I’m
struck by the recent slew of reality shows set in Alaska (and/or Canada), viz.
Alaska Wing Men, Alaska: The Last Frontier, Bering Sea Gold, Deadliest Catch,
Flying Wild Alaska, Gold Rush, Ice Road Truckers, Tougher In Alaska, Yukon Men.
These
shows are designed to evoke the vicarious admiration of city slickers whose
greatest adventure is driving their hybrid down to Starbucks. Shows like this
glamorize man and women battling the elements. Living on the edge. The pioneer
spirit in a technocratic age.
Because
they’re produced or hosted by outfits like National Geographic and the
Discovery Channel, they target the same Green-cuddly demographic niche as the
audience for Whale Wars.
What I
find striking about all this is how it stands in stark contrast to how Sarah
Palin was reviled. Liberals had a visceral reaction to Palin. I’ve never known
what, exactly, they found so unbearable about her. Apparently it had something
to do with her brash, tomboyish demeanor (aka "Sarah Barracuda").
Now, I
don’t have any firsthand knowledge of Alaska, but I wouldn’t be surprised if
Alaskan women who are used to hunting, fishing, chopping wood, changing tires
in the snow, &c. develop a pushy, scrappy personality like Palin’s. That’s
a survival trait. It’s hard to
envision Caroline Kennedy skinning a moose.
Why is
it that TV networks and target viewers who can’t stand Sarah Palin tune into
shows about men and women who brave the Alaskan wilderness?
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