Monday, May 28, 2007

For One Brief Moment the View Was Exceptional

I'm not ashamed to admit that during the past year, I made sure to tune in to The View. I know, some may think it was an odious waste of valuable DVR space.
However for one abrupt year, The View was explosive, impassioned and significant.

There are so many shows on television that cover important stories on fame, food and pop culture… So it's easy enough for me to understand that whenever anyone gets on televisions and uses their voice in an often-unpopular way it becomes easier to attack rather than watch and listen.

I admire people who use their platform to encourage growth, learning, and the opportunity to challenge our own ideas and perhaps even rethink our position.
I don't always agree with everything the people I admire have to say. Yet I respect each of their voices and their willingness to step up to the plate.

I love the work that Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert lend to the television audience. All three are smart, witty, and protest against disinterest in politics and society.
Rosie shared similar goals. She also tackled reaching out to a larger audience of people who may not always have the opportunity to watch shows that are on late night or cable channels. Her vocalization on a daytime network television show sparked a fresh energy and challenged speaking the truth and toeing the line for major network advertisers. If television ratings mean anything, we learned that for one year, people tuned in to hear a new voice.

The View without Rosie O'Donnell will not be a bad show. Instead, it will
once again be indifferent. People will watch, laugh and get free gifts. (Like they do on all of the other shows.) Time will pass and after awhile they'll forget that now more than ever, men and women need to stand up and use their voice.

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