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The North Star

The student news site of Naperville North High School

The North Star

The student news site of Naperville North High School

The North Star

Small Talk: A clinically insane schizophrenic on magic, TV, and adulthood

Small talk with James Wendt
Small talk with James Wendt

By James Wendt

Hi, my name is James Wendt and I am addicted to television. I watch TV almost every day, and never have I ever and never will I ever I apologize for it. There is something about TV that can make you fall in love with the most beautiful, ugliest, wickedest, or most selfless characters, all from the comfort of your couch. They say TV is bad for you, but they also say magic isn’t real. And let me tell you, they got both of those wrong: the closest thing we have to magic is the screen, and both magic and TV are entirely real (and also reel, but puns make me nervous)

Not to sound pretentious, or rich, or elderly, but one time I read an article in the newspaper that really excited me. It was an article about how TV is the new rock and roll. The article examined the nature of rock and roll, and how the genre was initially dismissed by society. As more and more bands appealed to more and more audiences, rock and roll started to play in every home across the country. The article then drew the comparison to the growing audience for TV and the many programs that meet those many different needs. With all the shows that cater to so many different audiences, everyone can find a sitcom or drama or mystery that trips their trigger. Now, I’m not the biggest R&R fan, but I go nuts for some good programming. The idea that one machine can accommodate so many different tastes is the craziest invention since the microwave, and that accommodates ALL tastes.

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Everyone I know has a favorite lineup of shows, whether it is on cable, on a DVR, online, or on a Netflix instant queue; everyone has their guilty pleasures. TV is now broadcast across so many different mediums, it is almost impossible to not find yourself lost in an unfamiliarly beautiful place every once in a while. The most sensational part about TV is the potential to dive into a world that you would never be comfortable with in reality, but from the safety of your living rooms, you can live the secret life of the American teenager, be the prettiest little liar, or solve crimes for a special victims unit.

Personally, I love struggling to form a relationship with a grotesque fictional character or watching a beloved hero meet the challenges of a life I could only dream of living, all while walking the thin line between being a fan and a clinically insane schizophrenic. I have many favorites, but the current shows in my rotation are “Parks and Recreation,” “Community,” “The Office,” and “Modern Family.” I will occasionally step out of my comfort zone and watch bad reality or drama, but I’m not a twelve-year old girl, so my tastes are more refined; I prefer raunchy comedies. See? Refined.

I encourage everyone to find a show that pulls at their heartstrings and brings them outside the bubble that we all struggle to pop everyday. I will always cry at the end of a show that I love. I recently finished what is now my favorite show of all time: Weeds. It is a show about a suburbanite widow who starts selling weed to support her family after her husband dies. I cried through the entire last episode, and this is what I wrote the second I finished it. Enjoy.

“I think that I could barely make it through the final episode of “Weeds” because I fell in love with the characters. I really am a sucker for sitcoms. I watched the kids and even Nancy (the widow) and her brother-in-law grow and change, for better and for worse. They were all just trying to find happiness on this big blue planet of ours, and they all fell down along the way. Secondly, I learned I am horrified of growing up. After watching the program since last September, I saw the kids grow up and boy did they grow up fast. Not just because the episodes are 28 minutes long but because we really do. One day, we will all be doctors or lawyers or business executives. This scares me so much because I also know it will inevitably end, just like Weeds.”

I loved these characters like my family, which sounds crazy because it is. I am amazed how much power a story can hold, and I think everyone should allow themselves to shamelessly fall victim to that power. Television is the best medium for falling in love, making new friends, or at least escaping our hectic world for thirty minutes. Here are some parting words of wisdom T.V. has taught me:

  • The bad guys and the boring characters always get killed off. Do not be either.
  • You only have about 30 minutes a week to make your mark: make what you do count.
  • If something seems like a bad idea, it probably is.
  • Girls: boys don’t really love you. You will break up in a month.
  • Say what you mean in a way that makes your words sound unscripted – it makes for good T.V.
  • At most, we’ve got 8 good seasons before the finale and the station runs re-runs. Unless you’re in a soap-opera. Then you will never die.

 

 

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    Jane WendtAug 23, 2013 at 4:35 pm

    James, You are a riot and a real master of words. Loved reading your article, but I still love you more than I love Jethro Gibbs!!!!

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Small Talk: A clinically insane schizophrenic on magic, TV, and adulthood