Trying to be a good teacher

OK, it makes sense to me that I should be checking out some of the shows that my students watch, so I have my TiVo working overtime to catch what seem to be the most popular shows among them, including Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, House, and Jon and Kate Plus 8. Intervention never seems to be on when something else I watch isn't so I'll have to wait for rerun season for that, probably after November sweeps is over.

This morning I watched most of Celebrity Rehab. Although I had not seen this show before, I had seen The Surreal Life and it seems as if the grouping is very similar--mostly has-been actual celebrities, but others who just barely make it as celebrities. I'm not even sure what band Stephen played for, or what Amber Smith ever did (something pornographic?), and I don't watch American Idol so the runner-up means nothing to me. Rodney King seems to be in a whole different league than the rest--we all have traumas, but his is a lot more understandable as a reason to hide pain, than people who were very famous or semi-famous actors who just couldn't get work. I get that they wanted multi-racial, various ages, men and women but it seems like a strange mix. Same sort of train wreck fascination as The Surreal Life, but adding the addiction makes it seem like it's supposed to be educational somehow, and that's pretty scary.

It's very funny to me that Dr. Drew wears a stethescope. Why? I guess, along with the white coat it's just a symbol that he's a doctor, not anything he will need much. Anyhow, his brand of pop psychology seems a little dangerous to me. I wonder if anyone learns anything from this show. They certainly learn that drug addiction is really bad for your face (especially if you're a man) and body, which isn't a bad thing to learn, I guess. Jeff Conaway (no relation) seems very messed up. It was only about 7 years ago that I heard he was an acting teacher in LA, so that's sad.

Anyhow, at the conference I was just at, one of the television critics referred to "Rome burns TV" and it really does seem like this is nearly as dumb as anything the characters in Idiocracy watched. I can see the fascination, but am not tempted to watch again.