The history value of the Swamp People is lost on the Senator. I think I mostly agree with Chuck Grassley here - there is a significant portion of programming on The History Channel that has gone totally haywire. It used to be if there was total crap on everywhere else, I could feel pretty confident about blindly tuning into the History Channel and being mildly to extremely entertained. Well, that time is over. I went over to the History Channel website and took a look at their "regular programming". Egad. American Pickers, American Restoration, Full Metal Jousting, Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn Stars (?), Ax Men, Mudcats, Swamp People, Top Shot, and Top Gear. I have watched several episodes of 'Top Shot' and can vouch for its quality, and I've DVR'd all of the Full Metal Jousting episodes (I don't even have to watch that to know its great)...the others (unless Mudcats is some redneck spin-off of Thundercats), uh, are you kidding me? Even if they are semi-decent shows their inclusion on the History Channel is, well, as Chuck says so eloquently, "I used to get history. Why do we have such a channel when it doesn’t do history.” Exactly, Senator.
There is the Wildman...and everybody else. I have no doubt there is probably some fantastic unintentional comedy associated with "Swamp People" and "Cajun Pawn Stars", but there is no way they beat out what I've seen on Animal Planet's "Hillbilly Handfishin'" and "Call of the Wildman". Its impossible. The 'Wildman' might be one of the most underappeciated personalities on tv right now...he probably deserves his own post at some point.
I've never even seen FMJ but its clearly the best the History Channel has to offer.
**It also seems like "Ancient Aliens" gets a ton of play - what the hell is this about? As far as I can tell the "experts" interviewed on this show seem to think that the events of "Battlestar Galactica" actually happened or something? Okay...
I've never even seen FMJ but its clearly the best the History Channel has to offer.Usually I'm more inclined to defend The History Channel, but in this case I'm throwing in with Grassley. The History Channel has fallen on hard times. As Chuck notes at the end, "When I signed up for the History Channel on my satellite service, I expected to get history,” he said. Instead, all I see are people chopping wood or driving trucks on an icy road.” Okay, well, I'm not sure the good Senator understands how cable packages work but the point is made - history nerds, old people, grumpy politicians, and me want our history back.
*Great job of Grassley to completely undermine his position at the end of the article by admitting he actually likes "American Pickers". What! Chuck, you jerk...
*Great job of Grassley to completely undermine his position at the end of the article by admitting he actually likes "American Pickers". What! Chuck, you jerk...
**It also seems like "Ancient Aliens" gets a ton of play - what the hell is this about? As far as I can tell the "experts" interviewed on this show seem to think that the events of "Battlestar Galactica" actually happened or something? Okay...
the last full metal jousting had someone blasted in the head again... thought this time when they lifted the helmet off, the guys whole face was covered in blood. he had to get three staples in his head to close up his scalp... this week it appears a guy takes a lance right to the nutbag... gross.
ReplyDeletebbd, i know you don't watch southpark - but they buried the history channel last year in their thanksgiving episode. didn't you know that the origins of thanksgiving are really from another universe? the american indians were really from the planet "Indi" and the pilgrims from the planet Plymouth... and the 'Indians' had invaded the stuffing mines of planet Plymouth, leading to a stuffing shortage... only the treaty between the indians and pilgrims at the first thanksgiving was what stopped the fighting.... it was all on the history channel.