Discovery Channel Devolving into Third Generation Inbreed-Fest

With the exception of the multiple awards winning show, Planet Earth, if you turn on Discovery Channel these days, you can pretty much expect to be bombarded by some of the stupidest shows airing on cable television.

At what point a channel meant to educate and inform its viewers devolved into a third generation inbred-fest, one cannot say for certain, but devolve it has. And lest you think reality television could never hit a new low after witnessing such shows as Bridezillas and Swamp People (no these are not 1950’s B-rated movies), here comes another round of shows that will have most Americans pining for the days of the second generation of inbreds.

The latest programs to become a part of Discovery Channel’s repertoire are Tickle and Porter Ridge. Neither of these programs are about anything in particular; however, they do accomplish one goal--to scare the hell out of any rational-thinking human being who just happens to happen upon these shows while randomly flipping through the channels of what has now become a very lame excuse for television entertainment.

It is my opinion that the show that started this sharp, downward spiral into cashing in on rural America was TLC’s Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, a show that features a young, plump beauty pageant winner from rural Georgia.

I started to wonder why anyone in their right mind would find a mouthy fat little girl who is anything but beauty pageant material, and who lives with a 400 pound mother and her toothless live-in boyfriend, the stuff television dreams are made of, and then it hit me, rubes are entertaining as hell to watch. Just the sheer enormity of their ignorance is enough to stop a third-grade Social Studies teacher dead in his tracks.

Remember the movie Deliverance? Of course you do. Remember the famous pig scene? Of course you do. Remember much more about the movie except for the inbreds and what they did to the businessmen who crossed their path? Probably not.

Well folks, welcome to the world of reality television that has taken its cue from that movie, which was also, by the way, set in rural Georgia. While Tickle is set in rural Virginia and Porter Ridge is set in rural Indiana, I think you can see where the masterminds of reality television are taking us on a journey to…their idea into what rural American life has devolved.

So strap yourselves into your strata-loungers, get yourselves a big old bowl of popcorn and let the inbred games begin. And lest the idiotic shenanigans of Tickle begin to bore you, have faith. The Amish have come out of hiding and are more than happy to share their dark side with you for a price with shows like Breaking Amish and Amish Mafia.  It would appear that airing your dirty, hand-washed laundry is a bit more lucrative than making furniture out of hickory tree limbs.

Who would have thought that one of the last bastions of decency in America would finally sell their soul to the devil? Anyone wanna bet that within the next 3-6 months we’ll be seeing a show titled Buddhist Monks Disrobed?