Bring On the Bears

Methinks something is rotten in the state of American television.

These days, one needs only to flip through the TV channels to see that the American public seems to have taken a fancy to scaring itself to death.

What passes for documentary is nothing but a thinly veiled pitch for the latest: a) deadly disease, b) social ill, or c) heinous crime sweeping the nation. Gee, I remember when watching a documentary meant seeing a Jacques Cousteau or National Geographic special. Times have changed, and definitely not for the better.

Now, some might say, “Learning about rare, deadly, airborne parasites is far more important than learning about how polar bears mate.” I beg to differ. What good is it to instill fear and paranoia in people when there is already enough fear and paranoia in this country to last two lifetimes?

I say bring back the polar bears; they’ve been relegated to the Discovery Channel for long enough. They’re a lot more interesting to watch, and, besides, they won’t hurt you unless you bother them while they’re mating.

JOHN McELLIGOTT JR.

Fullerton