One channel was showing the entire year’s worth of Celebrity Rehab shows. It took all day but I watched the entire thing. And it was rather engaging. I don’t know most of those people except Bridgette Nielson who was sort of my idol after she did Red Sonja and the guy from taxi who I had a crush on way way back.
Man they were so f***ed up when they came in there and way more clear when they finished. I admit I started watching it with the same fascination as rubber-necking past a road accident. But the show stayed pretty grounded and this brought me down from the excitement of the “spectacle” (I use that in the post-modern sense).
I don’t watch much television since I am writing much of the time and reality shows have definitely been a big turn off. Maybe if reality shows get more real that will change. Or perhaps I should just stick with documentaries which is more of what this show was like. It documented the changes in these peoples lives without too much sensationalism.
Sensationalism is like a drug. We get off on watching the sensational and sometimes a little grounding is necessary.
Note: I have a longer article from a Buddhist perspective that was derived from this short piece. It is at my other blog Enlightenment Ward
