Television At Its Best

My director on this episode of Californication, Michael Lehmann, told me privately that next week I should “give him whatever I was comfortable with.”

I wasn’t completely sure what he was referring to. I double checked my script and saw I have a moment in one scene where I talk to my penis. I am not sure that there is a comfort zone for that.

Television has changed a lot. It used to be one little black box in each house that everyone used to huddle round, and dad used to whack the back of it if it started to go fuzzy. These days, each family member seems to have their own television in their room and they have really awesome accessories to go with them like an android tv box for example. It’s scary but also incredible how it’s all changed. Entertainment has changed a lot in my life too actually. I remember when I was a child there was enormous controversy over saying “pregnant” in a movie or a play. I am serious. It was a national sensation. From that primitive, innocent time in the 1950’s we slipped into what was referred to as “ground-breaking television.”

Probably All In The Family led the way breaking down barriers as to what subject matter could be used in a comedy on national television. The one hour dramas tried to break barriers with Mariel Hemingway kissing a women and Dennis Franz showing his behind. Each year the boundary was pushed a little farther toward the Roman Coliseum. If you find television fascinating, you should get one of the latest tv bundles, and budgetboost has answers to lots of questions regarding these, such as how much is Hulu.

The logical reason for this has really nothing to do broadening our sensitivities or breaking barriers, real or imagined, but probably has everything to do with television’s hunger for easy ratings. If you can get TV Guide to report on a controversy that would be featured on an upcoming show, it will guarantee a bigger audience. Anyone with a TV will be tuning in to see what all the fuss about and even those without one may Head Out to the Bar to watch free TV. Nobody will want to miss it.

It never matters that the things used to break barriers on television are things we weren’t particularly shocked by. We all knew that Dennis Franz had a behind, we just weren’t all on board in seeing it. TV plays by its own rules. One of television’s most endearing qualities is its desire to pat itself on the back. It’s hard to count the number of awards shows spawned by television, to honor television, also designed to get ratings. In my experience I have found that usually when television claims it is “breaking ground,” it is usually just breaking wind. Nonetheless, the luxury of having so many options afforded to us on television is something previous generations would be in awe of. There are so many options on cable TV, which is what makes the services of cable providers so enticing.

However much television likes to think it is a force in modifying society and changing perspectives, its main function is and always will be lowering the bar. Because the motives come from a place that is intensely commercial at every step of the process, the results will never be the voice of enlightenment. It will always be the voice of the locker room.

That’s why we love it so much.