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smbdoll -> Issue 41 - The Legend of the Cursed Viewer (Circe) (4/6/2009 14:44:36)
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The Legend of the Cursed Viewer
By Circe
Television is a fickle friend. A good show becomes a part of your routine, and by extension, a part of your life. You make room for it, pushing aside family and friends to spend a half an hour once a week with characters that don't really care if you eat right or pick up your dirty socks. And then, once you've let that show into your life and you think, "This time it will work out," they abandon you. But is it possible that it truly is you, not them?
Shows get cancelled, that's reality. Shows even get cancelled prematurely due to the widespread bad taste affecting society today. However, when multiple shows get cancelled before their time, it is truly bad luck? Is it really because the masses didn't appreciate the subtle humor of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip or because the depth of Titus simply couldn't be grasped by the average viewer? Or is it because you, the viewer, are cursed?
How many shows have been cancelled? How many of those shows did you really like? Have you ever seen a pilot and thought, 'Now this is perfect,' only to have it cancelled six episodes later? The truth may be that you are a cursed viewer. A cursed viewer is someone with the ultimate taste in television. You know the difference between outrageous satire and tasteless comedy. You can debate the art of The Simpsons and still justify an interest in Mythbusters. You think both versions of The Office are hilarious and spend a few minutes each day missing That 70s Show. You like Scrubs and are fully convinced that only philistines don't enjoy The Daily Show.
If this describes you, then you may be a cursed viewer. You may be the reason all the good shows get cancelled and there's still a brand new made-for-TV-movie every few months on Lifetime: Television for Women. You could be the underlying cause of the growth of reality television and the tragic death of Sports Night and Firefly.
But don't give up hope just yet! Every time a new show comes out that you think you could really enjoy, remember to take a few deep breaths and try not to get overexcited. Remember that television is something to be appreciated and cherished, certainly not something to take for granted. A good show is fleeting, something to be enjoyed while its still around. Don't be one of those people filled with regret, wishing they'd taken the time to tell News Radio how funny it was, before the tragic loss of Phil Hartman. Don't waste your time pining for what was; tell Scrubs how great it is before it goes. Make sure you spend as much time with Michael and Dwight as you can, just in case The Office leaves. And above all else, remember that DVDs of those prematurely cancelled shows are not that expensive.
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