TV is so 20th Century

My flat-screen in Dubai

At first it seemed like finding that proverbial pot of gold at the end of that proverbial rainbow.  Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration.

As a management consultant, I had the privilege of traveling throughout the Middle East, and staying at 5-star hotels. Like the Ritz Carlton in Bahrain, the Grand Hyatt in Muscat, and the Four Seasons in Riyadh. We also had quite comfortable, sizable flats in Riyadh and Dhahran.  By and large it was the same: 100′s of channels on TV, for our endless viewing pleasure.

Except that they’re in multiple other languages, besides English. If you’ve seen Lebanese and Egyptian music videos, you know you don’t need to understand Arabic to enjoy them. Same with broadcast news. The images and videos tell the story, plus of course the lovely lady presenters. Bored one evening, for example, the guys and I lounge in front of the TV, and watch some serial drama in another language. We take turns imposing our own dialogue into the show, effectively becoming the ‘talking heads’ for the actors. Trust me, it was funny.

Still, there were times when, exhausted from a long day of working, I just clamored for an English channel. At one accommodation, I swear there must’ve been just two or three. Upon moving to Dubai a few years ago, I longed for quality channels in the same, quite sizable offering. Well, I got fed up, and decided to just cancel my TV package. Turned out that that pot was at the end of a bleary-eyed scowl, and it was simply full of old, mildewed coins!

YouTube, genius concept

YouTube has become my TV, instead. It’s free, its offerings are virtually limitless, and many videos are in English.

Conan O’Brien is one of the quirky yet standout comedians in the American scene. I think his shows are just hilarious in a very wry way. From late night, toward prime time, he gradually entered mainstream culture. So, in lieu of watching him on TV, I enjoy clips of his show on YT.

To wit, here’s a feature on Kesha Rose Sebert on his show, who reveals that she uses auto-tune to mask a terrible, throaty manly voice.

How about the “Hitler Cat,” in an elite company of other heads of state? 

But my favorite YouTube discovery of the day today is of the lovely Anne Hathaway, proving that even nice girls can be hip rapsters.

So now if you mention ‘TV,’ I like, "Huh, whaaa?"  What are your favorite funny videos on YouTube?

Thank for your reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD