Tough Jobs and Conventions

Yes, I know I should be begging you to watch the Democratic National Convention, which starts today (8/25) and begging you to convince your children to watch, as well.  After all, a well-informed electorate is an absolute necessity.  But it’s the informed part that’s letting me off the hook on this one.

I’m not saying the convention is not important or historic.  But there is little likelihood that any real information will come of what is essentially an exquisitely choreographed pep rally.  The networks won’t even be covering it.  Think about it - the networks are losing viewers faster than sand slipping out of a clenched fist thanks to summer repeats and they still think they’ll get more eyeballs with summer repeats than if they aired the historic nomination of Senator Barak Obama for the presidential election.

The scary thing is, they’re right and it’s not all the fault of the mindless masses.  It’s the convention, itself.  We know who the nominee is.  We know who his running mate is.  We know what everyone is going to say about the economy, global warming, the war in Iraq and the current president.  What’s to watch?

If you are a political junkie, then PBS and the cable news operations, including MSNBC, CNN and Fox News will all carry extended broadcasts.  I might check it out when Senator Barak Obama makes his acceptance speech, but that won’t happen tomorrow night.

That doesn’t mean there’s that much on.  Okay, NBC is premiering America’s Toughest Jobs at 9 p.m., in which 13 people take on some of the toughest jobs in the country, such as commercial crab fishing, working on suspension bridges, oil rig work, bull fighting.  Call it Survivor meets Deadliest Catch.  I can’t imagine this one is going to go very far.  It’s simply not that interesting.

Also, beware that it can get gross - the crab crew has the contestants bite the heads off of raw herrings and eat them.  There is quite a bit of bleeping going on.  Oh, and one of the contestants makes some horribly obnoxious sexist comments at one point.  But the women prove their mettle and two of them even out-perform the men.

Or you could just kick back and read a book together tonight.

Anne Louise Bannon

yourfamilyviewer.com