's votes then I expect to have some favorites also. So far the three operatic young men from different cultures and countries have caught my attention. I predict they may be the final winners, but we haven't even see all the competitors yet, so I may change my mind.

Because of my hearing problems I don't enjoy the dramas and cop or medical shows much anymore because I miss some of the dialogue. Maybe that is why I have started liking some of these competitive shows that used to make me turn my nose up. I have always loved playing games, and since I don't have many opportunities for active games anymore, I am enjoying watching this type of show on TV now.

Who knows, soon I may even enjoy watching the most competitive show on the air. You know the one that is called "Trying to Get Elected."