American Politics and British Television

This week has conspired against blog writing with its combination of spring snow, early morning business appointments and whatnot. Consequently, several things have happened out there which have escaped comment, and since I know that many of you can’t possibly go a minute longer without my insightful analysis...

With last night’s eleventh hour passage of a 2,200 page, 1.3 Trillion dollar spending bill, both Republicans and Democrats owe every drunken sailor who has ever lived an apology. In Trumpworld, we are once again treated to the spectacle of an upside down universe in which despite having control of not only the White House, but both houses of Congress, the Republican Party manages to pass a budget which only Democrats are happy with. Winning.....

Apparently, we are entering the Porn Star period of the Trump Presidency, whereby with each passing day a new one pops up on CNN describing her dalliance with the Donald. Trump haters are appalled, Trump fanboys scream Fake News! The rest of us fall into the exhausted/overwhelmed camp. I take it all in and try to imagine what possible deviance a future Democrat President might be guilty of which would justify outrage from this batch of current Trump apologists. It occurs to me that, thanks to the Donald, the field has been permanently cleared for any and all future presidents who might have thought themselves disqualified for that office because of youthful indiscretions like, oh, I don’t know...rape, drug addiction, child molestation, serial infidelities, multiple bankruptcies, high treason. The Trump standard has ripped to shreds the old fear of skeletons in the closet being a candidacy killer. From now on, serial adulterers, multiple romps with porn stars, and multiple divorces will no longer prohibit someone from seeking and winning the Presidency. I will leave it to the reader to determine whether or not this constitutes progress.

Recently, Pam and I finished watching two more British dramas on Netflix...Shetland and Happy Valley. Every time we watch one of these shows I am overcome with with an inferiority complex. It’s been going on for years now. From Downton Abbey to Foyle’s War, from Broadchurch to Doc Martin, I watch British television and am forced to confront the awful truth that American television is mostly...trash. Sure, there are shining exceptions, but by and large, practically anything from the United Kingdom is superior to American programming. Pam made the observation that British actors universally give off the impression that they aren’t acting at all. In addition, British actors, both men and women look like ordinary people, that is...they are plain looking. The woman aren’t all size twos with fake boobs and slathered in make up. The men aren’t chiseled hunks with perfect skin. They look like people you would run in to at the grocery store. So, do yourselves a favor and turn off reality television and watch something...anything from the BBC. You’ll thank me later. HINT: you may have to turn on the English subtitles thing, since although English is in fact spoken in Shetland, the Scottish accents are so thick and so beguilingly delightful, many scenes must be watched a second time to figure out what the heck they were talking about!

Almost done with the Bible Reading project for 2018. Just six more days to go, and I haven’t missed a one. It might be the most spiritually significant thing I’ve done in my entire adult life. It has been at once challenging, exciting, confusing, thought provoking, comforting, disorienting, and life changing. When I’m done, I am going to miss what has become my 6:00 am ritual.