On Netflix-Induced Pain
Jake Capriotti, Photo Editor
As a young boy growing up in Arizona, I was not fond of many television shows. One show that I was emotionally invested in, however, was the phenomenon that is Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” I enjoyed it because it was a show that had so much heart and knew when to end; three amazing seasons and then nothing more. So when I heard that Netflix had acquired the rights and made plans for a live-action series adaptation, I was met with a mix of emotions. While it would be great to see this series again, I must never forget that I have been hurt by a live-action Avatar adaptation before. M. Night Shyamalan, you broke me (I know, how dare I speak ill of an NYU Tisch alumnus). Even though the original creators are in charge of this adaptation and it will be casted by non-white actors, which gives me hope, I beg of Netflix not to break my heart again.
On “Suits”
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor
I’m just going to keep it short and sweet: please do not create another spin-off of “Suits!” The ending was perfect, so just leave it alone! Also, “Pearson” (the first spinoff) was a flop, so that’s that.
On “The Biggest Loser”
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor
After going off the air briefly due to controversy, NBC’s weight loss competition show “The Biggest Loser” is back, with a new supposed emphasis on wellness. I don’t have the space here to dive into all of the reasons why this show is extremely concerning and abusive, but I will say this: pushing people to lose as much weight as possible over a short period of time (in this case, about 30 weeks) is not healthy or ethical, and changing the language around the show’s premise to focus on health doesn’t change the show’s promotion of thinness as best. Watch the show if you want to, but don’t kid yourself and say that its apparent transformation is any healthier than the transformations that the contestants themselves undergo.
On Reality TV
Kim Rice, Deputy Copy Chief
Reality TV is not the same anymore. I would even dare to say it sucks now. I wasn’t allowed to watch TV on weekdays, so I would watch a lot of repeats on the weekends, and reality TV never let me down even when I would rewatch the same episodes. Something about watching men and women fight to the extreme over (and a lot of the time with) people they would obviously not care about in the real world just did something for me. But something about reality TV today is just not the same. The people are different — we could have never had a Ronnie and Sammi love-hate relationship on TV now. Can you imagine a man attempting to throw a woman’s bed out of the window on a TV show now? Never. But it was done and it was aired and no one cared. Literally if they weren’t fighting each other, anything can be said or done and it was aired. I mean we even have “Bad Girls Club,” which literally waited until the women were on top of each other, slapping each other before they broke up fights. Reality TV just can’t do that anymore and so you just get petty arguments and lying; it’s fun, but not as fun as these shows were.
On “The Office”
Gabby Lozano, Deputy Opinion Editor
Where do I begin? Leave it to a group of mundane employees capitalizing on the intricate complexities of the American workplace to make you fall in love with Dunder Mifflin. By season three you’ll even feel convinced that, wherever you go, there’s an invisible camera waiting for you to throw a quick shrug during the awkward, uncomfortable encounters life throws at us.
While this extreme appreciation for the show is totally normal and acceptable, let’s be clear — liking “The Office” is not a personality trait.
If you find yourself repeating “Beets, Bears, Battlestar Galactica” or “Dwight, you ignorant slut” far too often, please do us (and your Tinder swipes) a favor and love yourself. Experience a broken outlet at Bobst, go to Palladium to eat cold pasta made by rat chef Remy himself. Do something, do anything, just please don’t base your personality around a show that everyone is starting to rewatch for the fifth time.
On “South Park”
Emily Dai, Deputy Opinion Editor
As one of the longest-running TV shows still on air, “South Park” has severely damaged political discourse by propagating the idea that caring about anything is stupid.
Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.
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