I bitched about this last year on Facebook, and here I am again. I've had cable for 3 of the past 14 years, I don't want to live without tv but living w/o cable is a-ok, even if it does marginalize us a bit with the watercooler talk. But I do know what it's like to have cable, I'm familiar with the programming for channels like the History Channel, the Food Network, and the Discovery Channel and I know what life is like having these channels in your home at your fingertips, at least circa 2001-2004.
What in the world is up with Shark Week? When I had cable, Shark Week was a week of shows about sharks on the Discovery Channel. It was interesting if you enjoy or are curious about sharks, and it was avoidable if you were anything like me and, say, didn't give a shit. Well, nowadays in the world of social networking (hi Facebook) it is SHARK WEEK!!!!! SHARK WEEK!!!!!! SHARK WEEK!!!!! You cannot live cablelessly and also avoid Shark Week, which was very perplexing to me a year ago. The online enthusiasm for Shark Week led me to believe they'd upped the stakes, that there was something more interactive about the week of sharks, that there were events throughout the nation, that more channels had joined in the festivities, that every cartoon, game show, soap opera, and cop drama got involved and incorporated a shark theme into their programming, sort of a week-long inter-network kumbaya pow-wow over a favorite ocean predator. I thought there must be art contests and community contests and maritime contests and coloring contests with $ to be won, because why else would everyone be so excited about Shark Week? You never see Facebook posts about Martha Stewart's CUPCAKE WEEK!!!! or Jeopardy's TEEN TOURNAMENT WEEK!!!! or the History Channel's HITLER WEEK!!!!!, what gives?
I was anxious to find out how Shark Week had evolved, so I asked Facebook. "What is Shark Week?" I posted, and do you know what the answer was. I was told that Shark Week was a week of shows about sharks on the Discovery Channel.
WTF. What is it about human nature that gets us all to write "SHARK WEEEEEEK!!!" on our Facebook profiles? Some cable exec must be a genius to get all this free advertising, to me this is evidence that the mob mentality exists, people please!!!
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Through the Ages
19 hours ago
5 comments:
We don't have cable either, but we looove Shark Week! We DVR it up at my parent's house, we stay overnight there as much as we can to catch shows, and we wear our shark tshirts! LOL For me, it wasn't necessarily something I was excited about. Then Alex got super interested in sharks and marine life; and suddenly, Shark Week became an event for us. You know how it is..something that isn't that exciting suddenly becomes joyous because our kids love it. I mean, I freaking cried when I took my son to see Bear In The Big Blue House Live for God's sake! He was smiling ear to ear, and even though that stupid Tutter character raked on my nerves, my boy was in heaven. And, well, it felt like I was in the presence of a superstar! LOL Shark Week has the same appeal to me.
Thanks for putting it into perspective, Kelly. I'm sick that we're going to miss Day Out With Thomas because of Wally's schedule, I'm sure all three of us would be squealing over that jerk Sir Topham Hatt, maybe someday we'll crying like a front row Fab Four teenager for sharks. =D
Oh, and, Happy Shark Week! =D
I'm just catching up on your blog, Rachel, and I'm guilty of being one of those "SHARK WEEK!!!" facebookers. I'm in the same boat as Kelly - I cyberschool an 8 year old. Spawn freakin' loves sharks these days, so the build-up to it was all fever-pitchy in our house. And then Craig Ferguson did a shark week documentary and Wally and I got into that, too. =D Love me some craigyferg!
I'm thinking about refinishing a set of gliders now, so keep an eye out for "SANDING AND PAINTING WEEK!!!" (I got the gliders 2 weeks ago for $5 for the set!!! Woot!)
~ Chrissi
I am going to attribute your Shark Week apathy due to your age. At the ripe age of 16, I was in line for two hours in the hot July sun (pre sunscreen era), waiting to see the movie.
And so, for the past 35 years, I have been fascinated with all things sharks. I have a sharks tooth collection from the Chesapeake Bay, watched dog fish flop on the beach in Ocean City, MD, and now....dun dun dun..... swam with sharks in Hawaii. It took me 35 years to jump in a metal cage like Matt Hooper. I start the summer off each year with a private viewing of Jaws (I hate to hear the groaning of the family).
So yes, I partake of all things Shark Week, and am quite proud that Maryland is home to the Discovery Channel. My personal fav this year from Shark Week was hands down Craig Ferguson's episode. Could be the accent, but his commentary was both hysterical, and yet respectful of all Elasmobranchii.
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