I watched Sarah Palin's Alaska, hoping to indulge in snarky fun, swapping snide comments with my husband. Sure, we chuckled when she said her daughter liked "socialization" with her peers. Yes, my ovaries shriveled when, after Todd Palin caught a salmon for dinner, she said, "He brings home the bacon, as it should be." When teenage Willow's boyfriend was chased out of the girl's bedroom, I was dubious of the effort to protect the second daughter's virtue in the light of what happened with the first.
By the the middle of the program, ridiculing Palin's syntax, diction and ripe makeup lost its joy. I started to feel depressed. This is supposed to be a travel/celeb show, but it came off like an agenda-pushing political ad for the Tea Party. Palin got in comments about immigration (build a fence, like she did to repel a nosy neighbor). She must have said "Mama Grizzlies" five times, even though no actual grizzly bears appeared on the program (brown bears did; perhaps Palin would like to build a fence around them?). The truly nauseating last segment dramatized Sarah overcoming her fear of heights to climb a rock. Would she succeed? Could she dig deep in her Alaskan fortitude, and make it to the top? The suspense was unbearable. TLC has provided yet another show about extra-large Christian families in rural communities, and expects viewers to applaud. They probably will.
Palin can get away with EIGHT HOURS of reality TV about her moxie and reliance because she's not currently holding a political office, nor actively campaigning for one. She has no opponent who could, by law, demand reciprocal exposure, northern or otherwise. Candidates ordinarily have to pay for airtime. Not-yet-running Palin is getting paid for hers. I give her credit for hardly anything, but she deserves props for this. She quit her job as governor, so that she could do a reality TV show (premiering weeks after the midterm elections) to advertise herself and set up her presidential bid in 2012. Mark my words: She'll announce her intentions within six weeks of the finale of Alaska, which will hammer home the Palin narrative of grit, guns and God. Although I adore "What Not to Wear," I might have to stop watching TLC completely.
Follow Valerie Frankel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/valfrankel
Michael J.W. Stickings: The Palin Manifesto
Andy Borowitz: Palin PhotoShopped Into Alaska for TV Show, Hoax Expert Says
Patricia Zohn: CultureZohn: Sarah Palin, Ain't no mountain high enough
I do wish they had a way to spell check when posting. Any chance, HP that that could be implemented?
http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm
I found it while researching Birdlady5's comment that grizzly and brown bears are the same thing. She is right in that grizzlies are a subspecies of the genus referred to as "Brown Bears". And I am sure that all brown bears, in fact all bears, if they knew of Palin's anti-wildlife policies implemented and enforced which she was governor of Alaska, would want to tear her limb from limb. I would suggest that we all owe it to Alaska and the wildlife of our country to ensure that this woman and her agenda never gets elected to another political office. It is time for reason, not charm to prevail.
Do they not realize that most intelligent people do not watch "reality" shows about ghost hauntings or Alaskan dimwits?
Thank Goodness for the History channel!
Must be like Bush's "Clear Sky's Act"... the one that cleared the sky's of birds.
The scenery was beautiful!
I got a kick out of her daughters boyfriend sneaking upstairs with Sarah right there - and she as clueless - but that's nothing new. Also - that she had to call her daughter - who was in the same house - on her cell phone instead of actually speaking to her was kinda funny too cause that's what a "mama grizzly" would do. Way to be observant Sarah!
Also, brown bears and grizzlies are the same thing.
This is just the kind of article that I expected to be written by someone of the far left. I really like that she thinks everyone cares that she won't be watching. Sorry Sarah, looks like now you only have 4,999,999 viewers for next Sunday.
I also don't like that Frankel put this TV show in the same category as the other shows with "extra-large Christian families in rural communities." Palin only has 5 kids!!!! I guess for a liberal who fears the earths over population that could be considered as "extra-large" but come on! seriously? Plus there weren't really any references to religion in the entire show. no prayer, no Bible reading, and no preaching. I don't even recall Christianity being mentioned.
I shall continue reading Valerie Frankel's articles because I am very entertained by her crazy left wing comments. Thanks for giving me a good laugh.
You betcha!
And sam, I hate to break it to yah bud, but 5 kids IS a large family. The TRUE average american has only 2 kids(2.5 statistically). But her show is agenda pushing no matter which way you really want to look at it. She jokes surely when she says there's no place she'd rather be that there, if thats really the case then theres no need for the whole "Palin 2012" hooplah. Doncha know?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2010/10/101015_doc_battle_king_salmon.shtml