Television Worth Watching
Recently a friend of mine asked me if I caught the latest episode of (insert the name of a trashy reality televison show) this week. It’s really a silly question, as most people understand I don’t watch shows like Wife Swap or Celebrity Rehab. It’s rare that i’ll actually watch a substantial amount of television at all. However, my quick “No i don’t watch that crap” responses was followed by a “Well what do you watch” type of question. I didn’t have much of an answer, as again, I don’t watch a lot of television. But it did give me the idea to highlight what I think is television worth watching. I digress…
I caught HBO’s documentary Autism the Musical the other night. As someone who has worked with developmentally disbabled adults and children, and also has worked one-on-one with children diagnosed with autism, I was anticipating this documentary for sometime. The film follows a group of children and their families as they become part of The Miracle Project, a theatrical workshop geared to help autistic children express themselves creatively.
I can’t describe to anyone how touching this film was. The subject is very close to my heart and the film helped captivate a lot of the feelings I’ve had with my experiences over the years. Autism is an often misunderstood issue. You’ll quickly understand why i feel in love with Wyatt, one of the children profiled in the documentary. If you get the chance, please check it out. Here’s the trailer:
Check out the full listing here or you can also watch the entire film on HBO’s website by clicking here.
Ted,
I really think you should reconsider your stance on reality television. The cultural influence that people like Brett Michaels and Tiffany “New York” Pollard bring to the table cannot be matched. I think we are all better people for having been exposed to these shows.
a word if i may, to clear up any misconceptions. ‘wife swap’ may be a ‘reality tv show’ but it has much more in common with the hbo documentary than with celebrity rehab.
and no, i am not being ironically hipster.
as a loyal viewer of the show, i have watched families from completely different walks of life trade places and get a completely new perspective on people and their families. it is the only show i’ve ever seen where you see people gain understanding. and even respect, for people they previously laughed at and hated. teddy, so many of your posts tackle the issue of tolerance, i think you’d be pleasantly surprised to see it actually practiced in small towns, with ordinary folk, with parents raising children.
the documentary was close to your heart, but as someone (like many of you) who wishes others were a bit more tolerant of them, this bit of ‘reality tv’ moves me whenever i see it. kinda like real life.
point taken. you make it all sound so glamorous! I’ll never get in to shows like this, but understand where you find the value.
-teddy
Josh,
i can’t argue with that…
-teddy
I just watched Autism the Musical. My friend Becky’s son is autistic and it really brought home the struggle she goes through with people not understanding his condition. I try to be tolerant, but even I, one of her closest friends, find it hard to spend a lot of time with him, as he’s so destructive. Are you aware today is Autism Awareness Day? Good time to bring up the problems these parents deal with, not just in society’s disposition toward these children, but with the bureaucracy the parents have to contend with to receive proper care for their children. Becky has been trying for three years to get a proper diagnosis of her son and they still don’t have him in a class that’s completely appropriate for his condition. So sad.