Saturday noon,after a very tiring week that except of the work,included "like the cherry on the cake" the unjust loss,the funeral of an old schoolmate and good friend,only 28 years old man (goodbye,Vasili,have a nice "journey" and i hope you will be good where you are going...I am sorry that i don't write anything more about you,but i don't know if you would like something like that…or if your family would like it)...
So,on a noon like this one,you think about going for a walk and a coffee in the amazing Thessaloniki and enjoy the shining sunny day or about staying at home,drink a coffee "with" yourself and think about what life is and what is its true meaning…And then,when you accept that you can't answer these so common yet so "absolute" questions,you can read some old medical magazines (i am a little bit "late" in reading about new stuff) and/or watch some repetitions of old episodes of some Greek series shows,the kind of "Papakaliati",SINGLES 2 and others that i don't recall now(forgive me)...
This post is about these series,these tv shows,although if i want to be honest,it is about what they represent and the people who are watching them.Don't get me wrong,i don't want to judge anyone.It's not on me to decide and judge who is "good" and who is not.I just want to understand a couple of thinks and express one of my questions.
So,i prepare an ice coffee,a frappe,with a little bit sugar and a little bit milk(ups,when did this expire,man?),i analyze the very heavy "life" question for 3,5 minutes and i repeat to my self for the thousand time that i won't find an answer(at least not today) and by taking in my hand the remote control,i go on having some "zapping" and activate the brain wash that pleases so many people every day in our world..
News,light boring movies,
family series where the little daughter of the seven membered family is starting to have her first love disappointments and the mother (a restaurant worker-psychologist–best mom ever) is trying to prevent the "bad" thing (the sex),or
teenager series where the five friends meet in the same old coffee shop and start another one funny-realistic "adventure",always with a happy ending.Sometime later,comes the BOOM,the repetition of a well known Greek show-serial…
After twenty minutes of brain washing with the particular "single" 2 series,i call a very good friend of mine that had suggested this show to me.My nerves are ready to explode because of the stupidity of the script writer which can be heard in every word that the actors say,who are trying to do something but don't succeed(total luck of acting ability),the director is trying to show off so that everyone will be talking about him in the huge academic classes of the director's academies,but i believe that the biggest "class" where his name will be heard is going to be my father's grill shop-and i suppose it won't be heard for "good"…
My friend listens to me while he is sleepy(i interrupted his Saturday noon sleep and by talking continuously i end up yelling about the bad quality of Greek television) and when finally i stop,i hear him say this:"You are addicted to the standardised American models of the imported serials and you can't recognize the true Greek television quality…”…Whaattaa?What did you say,MAN?I ask him :"Where did you read this?".No answer.I am sure that the answer is hiding somewhere between the pages of one of those magazines kind of FREE,MAXIM,DENIM,FOR HIM or something else that ends in –ΙΜ,-ΒΟΥ or -HOUSE,magazines with various content,with "heavy" thinking questions and answers as in "what does the successful man in modern Greece eat" and interviews from ten men of this kind (as if we care,since according to the same magazine we are losers or on the way to become one) or "what is this year's best GADGET for the Greek man"(with a price as 1800 payments of an un-GADGET-ed Greek man).You see,my friend is the typical Greek man:worker in a small clothing industry(or,if you like,a successful P.R. of a fashion house...yeah right...),a "dog"(listener-fan of Greek ethnic music,as one of my cousins says),buzukia-frequenter mostly or fake-high society-kits-bar lover(only those nights that he is not in the mood or doesn't have much money).Nice guy,interesting person,but with "Greek" taste...This isn't necessary a bad thing,it just doesn't match with my taste.
We hang up and i am still watching the disgusting(for me)series...I didn't have to wait for my justification to come:one of the actors "throws" a specific phrase that i remember to have heard in one American series.That was it.I am now sure that there is no quality,that the "recipe" for a good GREEK serial is only one and that is
copying! I have to ask for forgiveness now from mister Papakaliatis for revealing his big secret and i hope that i didn't ruin his plans for his next book: "THE BIG GUIDE ABOUT GOOD COPYING FOR AMBITIOUS GREEK SCRIPT WRITERS"...
My question (have i kept you in suspense or did i make you get bored with what i have been saying?) is this:is it my idea or some things out there "go" together?I mean the characteristics of my friend and so many others who are "out there":amusement in buzukia,taste and listening to Greek music exclusively,low level of education,in some occasions low I.Q. and finally…addiction to one of the Greek series-shows-serials with pride about the Greeks success,worshiping imported stolen ideas!I mean,does someone have to be in this category of people to be able to actually enjoy one (if not all) Greek serial?(Honestly,i want to know what you think about it,even if you agree or not...If you disagree,it will probably be more interesting!!!)
The episode ends with the old,well known song “What if God was one of us?” (i think its original title is "One of us",by Joan Osborne)and the actress(a successful Greek actress,single mother,with all the Greek magazines congratulating her for her good work this year and her good acting ability that can be seen in these episodes...please,have mercy!!!)on a monologue,having some thoughts,that my 15 years old neighbor will hear and will make her think that she is a "completed woman",because it was only yesterday when she was thinking the same "chick stuff",as she calls it...
I don't want to tire you any more(and some friends are waiting me for coffee) i have only one think to say:if God was one of us,if He was living in our country,He probably wouldn't listen to Greek buzukia,probably wouldn't watch these series,probably wouldn't stand our Greek wisdom(that characterizes us,since ever,just because...well,"just like that,we are Greek,so we are wise" is the answer you will get by the ABSOLUTE-GREEK men...???),probably wouldn't stand the "Greek European sub-culture" and probably would leave for somewhere else...That's what i say and i am waiting to see if you agree or not...Either way,listen to the song,it's not bad even if you are a "dog",a patriot,an ABSOLUTE GREEK MAN,or "one of us"...
