The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 - 7A

TV channels: gotta
watch 'em all

niversity life is meant
to broaden our hori-
zons, open our eyes to
things we've never seen and
provide us with opportuni-
ties abroad. College is where
we define
Q who we are
and what we
will become.
Everyone
says now,
is the time
to try new
things: take
a class just CAROLYN
because it KLARECKI
sounds fun,
smoke some
weed and backpack through
Europe. We've heard it all, but
I'm going to recommend anoth-
er type of horizon broadening,
and you don't even have to leave
your couch. I urge you to make
the most of your college years
by watching TV, and lots of it.
Here's the thing: I had a
fortunate childhood. I had no
fewer than 5 channels for as
long as I can remember. Cable
and satellite allowed me to grow
up in front of the TV. I loved
me some PBS as a small child;
eventually, I graduated into
Nickelodeon, Disney Channel
and Cartoon Network, which I
held onto for an embarrassingly
long time. My preteen years
were ushered in by ABC Fam-
ily and the WB and as I entered
high school, I discovered the
pop culture thrills of MTV, VHS
and Comedy Central. While my
television tastes evolved across
many networks, I still never
regularly watched more than
six or seven channels at a given
time in my life. That is, until
college.
When everyone told me to try
new things, I took the mantra to
heart with my remote in hand. I
did a little channel surfing and
discovered pretty much every

networ
My f
TLC "t
as it's k
familie
disease
into the
TLC sti
"Ameri
we're a
wrong;
Enterta
graphic
"Bridez
anythie
"Parent
and son
refined
college.
Whil
mosom
syndics
rage," a
dormsc
get IFC
duced t
gem du
and fell
it airs "
b
Ful
and "Fr
are acts
elsewhE
Discovs
"Man v
and "Di
popular
non-ge
like Dis
those, I
SharkV
I act:
many cl
the sum
Arbor f
and the

k has something to offer. equipped with a common room,
riend affectionately calls which was quite literally a shed
he freak show channel," with a couch in it. This shed also
nown for its oversize had a 20" TV with a grand total
s, little people and rare of two channels. Two. My par-
s. But even if you're not ents grew up with more chan-
ose enthralling topics, nels. At least the two I had were
ill airs "LA Ink" and ABC and NBC - the two best
can Choppers." Maybe channels I could ask for. I got to
little young (or the see Betty White on "SNL" and
gender) to be Women's managed to commandeer the
inment's key demo- shed for the "Lost" finale, but
but the melodrama of stillI missed so much and Hulu
rillas" is just as good as can only get you so far. I even
ng you'll find on MTV's had the fortune - nay, honor -
tal Control" and "Next" of being selected as a Nielsen
nehow feels a little more viewer, butI was bestowed with
- after all, you are in this great gift at the worst pos-
sible time. You have no idea how
e I don't carry a Y-chro- heartbreaking this was. Don't
e, I like Spike TV. It airs ever take your 99 channels for
ated re-runs of "Entou- granted.
.nd sorry, freshmen, the When you think about it,
don't get HBO. They do it really is strange we have so
however. I was intro- many channels and watch so
o this lesser-known few. Cable allows program spe-
ring my freshman year cialization and that's good for
in love with it because you, the advertisers and the rat-
Whitest Kids U'Know" ings. You can stay on one chan-
nel for hours and be entertained
with every show, the advertisers
ontent vwith know who you are and what
to sell you and your devotion
asic cable? shows in the network's numbers.
Everyone wins. But we tend to
hgettaboutit. get trapped in a box of those few
stations whose channel numbers
we've memorized: ABC, NBC,
FOX, (not CBS), Comedy Cen-
eaks and Geeks," which tral, MTV, MTV2, VH1, rinse,
ually pretty hard to find repeat. It's automatic - robotic,
ere. Speaking of geeks, even.
ery might be nerdy, but Let's vow to change the
s. Wild," "Mythbusters" channel some more. Let's all be
irty Jobs" have proven secretly in love with a channel
r programs for geeks and that doesn't make sense for our
eks alike. If you still don't demographic, if only for the sake
covery after watching of creating our own quiet, little
have two words for you: chaos. Let's be televisionaries.
Meek. Let's watch our TV outside the
ually didn't realize how box.

Sweeney Todd is no match for the Demon Beard of Robert Duvall.
Buried in boredom

Even screen legend Duvall can't
save this misshapen dramedy
By JENNIFER XU
Daily Arts Writer
With its vague title, the only thing saving the
Depression-era "Get Low" from a complete theater
walkout is the inimitable Robert
Duvall ("Godfather"), and even he
seems to be phoning it in.
The film opens on an unidentified Get Low
panting man against a silhouetted
house with flames licking furiously , At the Michigan
at its framework. A jump cut then and Rave
quickly and jarringly reveals Felix Sony
Bush (Duvall), a backwoods hermit
who has isolated himself to 40 years
of solitude. Bush comes into town with a wad of cash

and a plan to organize his own funeral in order to "get
low," a euphemism for dying, and brings the entire
town to whispers about his murky past.
The rest of the superstar cast features Sissy Spacek
("Carrie") as Bush's former love interest and Bill Mur-
ray ("Lost in Translation") as the humorous, morally
ambiguous funeral director. Unfortunately, the two
aren't given much to do other than parade around in
their period clothes, throwing off pithy one-liners to
the best of their abilities.
The role of ornery, mysterious old man with a heart
of gold is not a new one for Duvall, who has filled out
his repertoire with typecasts in "We Own the Night,"
"Crazy Heart" and "Secondhand Lions." The only
difference is that this time he has to carry the movie
all by himself Duvall manages to grow slowly more
endearing to the townspeople, but never any less enig-
matic, effectively enshrouding the central plot twist in
enough mystery to pull the audience somewhat will-
ingly through the rest of the film. It's an affecting yet
See GET LOW, Page 9A

hannels I used until
mer months. I left Ann
or work in a tourist town
employee housing was

Klarecki needs access to a TV
with Versus. If you can help, e-mail
her at cklareckoumich.edu.

THE BIGGS EETBC OSHO
P ER I. lf

R. ,
4j'
$$p

JL

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