So for the past 48 hours my friends and I have been consumed by Grey's Anatomy. You may or may not be familiar with this nighttime drama of surgical interns making a go at life at Seattle Grace Hospital. If you haven't seen it - check out season 1 on DVD, it's quality escapism. And season 2 comes out in September (I know! - we have to wait that long - ugh!). But it's interesting how it becomes a part of life, of our worlds, of our reality. And I don't think my group is any different from the rest of the 23 million people who watched the 3 hr finale or the millions who watch Lost or American Idol or who watched Dallas or anything else.
After Sunday's first hour my friends were emailing like crazy - all a flutter at what was happening. Then Monday's 2 hr show left us all breathless, in tears, wanting more, needing a break:-) to get back to our own lives.
But we let it, we want it to affect us - and that's what's so interesting to me. I have friends my age obsessed with these characters and their lives. Friends my parents age, and friends in between. Men and women. It's funny - one of my friends said this morning that her husband took her son to get a haircut and when he came home he said he was thinking of George O'Malley when it was happening - see, it's not just a chick show!
So what is it about fiction that draws us in - keeps us coming back, opening the book, clicking on the television, forking over 9 bucks to see.
The answer is it's not happening to us - we love seeing what others have going on. What they are doing, how they handle things. Maybe it gives us strength, or pause, or motivation. Maybe we wish that were us, or are thankful it's not us. Maybe we just like dealing with other people's crap for an hour and putting our worries and cares on the coffee table. I know I do.
That's part of why I write. I get to deal with Patricia and Molly and Crystal and David and Harold's problems for a while. And their problems seem so much more interesting than mine:-) As do Meredith's (I mean seriously. Choosing between McDreamy and McVet - who really has that problem in real life - and if you do, I don't want to be friends with you!) :-)
But alas, our TV season is coming to a quick close. We've got a couple more episodes of Lost and Alias and ER (hello - I almost jumped out of my seat when that bomb went off!) and Desperate Housewives and then we're done for almost 4 months. Guess I'd better get writing;-)
2 comments:
Amen to the escapism. GA is my world on Sunday nights. If only my life was half as interesting as those interns. --Sus
Oh and if you see Denny...give him my number. :)
Ok-I have to add to the list of shows that keep us engaged with with the pretend world. Last night was the series finale to Will and Grace. I actually cried during the hour special that aired before the actual series finale ( I have it taped so don't tell me if you know what happens). I was sad, not because I love the show (which I do), but because a close of the show is like a close to an era in my life. I grew up watching these characters. I grew up having friends around on Thursday nights for "Must See TV". I feel like because they are over, my chance at not being a grown up is over and I have to move on like everyone else. Does this make sense? I'm sad too because we are going to be stuck with SOOOOO much reality TV that I won't have to ever interact with another human being if I don't want. Scary that networks are going to be promoting shameless self promotion through reality TV because it will save them a buck. I sure miss good ol sitcoms. Thank God ABC is pulling rank and busting out some great ones!
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