Saturday, August 2, 2008

I am Disappointed with Shark Week



























In the last Hometown Tales Radio Show and Podcast, (#237) I revealed how disappointed I am in Shark Week on the Discovery Channel this year. It's a very simple observation. I remember in early college when I couldn't wait for Shark Week. It was practically 24 hours of non-stop man-eating socially irresponsible irrational-fear-mongering delight. There was a flood of shows on brutal attacks, great whites, world's most dangerous beasts and more. Ok, so it was contributing to the death of thousands of innocent fishies, but man was it good entertainment.

I suppose I can accept that the Discovery Channel's need to clean up the act a little by sandwiching the occasional Shark Kindness PSA (performed by a guilty Peter Benchley, author of JAWS) urging the public to get behind the understanding of sharks and how they weren't all out to eat us. Although I do miss thinking that every-time I went into the ocean there was a giant JAWS and his Mama about to attack me possibly in 3D.

But what's with the programming now? My God, they just take every Discovery Channel "Star" and "Sharkize" them. We see the Mythbusters ruin every awesomely stupid Shark Myth I always believed. You're telling me sharks can eat a helicopter like in JAWS 2? Thanks Debbie Downer ! They also throw big Discovery Channel celeb, the Survivorman, into the mix by unscientificially instructing us how to not be eaten by a shark. Yawn. Now, I love Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs but come on, there is no need to make a Dirty Jobs Shark Week Edition. I have not problem having Mike Rowe do something for Shark Week but forcing his show into the mold was week. "oooohh, shark's poo too and someone has to clean it up, here's Mike Rowe. So what's next? I got it, the guys from American Chopper will jump a shark in a tank with their motorcycle. Just like Shark Week has.

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