Life In the OC (That’s Oneida County)

Remember when Horatio Sanz was funny?

Yeah.  Neither do I.

Life in the OC can be entertaining at times.

I was wondering what to write about today.  All day.  Up until ten minutes ago, it was going to be about Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches.  While it’s a fascinating topic, I’m sure, it will probably have to hold off for now.

Nope.  Today, I will be writing abut something that just slapped me in the face.  I’m addicted to “To Catch A Predator,” and I don’t know why.  Something is just awesome about seeing the scummiest of the scum getting arrested.

If you’re not familiar with the show, here’s the set up (appropriate, since the whole show is a set up, heh heh.):

People (well, men, really) start talking with way too underage kids online about performing various sexual acts and send pictures of themselves posing in oh so unsavory ways.  They make plans to meet.  What the men don’t realize is that they’re actually talking with a cop, or an independent person who is assisting the police.  When the meet, it’s actually a young adult who can pass as a teen or tween.  The young adult comes up with a plan to leave the room and in comes Chrish Hanshon to talk to the predator.  He asks them all sorts of questions about what they’re doing there, if they brought condoms, if they brought alcohol or tobacco.  This is usually where the predator acts stupid… playing dumb, pretending they were just visiting a friend, or some other stupid shit.  It is at this point that Chrish Hanshon will whip out a copy of the transcript and read it word for word.  “You said you wanted to have a 13 year old *bleep* your *bleep!*  Don’t you see anything wrong with this?”  Finally, after several minutes of interviews, the predator is told who Chrish Hanshon is, and that they’re part of a Dateline NBC Investigation.  Then, out of seemingly nowhere, about 13 guys come out holding video cameras and boom mics to intimidate the predator.  The predator freaks out and leaves, only to be arrested promptly by the local police.  Reset, do it again, repeat 10-12 times.

Now, you may be thinking, that’s not entertainment, and I agree.  It’s not.  It’s news.  However… here’s the sad part.  I find this serious and sad news program more entertaining that, oh, say and episode of Deal or No Deal.  Let me tell you why.

Deal of No Deal.  Clearly, it’s entertainment.  It’s alternative programming (a PC way of saying Reality Show), but it’s still considered entertainment.  I’m sick of Deal or No Deal.  I’m extremely sick of Deal or No Deal.  Deal or No Deal, a show that feels the need to not only have the word Deal in it’s title, but the need to have the word, “Deal,” in their title twice.  Deal or No Deal is on two, three, sometimes five times a week.  I can’t watch it that much anymore.  It’s the reason that I, like most Americans gave up on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.  Overkill.  I haven’t watched Deal or No Deal regularly since October.

Unlike Deal or No Deal, To Catch A Predator is Interesting.  To be honest, they should drop the Dateline NBC prefix from the title.  Hell.  I already have.  Next, make it a weekly series.  Not only would it be entertaining, I’d bet that after a short while, it’ll finally put a dent into all of these sickos who are going after our pre-teens online.