I’m speaking of course about shows like VH1’s “I Love the 80’s,� “I Love the 90’s,� “I Love the 70’s� and their various sequels. For the uninitiated, these are the shows where a group of Q-list celebrities talk about a bunch of stuff that happened 10 or more years ago. It’s hour upon hour of people saying things like “Remember when spandex leggings were popular? What were we thinking??!!�
The series must be popular, because VH1 keeps launching new versions of it. This month, the cable station will launch “I Love the 80’s 3D,� which will offer a new twist by asking viewers to wear 3D glasses while listening to mindless drivel. And it’s not just VH1. Bravo recently had a week-long series called “Great Things About Being,� with such installments as “Great Things About Being Fat� and “Great Things About Being Blond.� Like the “I Love� specials, these shows have no obvious point. Are they supposed to make you feel better about being fat, blond, etc.? I’ve got to tell you, if I’m really in the dumps about being 30 or overweight, I don’t think a Bravo special is going to pull me out of my funk.
Clearly, all these shows are pointless wastes of time. Who cares that fannypacks were big in the 90s? Yes – they were a fashion faux pas. Let it go. You say that being blond is great because no one expects you be smart? How is it great that an entire group of people is labeled dumb because of their hair color? Since when is an underestimated intelligence a good thing?
Now, don’t get me wrong. These shows are entertaining. I actually like “I Love the 80’s� and its brethren. I do. I’ve watched every single episode of every single edition. I laugh at every half-hearted quip launched by the likes of Michael Ian Black and Hal Sparks, for whom participation in these specials is a career highlight. They’re witty. They’re fun. They’re great to have on in the background as I cook dinner or put away my laundry. They’re good to watch when I can’t sleep at night.
But they’re not necessary. If they were to disappear, I wouldn’t bemoan their absence with nearly as much passion as I did that of “real� television shows like “Freaks and Geeks.� I know creating good, original programming is tough, but more effort must be made. Or, hey, remember when VH1 showed music videos? Maybe they could do they again. Remember when Bravo was classy? Maybe they could re-embrace that image.
Timewaster television is clever and it is entertaining, but cable stations can do better. These shows aren’t just a waste of viewers' time – they’re a waste of the networks' time as well.