reality show

2010 saw a plethora of reality shows, each more absurd than the previous. We had Bridalplasty celebrating the American way to be beautiful, pay for it. We had Jersey Shore celebrating the fact that if you drink, get drunk, beat up girls, have sex on any surface you are a teen age heart throb. And Sarah Palin’s Alaska celebrating quitters, liars, and deniers.

As with all reality shows there is an opportunity to change the channel, turn off the television or read a book if you don’t want to put up with the ugliness of people pretending to be real.

But premiering in January of 2011 was a new reality show that somehow defies turning off any television or reading a book to ignore it, it is the reality show called the 112th Congress and its protagonist is the newly installed Speaker of the House, John Boehner.

Like other reality super stars and Diva’s as Snookie, the Situation and Sister Sarah, Mr. Boehner subscribes to the adage the truth is of no consequence, facts are useless, and do as I say not as I do reign supreme.

As Mr. Boehner convened the the 112th Congress he took his overly large gavel holding it, kind of stroking it in a very phallic manner and conducted a very weird first installment of this new reality show.

The Speaker said he would keep an open debate alive in the ‘peoples house’. He would be transparent, (much more than those socialist dems ever were), and encourage healthy discussion. But then in an interview after he opened the 112th Congress, Mr. Boehner said maybe not so transparent with all bills. And the maybe not all bills had to do with one major bill coming up for repeal, the Health Care Bill. Liar liar your pants are on fire!

An extra bonus to keeping the ’people’s house’ American as apple pie, the first bit of business Mr. Boehner and his Republican Tea Baggers asked for was to read the the Constitution. But the Constitution being read did not include all of the Constitution, it was decided to leave out the parts that were amended, and the parts that didn’t discuss the aspects of the Constitution the Repubs, and the Baggers didn’t care for. (they have a habit of selective reading, just like when they quote the New Testament).

And when the Congress read aloud Article 2 Section 1 stating the President must be a ‘natural born citizen’ a loony lady who is well known as queen of the birthers shouted from the gallery “...not Obama, not Obama, Jesus help us...” She was able to get a few more choice words out before being removed from the chamber, and one has to wonder why she was even permitted to be seated)

And Mr. House Speaker Boehner when asked (as he left the Congress while they were still reading from the Constitution, so he could do an interview while the the ‘people’s house’ was still in session) did he believe the President was a natural born citizen, Mr. Boehner said he believes so. And then asked if he believed the President was a citizen, would Mr. Boehner insist that his colleagues stop denying that fact, Mr. Boehner said he can’t tell his colleagues what to do or what to think. The Speaker of the House the majority leader in the House, the man who for the past 2 years insisted on NO who kept his mindless minions on a tight rope said they all had free will to think as they wished.

Most reality shows are on television because advertisers pay to air the programs. Many advertisers realize the potential for market share from the viewers and are willing, no matter how inane or insane the reality show to keep them on air. The advertisers have a product, there is sucker born every minute, the suckers buy the product no matter the content, and bottom lines are met.

For the newest reality show, the one called the 112th Congress there are advertisers who had and continue to fund its existence. They are the Koch brothers, the Financial, Health Insurance and Oil cartels. They paid for the lies, the innuendo, the fabrications that got the majority of the 112th Congress elected. their money is plenty and they will continue to back this reality show for as long as possible.

Reality shows! I am sure when cultural historians review the beginnings of the 21st century, they will rub their heads and wonder how could America be so non creative, find such losers to represent the common man, and permit the dumbing down of a culture. Most reality shows have a limited life and will fade into the sunset of awful television. But the newest reality show, the 112th Congress, will leave us with some risky ramifications, and ruinous results. And worst of all no matter how bad the script we can’t turn it off, at least for the next two years.

When does this reality show nightmare end?