I have a confession to make: I don’t watch very much television. In fact, I almost don’t watch any television at all. Almost. Don’t get me wrong; I used to spend hours viewing the latest Nickelodeon episodes of Hey Arnold! and Pinky and the Brain and even Rugrats. For me, those shows were classic and, no matter what mood I was, could always make me fall into peals of laughter. The unforgettable characters, the silly plots, the catchy show tunes all make them award-winners to me; why can’t today’s shows be more like them? To me, it seems that almost all modern television shows is nothing but fake reality, ridiculous sex jokes, pointless drama that never ends, and erroneous, one-sided facts. Almost.
You see, every Friday night I spend an hour watching my favorite television show: Smallville. I have been an avid fan of Smallville ever since the series started at the beginning of the decade 2000. For those of you who are clueless about what on earth Smallville is, let me give you a brief explanation:
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Smallville: A television series that tells the story of Clark Kent, the “alien” from the planet Krypton, who has been sent to Earth in order to save it from ultimate destruction and to give the humans a symbol of hope. The series ends the moment that Clark Kent officially becomes “Superman,” otherwise known as “The Man of Tomorrow” or “The Man of Steel,” and embraces his destiny.
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Even when as a young child, I always loved to watch new episodes of the Superman on Cartoon Network…there was never enough for me; I longed to see more of Clark Kent saving Lois Lane once again from disaster, preventing the world from annihilation by Lex’s dangerous weapons of mass destruction, and doing double duty as a superhero by day and hotshot Daily Planet news reporter by night. I’m not sure if it was the chemistry between Lois and Clark that kept me hooked, or perhaps if it was that snazzy red-blue costume that caught my eye; whatever it was, The Adventures of Superman has always been the highlight of my day.
I really love what Superman stands for in the comics and cartoons. In so many ways, he portrays justice, hope, and truth. I’ve always admired how Clark looks at the bright sides of people and believe that everybody deserves a second chance no matter what. I think that’s a valuable characteristic to have in life…there are so many ruthless people out there who are only too eager to bring down the reputations of others and take revenge of others’ mistakes. Superman has always been a reminder to others that we cannot make things better by doing wrong; we can only improve the world by doing what is right.
Clark defines the superheroes role well, inside and out. Not only does Clark have the physical capability to save humans in peril, but he has the courage and bravery to do so, even those whom he doesn’t even know, and helps them with no questions asked and receives zero credit for it. I think that is a big part of what integrity is….doing these good deeds even when nobody is watching. You know you’re doing them because they are the right things to do, not because you want to attract fame and attention and money. Superman truly sets a perfect example.
What greatly saddens me is the fact that Smallville has been pushed back to Friday nights at 8pm. Correct me if I am wrong, but the least popular shows are always on aired on Fridays; I mean, who typically spends their Friday nights at home watching television? Ninety percent of my peers go to the beach, to the club, to the local fancy restaurants. They do anything but stay home. Thus, Smallville has naturally decreased its popularity and, like the rest of the nation, has suffered from severe budget cuts. Nevertheless, the show is still going on persistently.
Smallville is nowhere near as exceptional as it used to be, but the legacy of Superman is still living through this series; amongst the many ridiculous shows that are running today, Smallville keeps up the idea of morality. It is sad that so few still enjoy thesy episodes of young Clark Kent and adventures that he embarks on to save planet Earth.
Okay, I am getting sappy. >_<>, or other form), I encourage you to give Smallville a chance. You never know, it may just end up being on your top list of current favorite shows, along with the famous Top Chef, Next Top Model, The Secret Life of An American Teenager, and whatever else is blaring on the television screen these days.
Meanwhile, in between my daily blogging (one of my many activities that I have slowly but surely become addicted to), my ritual Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn feasts, and my Calculus homework, I will be squeezing in one hour each week into my schedule and dedicating that hour to watching yet another thrilling episode of Smallville, just like I always do.
~TRA
Nobody commented on this? Well, even though it’s over a year later, I will – Yay Smallville! I’m glad to see someone else excited about this show and am sad to see it go. It’s too bad we didn’t see much Lana in the last few seasons. She was a great character. Oh and Clark was never as hot as he was in the very last phantom zone episode.