Where Has Television Viewing Gone?

I don't get it and it scares me. I'm not sure what scares me more - the things that show up on television, or the people who watch them. Both but on a different level, I guess is the answer. Luis and I are on the couch in the sun room - our favourite place to be - and he is watching a recording of (how completely embarrassing is this?) "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" on the SciFi channel. This is scraping, folks, and the gods know that there are plenty of really awful and completely embarrassing things on the telly.

This one consists of so many contestants who show up in their own costume (I'm sure they would say "uniform" but I refure to be that kind), with whatever their various talents (?) are, ready to do battle and really and debase themselves to win this thing... I don't know what they win... ah, of course, Luis would know. He thinks it is a role on a sci-fi movie and money. The amount of which is unknown and the role is as a star. Seeing a moment or two of the last winner's movie convinced me that at least on a show called "The Biggest Loser", the winner gets to have a new body of their own making! That is something to be very proud of -- much more than a role in a very cheesy low-budget sci-fi movie, of which there are far, far too many!

Luis watches the show but clearly does not pay much attention to what the grand prize is - Stan Lee (who undoubtedly means a lot to any comic book afficianado) will create a new comic book with the winner as the superhero. OK.... well, you know, if you really appreciate comic books, then I guess this is the thing for you! Not so much for me.

Maybe I am too fussy, but overwieght or unattractive people probably are not the best bet for this. They may turn out to be exemplary heroes, but... well... Superman and the Green Lantern were not homely or in possession of a pot belly. Am I wrong? How do you feel about seeing your locan constubulary huffing and puffing because they are clearly not able to chase down a perp on foot with that enormous doughnut-enhanced figure?

I am not slender by any means. But you don't see me squeezing myself into spandex and running around attempting to fight crime. I'm the first to tell you I am woefully underqualified to do that.

And yet, here are - what, 10 or 12 people who show up in a costume of their own design, brandishing a plunger or feather duster or maybe something slightly more fear-inducing, such as a whip, with a bad wig (you really need to see some of these people to believe it), hoping to mark their place in history as a superhero. Is there the point where it is okay for me to jump in and tel them to please, for the love of little apples, get a life? Find some hobbies - blogging, reading, golf, anything that gets you out of the disarray you must be in to contemplate this as an answer.

And this is before the 2007 season of nightmarish television viewing begins!