Desperate . . .

So a friend of mine is addicted to this completely trashy, morally bankrupt television series. My friend starts to get excited every Sunday night at the clock approaches 8:00, eager to see the melodramatic hijinks of Wisteria Lane unfold in an hour of over-the-top drama. Oh yeah, and its a soap opera. And oh yeah, my "friend" is me. Okay, okay I'll admit it, I watch Desperate Housewives-are you happy now?

It all started when I came back from Japan and lived with my folks for a couple of months. On one particular Sunday night, I was hanging out with the 'rents when my mom reached for the remote at 8:00 p.m. I watched as my father in silent protest lifted up his hands in defeat and left the room while my mom clicked the TV over to abc. I must interject that my father is by no means the epitome of good taste, on any given evening you could probably find him enjoying any movie that has things that explode in it.

At any rate, I was intrigued as the show started. As my mom caught me up on the story, I of course reminded her how devoid of substance the show was. She shushed me and an hour later, I was hooked. At the same time, my girlfriend was watching the show with her sister. When we moved in together, we found that we shared the same dirty secret and have been watching ever since.

Last Sunday was no different, but my friend Angela was over. She had heard of the show of course, but had never seen it before and was willing to succumb to peer pressure. Johanna and I introduced her to the plot as best we could and the show started. We sat in my living room and talked about the unfolding events during the commercial breaks. After the show was finished, we talked a little more about what we thought would happen the next week.

This type of show creates, quite intentionally, a community of "addicted" viewers through the use of cliff hangers and mystery. At the end of every show, the viewer is left with a curiosity of subsequent events. People watch this show precisely because it is devoid of any larger social relevance. It is simply an hour of rich men and women getting into trouble (maybe having sex with each other, maybe killing each other). You simply want to know what happens next. Without intending to, Angela chanced upon a community of viewers and shared in a social event that happened to revolve around a particular show. I suppose that some people watch this show to connect with other viewers, I try to keep my addiction a secret as much as possible. Angela liked the show, but I think that she would be able to kick the habit easily enough. I on the other hand am a lost cause, a devoted junkie that will lie cheat and steal before getting clean. Don't weep for me, I did this to myself.