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Seriously?
Feb. 27th, 2013 09:08 amI have a much less ranty post coming about my recent time "out of Dodge", but I wanted to take a moment to address something that is flying about hither and yon.
Lets talk about Seth MacFarlane, shall we?
There seems to be this idea that someone who is historically known to be wildly inappropriate, who is chosen to host a major TV event by people who most certainly know him well enough to know what to expect, and who was undoubtedly vetted for the position, should suddenly turn-tail and completely become a different person simply because he was chosen for this "job".
Having watched the Oscars (because I am a fan of the movies and the awards are interesting to me), I was not in the least bit shocked by anything he did. Not because I didn't feel it was appropriate, but simply because it was my expectation based on who he is and what he does.
Who he is and what he does is what got him that spot. It has been said that his involvement may very well have influenced ratings in a positive way this year.
And while his in-between-snipes may have been off the cuff, his prepared bits (including the Boobs song) was most definitely NOT unplanned. Not only was it rehearsed, but I half wondered if the reactions from the ladies in the audience were staged since the whole point of the bit was to exemplify how his inappropriateness might affect how people perceived him as host. And because the bit was planned, that means it was approved. So if you want to bitch at somebody, bitch at the producers of the show. I'm certain if the producers and directors had something to say about it, it would have gone differently.
Better yet, bitch at people. Seth, like most other purveyors of socially questionable content live and die by the law of supply and demand. He gets paid a lot of money to do what he does because people want to see him do it.
It's like bitching at WalMart and McDonalds for contributing to the demise of society. And yet, people still want cheap food and stuff, and aren't typically willing (or in some cases able) to do better. And heaven forbid we find a way to make healthy food inexpensive or American products affordable to Americans. We preach the benefits of capitalism and then complain when companies succeed.
Grumble as you will about things you don't like going on around you. But remember, it starts and ends with you. People may not like the status quo, but it takes a lot to get people motivated to change it. Particularly when you tell them that they can't eat their cake and have it too.
So if you're going to point the finger, point in the right direction. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it should be at ourselves. Not at the people providing us what we want them to provide us.
And if you want to attempt to impress me with your shock and horror at the fact that there are a lot of people who enjoyed what Seth did this weekend and, perhaps, even preferred it, maybe it's time to step off the pedestal, pull your head out of where you've chosen to lodge it, and take a look around. We are here because this is what we've decided we want. We are responsible. And perhaps once we all decide that we want something different, we will stand a chance at making things different.
Lets talk about Seth MacFarlane, shall we?
There seems to be this idea that someone who is historically known to be wildly inappropriate, who is chosen to host a major TV event by people who most certainly know him well enough to know what to expect, and who was undoubtedly vetted for the position, should suddenly turn-tail and completely become a different person simply because he was chosen for this "job".
Having watched the Oscars (because I am a fan of the movies and the awards are interesting to me), I was not in the least bit shocked by anything he did. Not because I didn't feel it was appropriate, but simply because it was my expectation based on who he is and what he does.
Who he is and what he does is what got him that spot. It has been said that his involvement may very well have influenced ratings in a positive way this year.
And while his in-between-snipes may have been off the cuff, his prepared bits (including the Boobs song) was most definitely NOT unplanned. Not only was it rehearsed, but I half wondered if the reactions from the ladies in the audience were staged since the whole point of the bit was to exemplify how his inappropriateness might affect how people perceived him as host. And because the bit was planned, that means it was approved. So if you want to bitch at somebody, bitch at the producers of the show. I'm certain if the producers and directors had something to say about it, it would have gone differently.
Better yet, bitch at people. Seth, like most other purveyors of socially questionable content live and die by the law of supply and demand. He gets paid a lot of money to do what he does because people want to see him do it.
It's like bitching at WalMart and McDonalds for contributing to the demise of society. And yet, people still want cheap food and stuff, and aren't typically willing (or in some cases able) to do better. And heaven forbid we find a way to make healthy food inexpensive or American products affordable to Americans. We preach the benefits of capitalism and then complain when companies succeed.
Grumble as you will about things you don't like going on around you. But remember, it starts and ends with you. People may not like the status quo, but it takes a lot to get people motivated to change it. Particularly when you tell them that they can't eat their cake and have it too.
So if you're going to point the finger, point in the right direction. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it should be at ourselves. Not at the people providing us what we want them to provide us.
And if you want to attempt to impress me with your shock and horror at the fact that there are a lot of people who enjoyed what Seth did this weekend and, perhaps, even preferred it, maybe it's time to step off the pedestal, pull your head out of where you've chosen to lodge it, and take a look around. We are here because this is what we've decided we want. We are responsible. And perhaps once we all decide that we want something different, we will stand a chance at making things different.