Friday, December 15, 2006

Just another reason...

As some of you may already know, my wife Anna and I host a Thursday Night Dinner party that has it's roots in our formerly separate celebrations of the popular reality TV show Survivor. I must say that there have been a number of changes since those first dorm room Survivor parties hosted by yours truly, and most of them for the better. What should be understood first, however, is that the gatherings have never been about the show(s). Instead the shows have been about gathering.

One of the major changes (improvements) of the Survivor Parties has been the inclusion of the pre-viewing dinner (hence the current title of these events). What better way is there to watch starving people compete in the wilderness than stuffed on our couch? The meals have varied widely, and we generally try to rotate who's turn it is to supply dinner. We've gathered around everything from frozen pizzas and burgers to steak and even pan seared scallops.

Another major change to our Thursday night line-up was the addition of the quasi/anti-reality TV show, The OC. I'm not sure exactly how this program was added to the mix, but I can tell you why (and why not). Primarily, we needed to extend the evening. An hour for dinner and an hour for social viewing afterwards was not enough. And of all of the shows from Thursday nights that we chose to embrace, we chose The OC. Clearly now, by not choosing say, The Office or Grey's, this should tell you what our Thursday nights are all about. We wouldn't want to all be so captured by the programs that we were watching to not notice each other's company! We want tasteless, trash talkin', totally 'terrible' TV. That's the kind of people we are, and that's the kind of spirit we like to evoke in one another. Call it a release; call it an escape; we call it Thursday Nights. And we love it.

And maybe it's a weakness of our generation that we need an excuse like a televsion show to congregate. But then I liken it to a poker game, a sewing club, or any other routinely occuring rituals of previous generations. Furthermore, it's not that we can't stimulate our own discussions (look at me go!); it's not that we don't have anything better to do (Could it be that we have too much to do?). I think it's that there's a huge difference between seeing your friends when you see them and having a weekly social ritual with them. It becomes important of it's own worth. A TV show, a game night (which we will probably have on Thursdays in our Survivor/OC off season), whatever - having a regularly scheduled evening with friends can be priceless.

So, the real reason behind this post? I didn't intend to make any kind of social statement when I started writing "Just another reason...", but more of an anouncement...

Last night, my friends, we found out that Kevin Sorbo will be playing a character on The OC! The official fansite www.kevinsorbo.net confirms that the legandary TV star will be making his enormous presence felt on 5 of the next episodes this season! HOW LUCKY ARE WE?!


Very.


The OC
airs on FOX at 8pm (CN). Let us bask in the gloriousness of Sobro's light.

3 comments:

J said...

I had my doubts about the OC at first, but with Sorbo's presence, their is little doubt that all other shows on TV will be suffering. The young cast of Grey's will be so stricken by his power they will no doubt attempt untrained plastic surgery on each other to feel beautiful again... while the gore will help ratings for a bit, no one wants to see them all sliced up for more than 30 minutes. The office will be much smarter and postpone airing new episodes until Sorbo is gone for fear that he would show up at their workplace, oiled and shirtless wearing his woven leather pants, and spear them all as a means of sacrifice to Zeus or some other god of the Pantheon he owes a favor.

Also, I believe that he will win survivor. I like Yul and Ozzy, but Sorbo is going to swim to Cook Islands, extinguish Jeff, and take all the women as wives leaving the men with the money, but nothing to spend it on while they rot at exile island.

That is all.

tim said...

Thursday nights are an event that I definitely miss over here. Remembering some of the meals we had last year is making my mouth water and now Sorbo is joining the line up. It’s almost too much but then I look out at the Ocean and have a coconut and realize life is pretty good. I will say after living on a South Pacific island for 6 months now I believe that if the survivor cast new even a little about island plant life they could eat like kings. Things here are going well and I just got some more pics up on the blog.
Peace
tim

Davin Haukebo-Bol said...

The moment I saw your posting about Sorbo, I knew that Jay would have a boner. And in viewing his comment, I can totally read between the lines that he does have one. I ALSO miss thursday nights. Here I just watch the episodes via internet as we have 1.5 television channels.

And thats just tv... we cook well here in the Eau C. but not like Anna, I want some of that food. Gerhard has a car now. Maybe I will send him to thursdays as a represenative on my behalf.