I’m watching Friday’s episode of “Close to Home” the crime drama set in Indianapolis. I’ve written about it a couple of times on IndyScribe because it’s pretty interesting to see how they portray the city on a national TV show.
This episode called the “Romeo and Juliet Murders” has some eerie parallels to a crime I had a distant connection to in college. I had an ex-girlfriend who’s step dad was killed by his son, with some similar details in the storyline. I doubt that they actually heard about this particular crime and decided to write about it, but it is kinda strange.
My friend Joel gave me his old 36″ TV because he upgraded.
It’s funny, I’ve never actually bought a TV myself. My very first TV was a 13″ color set given to me by a college roommate. My second TV was a really old 19″ color TV that wasn’t cable ready and didn’t have a remote. I picked it out of the trash near my apartment building on Delaware street, and it worked great. So I hooked up a cable adaptor and changed the channels with my VCR remote. I had that TV in my bedroom until a couple years ago. After that, my dad gave me a new 19″ TV for Christmas, which I used in the living room. Then my friend Brad upgraded his TV, and gave me his old 29″ set a few years ago. So I shifted everything around and the TV from the trash went to Goodwill, the 19″ went upstairs, and the 29″ went in the living room. Now everything is shifting again, and the 19″ will go to my mom.
Man, you ignore political news for one day around here, and the shit hits the fan. Everyone’s talking about the Terre Haute TV station that’s refusing to air the NBC TV show “The Book of Daniel.” that premieres tomorrow night. I hadn’t even heard of it, and had to go look up what all the fuss is about. Here’s a hysterical and freaked out synopsis of the show, from the American Family Association’s newsletter:
It is time to make our voice heard at NBC that we will not long remain silent about their anti-Christian bigotry. Here is what NBC considers to be a positive portrayal of Christians and Christianity:
The program’s main characters include Daniel Webster, a drug-addicted Episcopal priest; his alcoholic wife; his son, a 23-year-old homosexual Republican; his daughter, a 16-year-old drug dealer; a 16-year-old adopted son who is having sex with the bishop’s daughter; his lesbian secretary who is sleeping with his sister-in-law; and a very unconventional white-robed, bearded Jesus who talks to the priest.
It is written by Jack Kenny, a practicing homosexual who describes himself as being “in Catholic recovery,” and is interested in Buddhist teachings about reincarnation and isn’t sure exactly how he defines God and/or Jesus. “I don’t necessarily know that all the myth surrounding him (Jesus) is true,” he said.
Practicing homosexual? Man, that Jack Kenny better work harder if he’s only practicing. Most of us have got this stuff down already. Ahem.
Anyways… the AFA is leading a huge campaign to contact TV stations all over the country to try to persuade them not to air the show, and some wingdings in Terre Haute and Little Rock, Arkansas have taken their disinformation at face value.
You can contact the stations yourself, if you want:
Indianapolis station 317-636-1313
Terre Haute 812-696-2121
Me, I went right out and DVR’ed the show so I can see what all the fuss is about. Sounds like a hoot. Seems like the best way to get a ton of publicity is to get the AFA to boycott you. Hmmm.
Jesus is a pussy! That’s right! He’s a yellow-bellied, pink-wearing nancy-boy! And did I mention I’m a homo? I really am!
1947: First Couple to Share a Bed – Mary Kay and Johnny, on…Mary Kay and Johnny
1957: First Toilet on Television. – Leave it to Beaver
1957: First Exposed Rack on Television – Jayne Mansfield, 1957 Academy Awards
1967: First Time the Word Hell was Used on Television – Star Trek
1971: First time the phrase God Damn It was used on Television – All in the Family (also one of the first gay characters: A closeted football-playng friend of Mike’s came out on the show)
1972: First Abortion on Television – Maude
1974: First Rape Scene on Television – TV movie Born Innocent (I remember hearing about this in school.)
1977: First Recurring Gay Character on Television – Soap (although “The Corner Bar” had one in 1972)
I need to remember to set the DVR in January for:
Fox’s “Skating With Celebrities” – Wednesday, January 18th
Showtime’s “The L Word” – Sunday, Jan. 8th
“My Name is Earl” – Thursday, Jan 5th
NBC’s “The Office” – Thursday, Jan 5th
CBS’s “Love Monkey” – Tuesday, Jan 17th
CBS’s “The New Adventures of Old Christine” – March?
Sci Fi’s “Battlestar Galactica” – Friday, Jan 6th
FX “The Shield” – Tuesday, January 10th, 10 pm
1. Death of the Flowers
2. River, Cross My Heart
3. The Arrow That Is Not Aimed
4. Songs in Ordinary Time
5. Going Home
6. Stones from the River
7. Echoes Of The Mind
8. A Lesson Before Dying
9. Let Me Hear The Music
10. The Pilot’s Wife
11. Did You See the Sunrise?
12. Drowning Ruth
13. Open House
14. Autumn Warrior
15. Back Roads
Opening Lyrics: H.R. Pufnstuf, who’s your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf, can’t do a little, ’cause you can’t do enough
Once upon a summertime
Just a dream from yesterday
A boy and his magic golden flute
Heard a boat from off the bay
"Come and play with me, Jimmy
Come and play with me
And I will take you on a trip
Far across the sea"
But the boat belonged to a kooky old witch
Who had in mind the flute to snitch
From her Vroom Broom in the sky
She watched her plans materialize
She waved her wand
The beautiful boat was gone
The sky grew dark
The sea grew rough
The boat sailed on and on and on and on
But Pufnstuf was watching, too
And knew exactly what to do
He saw the witch’s boat attack
And how the boy was fighting back
He called his Rescue Racer Crew
As often they’d rehearsed
And off to save the boy they flew
But who would get there first?
But now the boy had washed ashore
Puf arrived to save the day
Which made the witch so mad and sore
She shook her fist and screamed away
H.R. Pufnstuf, who’s your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf, can’t do a little, ’cause you can’t do enough
Ending Theme Lyrics: Whoa, I got, you got, everybody do got
Someone who cares by the name of
H.R. Pufnstuf, where’d you go when thing get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf, well, you can’t do a little ’cause you can’t do enough
