Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Maybe It's Me, But In Reality, "Sarah Palin's Alaska" is a Sham.


According to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, her current TLC network TV show, "Sarah Palin's Alaska" consists of "...eight episodes documenting Alaska's resources, what it is that we can contribute to the rest of U.S. to economically and physically secure our union, and my family comes along for the ride because I am family, family is us, and my family comes along on the ride to document these eight episodes for The Learning Channel...."

Ah...I don't think so, Governor, this show is falling woefully short of the expectations you so grandly laid out, when promoting this series.

Maybe it's me, but after 5 episodes, I have not gleaned one iota of new, inspiring, educational, enlightening or useful information about our 49th state. But then again, I'm old school. I don't tweet or twitter, I barely use Facebook and I tend to look at things as they are, not what they should or were intended to be. Perhaps I just don't get the "new" media or it's message.

Maybe it's me, bit I'm missing how going camping with "famous for no real reason" Kate Gosselin and her eight children, is the serious minded subject matter publicity addicted Palin was selling prior to the show's airing.

Maybe it's me, but how was Sarah going on a hunting trip with Dad, to shoot caribou, anywhere near enlightening about the state this propaganda program is alleged to be about? Since the caribou gave it's life for the sake of Palin's ratings, you'd think we could have learned a few things about the species before it was slain to exploit Sarah's outdoorsy image.

Maybe it's me, but how is watching Sarah go rock climbing to overcome an apparent fear of heights, enlighten us as to the wonderful resources Alaska has to offer?

Maybe it's me, but how does watching the Palin's go fishing and to a family re-union, educate the nation of the resources Alsaka has to offer and show us how, as Mama Grizzly contends, Alaska can physically secure our nation? (What exactly does that mean?)

Perhaps Sarah is such a master practitioner of the new media, we are supposed to get the benefits of Alaska's message subliminally, while being visually distracted with the lame, boring and self-promoting nonsense on which the show focuses. Well, I have three episodes left to get my act together and grasp the suble greatness of this show.

Meanwhile, the tabloid aspects of last weeks show, which saw the Mama Kate and Mama Grizzly go camping was enough to give the the show a slight ratings bump. Early numbers indicate Kate's miserable camping experince was good for little more than a 10% bounce in the ratings, with some 3.1 Million viewers tuning in, up from the previous week's 2.8 million.
Adam Buckman of Fancast recaps the episode for those otherwise occupied Sunday evening, with more pressing matters, than tuning into to a reality-vanity show:

"And though they never had to fire on any wildlife, nearly the entire first half of the one-hour episode was devoted to Sarah and Kate receiving instruction in how to defend their broods from bears, which were supposedly numerous in the area in which they were due to camp (though none were seen).

The anti-bear prep program included a trip to a gun shop (which Sarah called her father’s “second home”) and a lesson with an expert in bear defense who had the ladies firing various shotguns at bear targets. Sarah loved this activity; predictably, Kate did not.

“Out in this territory, anything can happen, but it’s nothing my shotgun can’t handle,” said Sarah, sounding like some kind of Annie Oakley figure from the period in history in which “territories” preceded “states.” (For the record, Alaska became a state – the 49th – in January 1959.)

Next week on ‘Sarah Palin’s Alaska,’ the Palins pack a ton of outdoor fun into one hour – racing ATVs, firing guns, whitewater rafting and “mushing” (that’s sledding with a team of dogs)."

Thanks, Mr. Buckman, that bold faced fact highlighted above is probably one of the only facts people might learn about Alaska...and they didn't even learn it from the show.

Lame.

14 comments:

Right Wingnut said...

Doug,

Then quit bitching about it and stop watching. For someone who doesn't like the show, you sure post on it a lot. I think this your third post on SPAK. Get a grip...

Doug NYC GOP said...

RWN,

Just following up on what I started, covering the series.

But what points do you disagree with? Is the content of the show, far from what was promoted?

Anonymous said...

It's you.

JR

Doug NYC GOP said...

LOL - JR

Keepin a sense of humor, very good indeed.

(But we both know I have this pegged this right)

Anonymous said...

Well, if I were a hard-core Romneyite, I'd sooner talk about Sarah Palin's Alaska instead of discussing difficult issues such as QE2, taxes, mandates, bail-outs and so forth.


OHIO JOE

Anonymous said...

Doug, I'm afraid you don't have this right. Your view is askewed as it always is when it comes to Palin. Your bias is obvious and quite boring. I've watched every episode and I have learned a lot about Alaska...about the tourism opportunities, the fishing industry, the outdoor recreational activities...etc.

I know it plays well on ROS and here but the real question is this...will you vote for Palin if she becomes our nominee? Will you write positive posts about her if she is our nominee? Right now I read a lot of petty articles that seem more aimed at getting on the FP of ROS than actually promoting an actual discussion about policy differences between the candidates.

It's these kind of pieces that are just boring and tedious to read. I actually think you're a talented writer/blogger and this site could be a really good site if half the articles weren't designed around left wing attacks on Sarah Palin.

NEWSFLASH...Sarah Palin is on our side.

JR

BOSMAN said...

JR,

The problem isn't Doug, the problem is that WE open-mined non-kool-aid sipping folk know the difference between a travelogue/documentary (the way it was promoted) and a Reality show. Palin's show is no less a reality show than The Ozbornes. The only difference is when the camera isn't on Sarah or her family, you get to see a few trees once-n-awhile.

This series had been promoted one way, and that's what we're not getting. ALL we're getting is a Palin version of living with the Osbornes.

Like Doug, and Karl Rove, I'm not impressed either.

Doug NYC GOP said...

JR - I can appreciate your sentiments regarding the posts I put on this subject (appreciate the compliments as well)but as Bosman says above, the promoted and even defended by Palin as one thing, and in reality it is quite another.

Palin was leading this was going to be a more serious minded, "National Geographic" style series, with real facts and true understanding of Alaska, being the benefit of watching.

Instead we are merely offered glimpses in to the Palin's personal lives, watching them go field trips and offering very little abut Alaska.

However, perha[ps I am missing asomething, so please feel free to share with the class, what you have learned from this show.

Bill589 said...

Doug,
Your PDS is showing.

GetReal said...

"Well, if I were a hard-core Romneyite, I'd sooner talk about Sarah Palin's Alaska instead of discussing difficult issues such as QE2, taxes, mandates, bail-outs and so forth."

Bail-outs? Taxes? Those are problems for Romney?

If I were Sarah Palin, I would be a lot happier talking about hunting, fishing and sledding than trying to explain to my ardent supporters, who all seem to hate TARP, and hate Mitt Romney for supporting TARP, why I supported TARP.

Of course, she'll never have to explain that, or anything else to them, because they always let her off the hook for everything and just assume she agrees with them at all times on all issues, and anyone who disagrees suffers from "PDS" or are RINOs.

kelly said...

I'm with you Doug. Then again, My expectations for this being a good and informative show were low to begin with.

phil said...

I have to admit, I had no interest in viewing Palin's show. After reading this and other reviews, I'm glad I didn't

Ann said...

I'm not a fan of Palin. However, She might as well cash in on her fame now. It may be short lived.

I don't think she has any intention of running in 2012. She smart enough to know that it is the INTEREST that she will, that keeps the dollars rolling in.

Revolution 2012 said...

I have no interest in Palin, her candidacy in 2012, or her reality show.