Weird night of television

Ok, so watching tv last night wasn't quite as dramatic as this creepy picture....but still bizarre in its own right. I normally don't watch much tv on a daily basis and now I'm beginning to know why. Most of it is depressing or negative news. In the span of maybe 3-4 hours of watching tv because I happened to be bored, I was updated on the ominous state of the US economy, heard about the tragic unexpected death of actor Heath Ledger, and watched an interesting and funny (albeit pathetic portrait of the most idiotic) 'reality' show of people being arrested for the most easily avoidable of 'crimes.' Wow. What a night for primetime television. I didn't know whether to laugh or sigh with sadness. I think I did both....

My favorite, by far, was watching this 'reality show' (if one could call it that) called "Jail." It's like the show "Cops," but more interesting in my opinion. The premise of the show involves what happens at different jails around the country after someone is arrested for a particular crime. Pretty interesting actually, both in its amusing and serious factors. For instance, I never knew there was something known as a 'suicide smock.' Apparently at the Tacoma, Washington jail, anytime someone says something even as vague as "I want to die" without directly hinting at suicide....they put said individual in this 'smock' that sorta resembles a cross between a strait jacket and a bullet proof vest. The guy they put in this smock was likely under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at the time, but they still had to go 'by the book' for standard operating procedure. What was funny about it was that it was just another day at work for them, 'the nature of the beast' so to speak.

Even though it doesn't sound funny, parts of this show I could really identify with because it reminded me of the wacky scenarios I find myself in at work sometimes and just how depersonalized you have to be to deal with strange people at times. Or how you talk with them. I don't mean it in a judgmental way, just a professional way of detaching yourself emotionally while still being respectful of someone you may not normally associate with otherwise.

One of the other segments of the show featured a jail in Las Vegas, Nevada that had brought in a slew of prostitutes, all of different 'classiness' shall we say and each had their own 'reasons' for going down the risky road of prostitution. It was interesting to hear what they had to say. While I do not agree with alot of choices people may make in life, I nevertheless find it fascinating to hear their story. Sometimes it makes me shake my head out of sheer amazement or confusion and other times in a weird way I can see what might have made them go astray.

Regardless, one thing is for certain....no matter where you go, idiotic behavior is pretty much the same everywhere (ie, crying/manipulation, excuses, lies, aggressive tendencies, weird stuff people say, lack of common sense,etc). No matter how much better/more peaceful the world may get, idiocy will always be there to some degree. Job security at its finest.