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| Music, media, libraries and my tortuous ascent into the middle class. |
The wife and I have been selected to be a Nielsen family this week. And it's exactly like being in a family, because they sent us ten dollars cash in the mail, two five dollar bills. Who sends cash in the mail anymore? Crazy old relatives, that's who. Maybe after we complete our viewing diary and send it in, they'll send us a card and a fruitcake.
Anyway, we've been taking our responsibility very seriously, because we know that our choices may affect the television programming that is watched by our friends, families, and countrymen. As educated citizens (nearly four degrees between us), we have a moral obligation to make sure that quality progamming exists.
Therefore, on our first night, we found ourselves watching two hours of Spike TV's MXC, wherein Japanese contestants are painfully humiliated. In my guilt-tossed sleep I tried to justify to myself the reasons for my attraction to this show and my uncontrollable laughter as I watch it. The next day I figured out the word for it: schadenfreude.
The following morning, we took it upon ourselves to watch two hours of Murder, She Wrote. We're hoping that if they bring back the series, then we'll be helping out all the unemployed B-list actors out there. Perhaps Bronson Pinchot could be the next sheriff of Cabot Cove.
So as you can see, we're off to a good start.
If you have any suggestions as to a show we should watch in order to boost its ratings and therefore save it from cancellation, let me know.
Update: I was saying earlier that being in the Nielsen family is really like being in a family. Well, the Nielsen people called the other night and asked if everything was going okay.
"If you need anything or have any questions, don't hesitate to give us a call...and make sure you get those diaries in the mail by Thursday."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Gee whiz."
Posted by Mike Waugh at May 2, 2004 02:03 PMSchadenfreude, eh? I always thought that was the joy a Mac user feels when a friend or family member begins describing the latest virus with which their Windows PC has been struck down. Mwa-ha-ha-ha.
But how exactly did you "figure out" this word? Is there an online definitionary, wherein you input a definition and it returns a word? My guess is that Chairity simply told you the word, which in your mind translates as, Mike Waugh figured it out.
Posted by: Robert, Waugh the Younger at May 5, 2004 08:06 PMActually, I had it confused with scheherazade, but a lucky Google search for "taking pleasure in other's misfortune" turned it up. All those hours and hours of library school are finally paying off!
Posted by: Mike Waugh at May 5, 2004 09:52 PM