Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Shatner's Weird or What? on the SyFy Channel

I'm always up for a paranormal themed show, but, always, have to remind myself: it's really, in the end, all just para-tainment. Nothing deep and certainly nothing that is true shall be revealed.

And, most of these shows (with some rare exceptions) have the need to include skeptics debunkers -- for, as they'll tell us, "balance." In reality, these so-called skeptics assume much in their expected snarky ways, or re-enact paranormal events in order to "prove" such things don't exist. As if, my painting of a pear proves pears don't exist -- after all, I re-created it, didn't I?

It's always fun to watch Shatner, whether it's vintage Star Trek television episodes, reruns of Boston Legal . . . that's a given, that it's fun to watch Shatner.

So what do I think about his latest venture, Weird or What? Not quite sure yet, but I find myself after watching two episodes, irritated. Debunkers, silly stuff in the kitchen to underscore the episode's theme,  and no meaty conclusions at the end. In other words, typical of Sy Fy, as well as shows of this genre in general.

I haven't given up yet however. If you're a UFO-paranormal-Fortean nerd like I am, you might find Weird or What mildly entertaining in a guilty sort of way, like indulging in some kind of yummy creamy dessert you know you really shouldn't have. Maybe.