Another Nasty Oprah Experience.......

Turned on the TV this morning when I went up to change out of my church-y clothes into some serious school work duds. [Shorts, T-shirt and obligatory ‘thinking cap’!] I found myself sucked into an Oprah vortex from which I had difficulty extricating myself. Today’s show had an extreme feel of deja vu and coupled with the fact that Oprah was wearing a dark wool sweater, I am led to suspect it was a repeat. Miss O was commisserating with a representative of some coalition to promote better child-friendly television. Oprah was just oozing righteaous indignation and exclaiming over and over, “I didn’t know you could say JackAss on TV!”

This must have all gone right past me the first time it aired. But within just the past few weeks I accidentally sat on the remote for the TV in my bedroom and activated the auto-program function .This wonderful piece of technology put back all the channels that I had worked so hard to keep off of my television. MTV, BET, all 3,000 ESPNs...........and Oprah’s own cooperative venture, Oxygen. Before I had a chance to hit the erase button, I was treated to the Sunday Night Sex Show. How can Oprah play innocent on her show and tsk about how careful parents need to be, while Oxygen has an amoral crone (who makes Dr. Ruth Westheimer look and act like the Flying Nun!) spewing obscene sex advice in a milieu specifically meant to be outside of the moral realm. I watched longer than I should have.........it was fascinating in the same way that the reptile house at the zoo is. More than once, this sexologist reminded her young viewers to put out of their minds any advice they may have received from their families or churches and to think for themselves and about their own pleasure. It was the most nauseating thing I have ever seen on basic cable. And it’s not just on Sunday night. A quick look at the TV Guide shows that it reruns often during the week.

Well, now we have one other pitfall to look out for.
(Not to mention all of my children’s future peer group who may already be in the process of being poisoned by this evil...........)
I would like to get rid of the TV altogether - most of the time. That might help us in the short run. Like living in a bubble in Love Canal. But what about when we have to get out there and mix with all the people who have been poisoned?????