Farewell Carni Folk

Television really sucks. Everytime I find something that I enjoy (for example, HBO's Carnivàle) it gets cancelled. What the fuck? As I'm making my morning rounds, checking email, reading news, etc., I run across this sad nugget of information:


Pictured: Carnivàle's "Sophie" played by Clea Duvall.

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- HBO has pulled up stakes on "Carnivale," opting not to order a third season of the circus-set Dust Bowl drama.

Prospects for a "Carnivale" renewal have appeared bleak since the sophomore season wrapped in March; the show didn't increase its viewership, and series creator/executive producer Daniel Knauf already signed on to produce a series for the rival Showtime cable channel.

"We have decided not to renew 'Carnivale,' " said Carolyn Strauss, president of entertainment at HBO, in a statement. "We feel the two seasons we had on the air told the story very well and we are proud of what everyone associated with the show has accomplished."

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Why would Daniel Knauf sign a deal with Showtime... what a dickbag. Though it sounds like the show would have been cancelled due to lackluster ratings anyway. And I suppose folks would rather watch Donald Trump or any number of reality television garbage instead of actual good programming--stories that aren't based around some numb-nut gimmick. Not some dull shit like Survivor, the type of show people in "Cubesville" giddily talk about and bet on who the winner will be.

I swear, the Andy Warhol quote: "In the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes" has become the guiding principle in not only television, but American life. The general population is desperate for celebrity gossip, candid photos, hidden video, and any other shit they can get their hands on. For the people who aren't striving to become famous, they are frantically attempting to vicariously live the life of a celebrity.

And this principle applies not only to fame-seekers, but the way that mainstream press focuses its lens on a particuliar subject matter and drains it lifeless (i.e. Terry Schievo, Michael Jackson, etc.).

I can handle no more at this moment.