Cinema

A few weeks ago I experienced a nasty drug reaction (not a bad meth baggie, just a reaction to a prescribed medication). I will spare you the gory details but suffice it to say, the bathroom floor is an uncomfortable place to sleep. The post reaction time was spent lying on the couch like a flaccid noodle. As a distraction to my woes I watched television. Here are a few things I learned about the world of TV entertainment.

1) Less is more--The first few hours of television time is entertaining. I can hold my own with the kid edition of Jeopardy, thank you very much, Alex. I know how to boil pasta, Rachel Ray. I know that the average house buyer would buy a rat shack as long as it has granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances, House Hunters. I am aware of my complete lack of fashion sense, Stacy and Clinton, I appreciate your tips, even when they are a few years old in the rerun season. That being said, I was at a loss as to what next on the channel selections. Plenty of mind numbing material was gazed upon with a few sparks of interest. Just like drugs, small doses, please.

2) Some things never change-- I watched several old movies on the Turner Classic Movie channel. What struck me was how much hanky panky was going on in many of them. Lots of affairs, love gone bad, murders of passion and wardrobe malfunctions. No wonder so many of them were thin with all that prowling around going on.

3) Commercials are king--The frothy morning shows with women in sheath dresses and suited up men bantering back and forth about what is trending, the latest weather and a smidgen of news are quite popular TV fare. I enjoy some of the segments but become exhausted with the number of commercials. The average two hour show was dotted with at least forty or more minutes of commercials. Often the same ones, ad nauseum. I guess that is why God created DVRs and Netflix.

4) Wolves can be found in sheep's clothing--Frequently, commercials are advertising wonder drugs. Happy people living fabulously fun lives are attracting mates, walking along beaches, playing with grandchildren, eating out with friends and relaxing with cups of steaming coffee after taking the magic pills. All this is followed by the punch line. In hyper speed as the fun people fade out, a list of possible drug reactions is shared.  As someone who has been up close and personal with such side effects, be aware of the wolf at your door.

5) Subtitles can be handy--I am not usually a big fan of reading subtitles during a movie, but at 3:00 in the morning when one's mind simply must be distracted, watching a subtitled movie can help. The subtitles make it easier to turn the sound off and they force the brain to work a little. I watched a few black and white French flicks. Boy howdy, do those people know how to sneak around and commit their crimes of passion. Geniuses, really. No surprise why these movies are running after the kiddies have gone to bed.

Television is a good entertainment option and I will continue to enjoy my share. But like a stick of butter, a pat or two is divine, the whole stick is a bit much.

Enjoy a couple of pats this week.