Lately the trends in talk shows have been thoroughly irking me. If you have had a good afternoon to waste watching shows like Dr. Phil or Oprah or Ellen degenerate...oops! degenerous, you'll follow what I mean. It is one thing to talk to a bunch of people about sensitive issues, publicise the pain and anguish and in the process maybe shed a few genuine uncontrolled tears...but I say...to have audiences by the rows weeping over someone having their house cleaned of mold and unwanted clothing is a classified waste of lacrimal fluid.
Most of these talk shows make a big ado about nothing! I don't deny that they provide a platform for an exposure or expression of different ideas but it seems that no show however light hearted or humourous can pass without the brimming eye, the sniffing nose or the light flick of a threatening tear from the corners of the eye. I am sure the audience have no idea what will air on that day's show but it seems certain that they all march in with the sole intention of dehydrating themselves crying the moment the camera man says 'action'...(or whatever it is these cameramen say to talk show hosts!).
Dr.Phil talks like he is god. I grade him nothing less than a pseudo psychologist armed with all the truisms and wise words that would improve or help nothing but the TV ratings. Last week, I managed to sit through one of his shows where he was counseling a couple and advicing the husband that if his wife wanted pots and pans for gifts then he should give it to her and just cause he is a jew doesn't mean he needn't respect christmas, jesus and the deal and let his wife enjoy the festivities harmoniously (for she is christian). Someone save this world or closer still save television-mediated messages! There are more serious issues to discuss and people in deeper trouble psychologically. What on earth is this moustached menace playing at?! He iced the show by gifting the woman a box of pots and pans leaving the husband feeling thoroughly deficient and pointless. I suppose Dr.Phil-'anthropic' had a personal point to prove more urgently than genuinely solving the couple's problem.
Now switching channels a bit here and there and finally coming to Opera and Ellen....what is with these women trying to outdo each other in gifting the audiences?? Opera gifts people cars and houses. Ellen does a jig with a human gift box before she opens scores of gifts to the surprised spectators. Every second show is about pampering the crowd with presents and assorted goodies. It seems like a mad competition between Opera and Ellen as to who will throw away more money faster and better to have their studios burgeoning with weeping and sniffling women, bawling at their every syllable. It feels like the only emotion that draws any attention is sorrow, pain and sob stories. Doesn't hope, faith, humor, count for anything? People cry on Opera when they are discussing topics like 'choosing the right-sized bra'. I rest my case here.
I used to love talk shows once. They were genuine, each show had some unique topic of discussion and people weren't so put-on. There were things to learn about the people of this world. Even now, I wouldn't discard these talk shows as pointless but I wish they would make them less pompous and hollow and allow everybody to react naturally to different situations instead of the mass of walking talking niagra falls that they have created. As for Dr.Phil, he should just be banned. There is no vindication for him.
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