Cultural void

While our American mates were staying with us we became intimately acquainted with all kinds of TV channels we didn't even know we have access to. No, not that kind. Tch.

Fox News for example.

If you have the free satellite channels, check it out. For vapid, un-analytical, self-referential trivia, it's unsurpassed. I watched in open-mouthed dismay as they ran (heh) a story about some chap who was going to take part in the New York Marathon. Barefoot.

Now that in itself is quite an interesting little story.

He was being sponsored to support a charity, he was reasonably articulate, and came across as being someone who might be worth listening to. Did we get the chance to listen to him?

Did we bollocks.

His 30-second appearance was swamped by the ditzy* blonde female news anchor wittering on about how she knew a great place down the road where he could get a pedicure.

Example of one of her interview questions: "You mean to say you've never had a pedicure? Not EVER? Oh wow!"

Then they did a lengthy sequence (I think live) where various news anchors ran around barefoot, shrieking and going "Woo!" a lot. They also compared pedicures.

Pulitzer prize material it was not.

Anyway, we watched Fox because our guests were desperate to find out the baseball and American football results.**

In the end they found out from "Russia Today" on a different channel which I thought was both ironic and amusing.

They were also trying to follow the progress of the huge storm that was sweeping up across the Eastern seaboard.

Guess where they eventually found a decent weather report?

Al Jazeera. Heh.

So. No intelligent news on the American news channel, no weather and no sports. Lots of footage of plastic-haired grinning idiots exchanging painfully scripted banter, though.

So that's alright then.



*I'm guessing she'd see that as a compliment, though. Idiot.

**Red Socks won, New England Patriots won, they were very happy.