Friday, December 20, 2013

Shut the Duck Up

I remember a time when A&E, the History Channel, The Learning Channel and the Discovery Channel were all places you could go to watch TV and not feel completely horrible about the amount of time you spent in front of the TV. It was programming you could watch and get something back. Granted a lot of it was gee whiz I might do freaking awesome the next time I play a trivia game or more than you ever really wanted to know about Hitler and World War II. The thing is you could go there are learn a little bit and still be entertained. Well in the big scheme of things learning doesn’t pay as much as people being stupid. If nothing else we’ve learned from America’s Funniest home videos we love to see some poor schulb take it a shot to the twig and berries, or some kid or pet bust their ass in some wacky fashion as long as they don’t bleed. We’ve had a full decade and probably closer to two now of “reality” TV People getting paid far too much to PRETEND that what they are doing in front of the camera is random and how they act all the time. (cough …bullshit…cough) You can see the scripting without much effort but hey watch what you want. I don’t watch because that is my right to say you know what a bunch of bearded yahoos, hucksters in a pawn shop, a chubby little pageant queen or any of the others because it isn’t how I choose to entertain myself. And if you like watching any of those things you probably equally hate watching what I love to watch. That’s ok too. However to say that this is some big issue involving the US Constitution and the First Amendment is where I have to step in and say, No. Mr. Duck got to say what he wanted. In fact if got printed in a magazine. As far as I know no one is saying he can not go on saying the same stuff or believing what he believes. The only thing I think that has changed is that his bosses, you know the people who wrangle up the money for the ads that pay for his show and all the others have said you know I’m not sure we want to pay you any more. This is their right as the bosses. Mr. Duck can say what he wants A&E does not have to be the vehicle by which he gets to say what he wants. Would your boss keeping paying you if you went out and said some stuff that made your company look bad or your company didn’t agree with. Probably not, but you are entitle to do just that and find out. However there is hope if you want to the show to continue. Launch a kickstarter page raise the money and put it on Youtube or hell Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon might even pick it up. The thing is no one is saying he can’t say what he wants. They are just saying they aren’t going to be the soap box he stands on anymore. Besides there are bigger issues to deal with here other than if a group of successful business owners get to continue to make a bunch more money on top of their successful business anymore all the while pretending it is some religious slight or oppressive censorship. Oh, I don’t know maybe start with our soldiers, or the homeless, or the unemployed. It would be a better world indeed if people got as pissed off about real issues rather than some made up bullshit to sell air time or magazine copies. Well, that’s all for now, other stuff tomorrow most likely Happy Birthday if it’s your birthday and a very merry un birthday if it isn’t your birthday Thank you for reading, please subscribe, Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood. Ciao, PS 3 Gamer Tag: invisible don PO Box 4425 Roanoke VA 24015