some things that made me go “hmmmm”

Last night Jude and I were channel hopping (it was too cold to surf) and dropped in for a few minutes of A&E’s new series Bates Motel, which drew 3 million viewers in its debut, the most ever for an original drama on the channel.  It’s a prequel that somehow propels psycho Norman Bates and his hyperprotective mother Norma from 1960 into current day AND youthens them about 15 years.

A still-normal Norman sneaks out of the house to rave with some new high school friends.  While he’s gone, Norma is raped.  Norman returns in time to cold-cock the rapist.  When he’s out of the room for a first aid kit, Norma stabs the assailant repeatedly.

That was enough for us.  We switched to 2011’s The Thing, a prequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing from 1982, which was a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World.  In no way is this recent film related to 1989’s Things, or Thing from The Addams Family.  Nor does it have anything to do with Linens ‘n Things.

Anyway, we tuned in just as someone was transforming into a hideous, many-tentacled creature and menacing yet another young, attractive mesomorphic female.  We fled to Friends, fully knowing we’d risk seeing the perpetually-whiny Ross.

Here’s my point: Jude and I know that we had other options, such as talking to each other.  But if it’s electronic visual stimulation we seek, it’s difficult to avoid violence.  You can have it served up simulated and stylized, or you can watch or read the news.

Today, for example, we can follow the Jodi Arias murder trial as ghoulish Nancy Grace awaits the Oscar Pistorious murder trial.  We can read about the murder of Tom Clements, Colorado chief of prisons, or the shooting of seven in a Chicago night club.

It’s just three months since the Sandy Hook massacre, and support for gun control is eroding.  Congress cannot even push through something as simple and sensible as closing the gun show loophole.

The U.S. is awash with violence.  It’s as American as baseball.  We all know that soon enough we’ll have another mass slaying, outrage will spike, someone will say “it’s different this time” and nothing will be done.  Again.  Why can’t we start connecting some dots?