Petite Etoile, Bourdieu

I have to disagree with Bourdieu and his discussion about making everything ordinary on television. If I understand correctly what he is trying to say, that in order for television channels to thrive they must be careful not to step on anyone’s toes. I think that this used to be true, and can be seen in the fact that most shows were about families living happily together and if there ever arose any difficulties or problems they could conquer them by helping and supporting each other. (Which in retrospect, is that such a terrible message? That if we help each other we can do what we never thought possible? Or that a family really can be happy?) I Love Lucy was the very first show to ever have a toilet on set and shown on air. Television used to be very careful about not hurting anyone’s feelings or disgusting anyone or sending any ‘improper’ images. Now I think the opposite is true, in order for television shows to gain momentum they have to be edgy and ‘out-there’ and rude and crass. Family Guy is a great example of this because I am sure at some point they have made fun of every race, class, sexual orientation, gender, sport, hobby, and whatever else you can think of at some point in the show. And that’s why people like it so much. And if they are not directly offending someone they are talking about disgusting things or sexual things or improper things, plus there’s always farting or cussing or puking or something gross going on. I think this falls in line with how Prof. Casey was talking about the “Fear du Jour”. Even though the audience is going ‘eww this is so gross I cant watch!’ or ‘oh my god im so scared I cant watch!’ or ‘I cant believe im watching this it’s so crude!’ they do still keep watching and coming back for more. You would be pressed to find any movie that did well in the box office that did not have a sex scene or inappropriate joke or something gross or obscene if not all of those things. I think that in freeing ourselves from the restraints of society and not caring whose feelings we hurt or what boundaries we cross and putting whatever crap we want on air with little thought as to it’s content or affect on society, we have not become more advanced and edgy but more and more backward like the barbarians who used to slaughter each other for entertainment.