A couple of comments on my "confession" entry got me thinking...
Besides never reading any Harry Potter books, I have also:
Never watched an episode of "American Idol." Seriously.
Never watched an episode of "The Sopranos," even though Steve Van Zandt (longtime E Street Band guitarist) is in the cast. I may check out the series on DVD. Or not.
Never watched any of the various "CSI" or "Law and Order" permutations.
Never read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Never ate escargot.
However, I have eaten duck tongue, duck feet and ox stomach.
p.s. I just received my copy of The Essential Harlan Ellison in the mail. It clocks in at just over 1000 pages. Wish me luck.
p.p.s. I can now cross off "Never read any Harlan Ellison."
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7 comments:
Amazingly, I'm with you on Potter, Sopranos and CSI/Law & Order. I have sat through one "American Idol" recently, owing to the fact that it's one of my mother's and my sister's favorite shows. That, and they ripped the batteries out of the remote, tied my hands behind my back and gagged me with the dog's tennis ball.
My real dubious claim to fame in this area lies in the fact that I did not see "Star Wars" until it's first re-release - after I had seen "The Empire Strikes Back" with my friend Mike, who was a hardcore fan and who explored whole new levels of the word 'aghast' upon learning this about me. I did end up seeing all three, but haven't seen any of the other more recent installments (pardon me..."chapters"). And I'm proud to say I feel no shame. Don't tell Mike, though.
Amazingly, I'm with you on Potter, Sopranos and CSI/Law & Order. I have sat through one "American Idol" recently, owing to the fact that it's one of my mother's and my sister's favorite shows. That, and they ripped the batteries out of the remote, tied my hands behind my back and gagged me with the dog's tennis ball.
My real dubious claim to fame in this area lies in the fact that I did not see "Star Wars" until it's first re-release - after I had seen "The Empire Strikes Back" with my friend Mike, who was a hardcore fan and who explored whole new levels of the word 'aghast' upon learning this about me. I did end up seeing all three, but haven't seen any of the other more recent installments (pardon me..."chapters"). And I'm proud to say I feel no shame. Don't tell Mike, though.
I have read all of the Harry Potter books; watched exactly one episode of American Idol before I left the room to throw up and never watched again; never watched The Sopranos, read "7 Habits," eaten escargot or any of those things, or read anything by Ellison.
I have, however, watched an episode of CSI now and then.
And here I thought I was a cultured person!
I can't say I've avoided "Idol" out of any cultural snobbery: I freely admit to watching lots of junk TV -- especially in the summer.
I watched last summer's "America’s Got Talent" with the wife and kids, and we're currently following the not-nearly-as-good second season. (Anyone catch the video of Hasselhoff on YouTube?)
Also under "guilty pleasures," we're watching "Singing Bee" and just finished "The Next Best Thing" -- a surprisingly not-so-bad show about Celebrity Impersonators. In the end, it boiled down to Bush, Sinatra, Lucille Ball and two Elvises (Elvi?) -- one from the 50s and one from the 70s, with viewers choosing the winner. Of course, Elvis -- 70s white jumpsuit Elvis -- won.
Before my brain turns to warm tapioca, I need to tackle that Ellison book…
The first three Star Wars films (Episodes 4, 5, and 6 for Lucas purists) are pretty entertaining -- if you don't think about them too much (such as: Why did Obi-Wan tell Luke his father was killed by Darth Vader when his father IS Darth Vader? Why did Lucas start a romance between Luke and Leia and then make them brother and sister?)
The last three (episodes 1, 2, and 3) aren't nearly as much fun and are marred by ridiculous plot contrivances, overdone special effects, and bad acting.
Here's a question I'd like to ask George Lucas: Why, if you're trying to hide the son of Anakin Skywalker-- who has become evil, planet-destroying Darth Vader -- the son who is the only hope for the rebels, mind you…why do you keep the name Skywalker and put him on his father's home planet? (Nice “hiding” job, Obi-Wan! This obviously ain’t the Jedi Witness Protection Program.)
And why didn't Darth Vader immediately know Luke was his son when he heard the kid's last name? Vader needs the Force to help him know the kid's his son? DUDE! YOU BOTH HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME! What, is "Skywalker" like "Smith" on Tatooine?
See, Brett? You’re not missing much.
I like the original CSI, I've never read a Potter book, or stomached American Idol. But I've definitely read Ellison. As you're discovering, he's a fantastic writer. I have the Essential Ellison sitting on my shelf. Have you read Jefty is Five?
Hi Mark! Thanks for stopping by.
I haven't read "Jefty" just yet, but I'll check it out next. Ellison IS a great writer -- I had't read any of his fiction, but I've read several of his essays and, of course, the infamous Comics Journal interview. Don't know why I never sought his SF work. Just dumb, I guess.
For those who don't know, Mark is a wonderful cartoonist and does the Spot the Frog strip. Check it out:
http://spotthefrogblog.typepad.com/
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