PressEthic

They really do. So much that different channels keep showing reruns of the show. And of Seinfeld and Friends. I remember a scene from Crocodile Dundee 2, the one where Mick goes to New York and suddenly is exposed to a whole other type of jungle than the one in Australia. In his hotel room, he turns on the tv while stating that he hasn't watched it for years. It's the Lucy Show that's on, and after a while Mick says: "Yep, that's what I saw".

Unbelievably amusing and it just hits right on the button. While discussing whether the media are creating and strengthening stereotypes in the dark basements of the networks, there's nothing really to discuss in this case. Repetition is obvious, laid out there for everyone to see.

Is this a bad thing? Well, I don't know. First of all, it makes an excellent joke in a movie. Second of all, there's a certain level of comfort about repetition, about knowing you can go anywhere to have your Happy Meal. I love watching sitcoms. And I love when they show my favorite episode. It's like meeting up with an old and dear Friend(s). The critique goes that tv sedates you in this way. Maybe it's true, I am not blind to this. But maybe repetition also has its peculiar strengths. It's something recognizable in the midst of a confusing jungle.