Portland State on TV

We are now a month and a half into the fall TV season, so it was decided by The Vanguard powers-that-be to check in with Portland State students on the subject of television. While all the students interviewed watch TV (some more than others), it seems none have a very high regard for it, especially the show Cavemen, which is unequivocally seen as dog shit. And I also learned that asking someone which one of the Friends they would kill is like asking someone to pick their favorite thing at a candy store. They just want to kill them all, but can’t.

Ryan Davis, Sophomore, English major, 24

What is your favorite show this season?
Brotherhood (on Showtime).  It’s about Irish brothers in Rhode Island.
Why?
It’s well-written, great actors, and it’s feeding my Sopranos fix.
What is the worst show you’ve seen this season?
Cavemen (on ABC)
Why?
It’s dog shit.
Which show do you think is the best ever?
Homicide:  Life on the Streets.  It’s so gritty.  I can’t get over that it was ever on TV.
How many hours of TV do you watch a day?
At least two hours a day.
Which character on Friends would you kill first?
Lisa Kudrow.
Thoughts on TV?
Studios don’t give shows enough time to breathe.  I mean, it took The Office three seasons to get as big as it is now.

Eve Goldenfields, Junior, Arts and Letters, 20

What is your favorite show this season?
The Office (on NBC)
Why?
There are shows I like more but I don’t have HBO.  I like The Office because it’s awkward and strange, sardonic and funny.
What is the worst show you’ve seen this season?
Cavemen.
Why?
I haven’t seen it, but it offends a core part of my being.  And I hate home repair shows.
How many hours of TV do you watch a week?
One or two.
Best show ever?
My So Called Life.
Why?
Because it was really well written and acted.
Did you relate to it also?
Yes.
Which character on Friends would you kill first?
Monica.
Thoughts on TV?
It’s the new opiate of the masses. I think it rots your brain.

Julien Levy, Sophomore, English, 19

What is your favorite show this season?
Dexter (on Showtime).
Why?
The main character is really great.  The two sides of the character are interesting; his nature as a serial killer and a cop is great.  It’s also stylized and the music is great.
Best show ever? 
A tie between The Simpsons when it was good and Arrested Development.
Why?
Everything about Arrested Development is fucking brilliant.
How many hours of TV do you watch a week?
10 hours.  I don’t have a TV, but when there is time to kill I watch it online.
Which character on Friends would you kill first?
I can’t say all of them?
Nope, pick one.
David Schwimmer. I hate that motherfucker.
Thoughts on TV?
There is entirely too much bad TV and people equate flashy graphics and big budgets for truth. It’s a gross over-simplification of life. People’s news should not come from it.
Well, what about fictional TV, not news?
TV is important for reflecting the times.  TV at its best is when it embraces that it’s episodic by nature. It doesn’t have to answer questions now, it can wait. TV cannot be ignored.

Shannon Balcon, Senior, Speech Communication, 22

What is your favorite show this season?
The Big Bang Theory (on CBS).
Why?
It’s hilarious. It’s about two geeks who live across the hall from a hot girl. I usually don’t laugh out loud at TV, but I do when I watch this show.
What is the worst show you’ve seen this season?
Two and a Half Men (CBS).
Why?
It’s not funny to me. It’s just a cheesy sitcom, but I guess so is Big Bang Theory…
Best show ever?
A tie between Sopranos and Sex in the City, both really different but the same, too.
How many hours of TV do you watch a week?
Seven hours a week, some days more than others.
Which character on Friends would you kill first?
Gunther, but if I had to chose one of the friends it would be Monica.  But it would pain me.
Thoughts on TV?
I think TV helps people keep their finger on the pulse of our culture.  It’s a nice escape.

Jen Shumway, Senior, Sociology, 25

What is your favorite show this season?
Curb Your Enthusiasm (on HBO).
Why?
It’s fucking hilarious. Larry David should run for president.
What is the worst show you’ve seen?
The Tyra Banks Show (on CBS).
Why?
I about puked when I watched it, it’s like Oprah, but not, you know?
Totally, I know
Although Tyra is a really beautiful full-figured model.
Best show ever?
Freaks and Geeks.
How many hours of TV do you watch a week?
Two hours.
Which character on Friends would you kill first?
What’s the brother of Arquette lady?
David Schwimmer?
Yes, him.
Thoughts on TV?
I love staring at flashing lights that erase my mind for two hours, it’s refreshing to not have to think about life, which is shitty, and TV reinforces that thought I have within me.

And now for me to answer the questions.

Talmage Garn, Senior, English, 23

What is your favorite show this season? 
30 Rock (on NBC) and also Friday Night Lights (on NBC).  Both shows haven’t been as strong as their first seasons so far, but are still great television. 
Why?
30 Rock is the best comedy since Arrested Development, and also is highly influenced by it.  From the cut-away flashbacks to the fact that the story revolves around one single and looking person surrounded by a chaotic job and cast of quirky characters, and of course both shows are self-aware and smartly include pop-culture. 
Worst show?
Cavemen.
Best show ever?
Arrested Development.  They packed enough laughs in three seasons to last eight or 10.
How many hours of TV do you watch a week?
Five to six hours.
Which character on Friends would you kill first?
Rachel, clearly Rachel.
Thoughts on TV?
Read my articles, asshole.