TV on the internet

As our lives become more and more dependent on the internet, television has gradually began to make the transition to its new home.  At this moment, as I write I have an episode of Rescue Me playing in the next tab from Netflix's "Watch Instantly" section.  With our hectic schedules it has become increasingly difficult to find the time to watch our favorite programs during their initial broadcast.  This used to be a horrible situation, as the only way to ever see the missed episode would be to see a rerun or by the DVD.  Then tv stations began posting the episodes on their website.  It became a perfectly good substitute that, when I happened to miss an episode of my favorite show, I could watch it the next day on the website; I practice I regularly utilized during the LOST years.  At first the internet became a contingency plan used only when I missed the initial broadcast on television.  The internet provided not only the opportunity to catch-up on episodes missed, but entire shows I never knew existed.

Using websites like fancast.com, I was able to watch the entire series of Deadwood four years after the series finale, and as HBO is hardly prone to airing reruns, chances are I would have never known the show existed.  If you have never seen Deadwood, watch it!  There are only 3 seasons and it is, in my opinion, HBO's best program to date.  But back to my initial point, the internet has become an environment that has become a staple of television viewing.  Our On-Demand culture has rendered us unwilling to abide by the schedules created by different channels, instead deciding where and when we wish to experience our favorite programs.  It its first day as a publiclly traded company, the Chinese online television channel Youku nearly tripled in value, clearly demonstrating the marketability and popularity of online television.

No longer are we as viewers confined to the decisions of the producers, but instead we are able to watch what we want, when we want.  The television has been replaced by the computer monitor, and the TV Guide has been replaced by the Netflix Queue.  Current TV sets are essentially larger computer screens, therefore I believe that as time progresses, the interactive capabilities of the internet will continue to play and greater role in the television industry. 

The Magical Fairy Jobmother

In a time when the security of ones' employment is becoming increasingly uncertain, television has taken the next step in identifying with its audience through the creation of The Fairy Jobmother.  In this program, unemployed adults have their personal lives evaluated by an employment coach with the task of changing the personal habits of the shows' subjects in order for them to re-enter the job market and find gainful employment.
This show is especially identifiable with the thousands of Americans who have recently lost their jobs and have yet to find a new means of income.  The program asserts that everyone has unfavorable personal characteristics which are undesirable to employers, and by altering these behaviors they can make themselves more appealing in the job market.  However while the show appears to be self-empowering, the Jobmother serves a very important purpose as a source of outside help.  Rather than outright supplying participants on the show with a new job, the show seeks to help-them help-themselves, but with the help of a coach.  Im sure many in this situation often wish they had outside assistance to offer them objective advice and a sense of direction, this show supplies the viewer with such a figure.  Despite any differences between the character and viewer, there are certain circumstances and situations which can be related to by the audience, through which they can apply the show's lessons to their own lives. 

The Inspiration of Oprah

For years, millions of Americans across the country have tuned in their television sets to watch their favorite cultural icon, Oprah Winfrey.  While previously, some have failed to understand the appeal of this media giant, I being one of them, upon watching an episode of her show it quickly became apparent where the attraction is, Oprah is a living, breathing, walking, talking, personification of the American success story.  Born into poverty, Oprah overcame the societal conditions which have previously hindered so many to become one of the most recognizable faces in the world.  The stories on her show inspire hope in the audience and present them with the challenge that they too can accomplish as much as their beloved host.  Oprah's stories focus on overcoming adversity and using ones own inner-strength to accomplish ones goals.  Now one of my personal objections to Oprah is that she inspires false hope, unable to see how viewers were able to remain enthusiastic when it is impossible that they could all reach her levels of wealth and success; Oprah accomplishes this through her gifts.  When Oprah presents her audience with a gift, she also supplies them with a new-found enthusiasm and optimism, one which she hopes they will apply to the rest of their lives and help in bettering themselves.