Entry 3:

Deep Fried Carson,

Wait a minute, wait a minute, Andy: drilling in the Arctic Refuge? (Hi, Alex.) That sounds, well, crunchy. I'd like to place a brief moratorium on all eco-talk. It's not near and dear enough to my heart. But your point about political sincerity in Bush administration drilling beliefs is a winner--one we'll be talking up in coming days on some poppy level I'm sure. Meanwhile, I spent Earth Day being bumped by United, then American, and my luggage is still Out There somewhere. When's National Hug a Reliably Articulate, Soothingly Communicative Airline Week? (FYI: It's never the skies that are unfriendly?)

When I wake up, I spend morning bouncing back and forth between MTV's grab bag and VH-1's Cardio Video, giving my attention span the aerobic workout I don't want to give myself at 6:30 every morning. Sometimes I find my way over to the newly foxy Katie Couric or hope I'm in time to catch news briefs by the equally foxy/nerdy Antonio Mora on GMA. But like Alex, my fingers always wander back to channel 43.

Should MTV really qualify as a guilty pleasure when it's as popular and pervasive and relevant as ever? Turnoff Your TV Week is such small-scale fascism and bigger-picture hypocrisy. The alternatives some of the colluding organizations present consist of shopping and puzzle assembly--two things I can now do while watching Cribs. TV doesn't make people fat. Board games do. But like Alex, I do find MTV's new shelter ads kind of freaky. The campaign is proudly Barbara Krugerific--mocking, oppressive, curious, funny, obvious, semieffective--if totally disjunctive. It's as if they've finally caught up philosophically to the question people have been asking about videos from jump street: The video doesn't go with the song.

MTV is an irony-free zone. For instance, I'm aware that the channel is kitsch in motion, but are the fans? (The mini-diva "Lady Marmalade" anyone?) But the fervent sincerity is kind of what I tune for, too. It's such a religion. (What could be more Vatican than the banning of another Madonna video?) This is to say that there's no one on MTV who reminds me of me, but I love watching the lifestyle being peddled and that the kids treat that place like a Baptist church. The screaming, sweaty testimonials never end. But sadly this one must.   

Wesley

P.S.: Andy, I'd like you to note that you've used "Eggersesque" as a modifier to describe a psycho-pop state of mind. Had I gone first, I probably would have written this: Dude, don't go there. Now I fear we must--but later, perhaps tomorrow. Also more about us living in a video world and can we truly live in one irony-free? What does that even mean anymore?