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Rant & Rave
MOST people complain about Wednesday because it's the stressful Hump Day, but the day is quite relaxing for me. Two hours of mind-numbing "Dawson's Creek" -- and briefly, the sultry "Temptation Island" -- rests my brain cells. TV tempts
at mid-weekAfter a couple of years on the "Creek," the hookup opportunities among Joey, Jen, Dawson and Pacey have been exhausted. That is, until one of them realizes their homosexuality -- but Jack has filled the role as the token gay character. And why does everyone in the quaint town of Capeside have such an extensive vocabulary?
Despite the flaws, every one can appreciate the sexual tension of beautiful people, which was also the basis of "Temptation Island." Couples were separated for two weeks while horny, gorgeous members of the opposite sex are dangled enticingly in front of them and at times jump on them.
Pundits say both shows have demonstrated the degenerate state of profit-centered entertainment, which sells sex and attractive youth. They say programs such as these encourage a promiscuous younger generation or set impossibly unhealthy ideals for relationships and body weight.
I think we're smarter than that. Outside the world of critics, guys ridicule the cheesy, overly dramatic plots of "Dawson's,"if they admit watching at all, and girls scoff in disgust at Billy's short-lived fidelity as he flirts with airhead dates.
These allegations are mostly accurate. "Dawson's Creek" is guilty of some egregiously corny lines, especially between Joey and Pacey. But let me tell you, if a guy actually said some of Pacey's winner lines, I'd be sold in a second. And what guy in his sexual prime would honor his unofficial bond to his current flame while surrounded by bombshells wanting him?
AFTER considering the social corruption these shows represent, I unfailingly park myself in front of the TV set. The vices condemned by critics are the reasons why my friends and I watch these shows.
The guys with whom I watch "Dawson's Creek" in the dormitory common room yell at Pacey to "nail" Joey, while I tell them to shush so I can hear whatever Romeo-esque lines Pacey is uttering. The intensity abates only slightly during commercials and doesn't end until the preview for the next episode is finished.
In the absence of "Felicity," I became hooked on "Temptation Island." I only wanted to observe the problems of our society, and as a subplot, whether Mandy and Billy would survive as a couple. (Did you see how Mandy enjoyed her body shots with John?) OK, I enjoy checking out the buff bodies, but my official position is one of contempt for the setup for betrayal.
In spite of critics' complaints that the program set a new low for television, "Temptation Island" is not a novel idea; it's a centuries-old story called "college." It's like throwing an unsuspecting, wide-eyed teen into a world full of beautiful, intelligent members of the opposite sex who are under the influence of hormones and alcohol.
"I have a boy/girlfriend at home," suddenly doesn't mean as much as it did when you tearfully said goodbye at the airport. There's not even the possibility your significant other will see video highlights of your sordid moments. What could be more tempting?
Still, the show's premise with some 20 rabid singles placed on a tropical island to win your affections is a nice situation. I don't know how many weekends I've wished for a line of handsome, buff and intelligent (two out of three wouldn't be bad) men trying to sweep me off my feet. For now, I rely on television to pull me through those dull Wednesdays.
Nicole Lim is a Class of 2000 graduate
of Iolani and a freshman at Yale University.
A version of this column appeared in the
Yale Daily News.Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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