That's Entertainment

The best thing about returning to blogging is that I will now be reading other blogs as well. Wojr is a good example, since he's busy praising Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, NBC's new series that (as I understand it) basically shows the behind the scenes story at a fictional show modeled on Saturday Night Live. Apparently, while Wojr enjoys the show, our mutual friend Bronc has opted to avoid the show, swearing off the liberal pablum from Hollywood.

Wojr, if it makes you feel better, this (somewhat) known conservative will probably watch it tonight (the wife Tivo'ed it yesterday, and I'll probably end up watching it after House this evening).

If it makes Bronc feel better, I expect this show to eventually devolve into the same pseudo-liberal fantasy world we saw on West Wing starting in Season 2, but it may take longer, since it's more difficult to openly project politics into a comedy show.

Jokes aside, most of the entertainment I watch is created by pinko liberals (or Scientologists). That doesn't make it less entertaining, if it's entertaining. I thoroughly enjoy both House and Lost, and I'm betting there are plenty of liberals on the writing staff for both shows. Ditto The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (although the hosts of both have gotten to be ridiculously smug in interviews outside the show, which is annoying at best and self-important preening at worst). The biggest problem with the latter two is that they may be the most intelligent commentary we hear from the Left on most issues. Seeing liberals cite to comedy shows is often painful. It's sort of like me citing to Pat Robertson -- and while there are plenty of conservatives who do that, I tend to avoid it ( mostly since I don't want to misquote someone who can leg press 2000 pounds). But that's a different point for a different day.

The truth is, this stuff is funny (or dramatic) and good writing can be at odds with one's ideology or personal beliefs and still constitute entertainment. It's when the writing starts to reek of the writers' personal viewpoint to the detriment of the entertainment value (see any recent episodes of Law and Order) that they start to lose me.

It is frustrating when I know my talents as a writer far surpass most of the crap that passes muster for the entertainment industry (I know, I'm very modest). Instead, I'm writing legal treatises that can cure insomnia. The better question is why Wojr isn't writing television sitcoms -- I'm pretty sure there's a ratings winner lurking in our collective college past.

Update: Wojr has now noted my return appropriately. And quoted Hudson Hawk while doing so.