Page 6 The Lion's Eye Opinion March 1, 2005 An editorial Reality is, the viewers need to take a stand We don’t know about you, but we're tired of turning on the television and not finding what should be on the channel in question. Sports on sports channels, music videos on channels dedicated to music, places to travel to on the Travel Channel ... Remember that concept? Those ideas now seem long gone. Remember the glory days of MTV and VH1 . when they actually used to play music videos? Today theyre overrun by reality shows, and other assorted, well, crap. There's not a music video to be seen. One exception is the showing of the credits at the end of the show, when a viewer can catch a glimpse — and only a glimpse — of a video. It’s almost like MTV is laughing at us, mocking us, because we are old enough to remember a decade ago, when there were con- stant music videos. - Now we are treated to reality shows such as “Ashlee Simpson” and “Newlyweds.” Who can forget the “Real World Philadelphia” and “My Sweet 16?” VH1 is another disappointment with a block of programming called “Celebreality.” During this enlightening run, viewers can watch the Snapple lady try to lose weight and a bizarre love romance between two weird, obscure would-be celebrities. Most of the people on these shows who are advertised as celebrities are hardly well- known at all. There also seems to be a fad of Texas Hold ’Em. invading every channel imaginable. You can now watch celebrities play poker on the Travel Channel and watch a show, “Tilt,” on ESPN completely dedicated to gambling. Since when is gambling a sport? We are being overrun with reality shows. Aren't we living in reality? It seems Hollywood thinks we need our basic programming to show us what reality is and entertain us with it, though they lie about TV channel programs. Even the so-called reality TV isn’t so real. Events are planned and editing is done just so that viewership will increase with nonsensical drama. Drama is laid out like a script beforehand. Even news broadcasts are all about drama and infotainment. The truth is hard to come by. What's a person to do? Give in to the mad- ness and become brainless like everyone else? Or stand up, protest and make a change? We vote for the Choice No. 2. : After all, it is only our reality. Im heading down to Cancun with my plan on going somewhere, not I'm going to catch | up on my school work. sure where yet, three friends so itll probably some- beat this cold place warm. weather Walter Cedeno Scott Battersby Chris Taylor Letters Arts and Sciences Communications IST/Business I’m going to Cancun for spring break. plan on headin down to Cancu with a couple of m girlfriends. I'm going through a perilous adventure through the moun- tains of Nepal Dave Hardison International Politics Mesha Greene Business There's music all around us; get out and lend an ear to it g n y Nicole Walker Business Administration Few people are privileged to be born on the a ticket to see three bands tops when there is a $5 show happening practically every weekend? periphery of one of the largest rock 'n’ roll cities in the U.S. At Penn State Delco, we're basically hanging on the border of Philadelphia. News to no one, I'm confident. What people don't really see is the large underground music scene going on. I'm sure at your high school you knew about a kid who was in a band. Maybe the band was great, maybe it was awful. But it was in a band. For the last few years, I have been a very active follower of local bands, befriending many local musicians and even doing a show or two myself. One could call me a professor in the under- ground. Call me Dr. Scene, if you will. People fail to realize that Philadelphia and Delaware County alone have close to 200 bands of all gen- From Harry Cats Bar in Aston to The Point in Bryn Mawr. Every Friday night there’s an open mic night at the coffee club in Media that starts at 6:30, not to mention that there are or at The Grape Street Pub, in playing. Penn State Delco has even host ed two concerts. Where is the best place to find infor- mation on shows? Do you have to know someone to know? Not at all. Visit sites like purevolume.com or myspace.com and search for events and bands in your area. There is bound to be at least one band that catches your ear. Remember that you are fortunate “enough to live so close to Philly, a place res from "Modern Bliss" and "Pawnshop IESE crawling with talent and opportuni- Roses" doing an '80s southern rock sound, to the pop-punk sounds of "Fivepie" and "Committed" to the screaming vocals of "Hey Hey" and "Misdeed." All these bands, despite totally different sounds, share the same dream of stardom. There is only one reason why some of these bands have not been signed: Not enough people are in touch with their local music scene. Recently, one of the more popular bands in this area, the four-piece pop punk outfit “Left Behind,” disbanded after roughly seven years. It’s a shame that this amazing band won’t have a chance to be heard by new listeners. But who can you blame? With the radio spouting out the same 30 songs over and over, hour after hour, why should you have to move outside the circle of "what's trendy?" One of the few radio stations that actually took the time to embrace local music has even recently been taken off the air. Why are people willing to shovel out 60 to sometimes hundreds of dollars for ties...possibly enough to be the next Seattle or Orange County of scouting. In the farmlands of Virginia and Georgia they don't have that luck if they want to rock. So go, open your mind, expand your horizons and find your new favorite band and befriend them. always great live bands there Saturdays Philadelphia, there's always a local band An update... The Lion’s Eye gets results. Actually, we can’t take all the credit, but in our Jan. 18 edition we questioned whether the state's campuses shouldn’t be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Shortly after that came word that beginning next year, the national holiday will be a Penn State holiday as well. The Lion’s Eye applauds the decision. NNST Editor-In-Chief: PENNOTATE ee Jennifer Rufo hd Managing Editor: Photography Editor: ounty Gerry Dungan Matthew Kelly Walter, Quinetta Wilson. oe 7 Copy Editor: Business Manager: The Lion's Epe Stephen Watson Matthew Aragona Contributing Staff: Katie News, Dan Delaney, Dave Hardison, Lauren O'Neil, Martin Beatty, Sean Orner, Shana Goldson, Anthony lezzi, Amanda Hinkle, Kimberly Ruff, Julia Hagan, Kevin Krauss, Wayne Williams, Andrew Contact the Lion’s Eye: JLR397@psu.edu or (610) 892-1258 All material submitted to The Lion’s Eye is subject to editing.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers