Parody "On Television"?

While reading “On Television” by Pierre Bourdieu, I wondered, what exactly would he consider “good” or even “decent” television to be? Bourdieu alludes to the possibility of a more critical thought employed in programming. He states that the television industry (especially the TV news programs) is a slave to viewer ratings and approval. Thus, the only topics to make it to the small screen are already understood by the masses or can be easily comprehended. The topics are light in the intellectual sense and are not trying to produce. I immediately thought of the floods of entertainment news programming, at topic that Bourdieu dabbles little in, surprisingly enough. Supposed “important” informative programs, like CNN and even now BBC are fraught with what Bourdieu deems as frivolous stories, like Presidents unproductive meetings, and now even Hollywood star stories once reserved only for the infamous pages of cheap grocery store tabloids see the prime time.

Bourdieu suggests the mindless programming be replaced with captivating, questioning, offending works. Are there such works on television today? To coincide with the week’s other reading by Jameson, I think that thoughtful programming does exist, however, it is in a sort of parody form of the other shows. For example, Comedy Central distributes a number of politically questioning programming, like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Chocolate News, and even South Park. These shows make political statements and present unnerving scenarios. They often offend greatly, but some how receive audience approval as well. Through comedy, and the “laughter effect,” people can be stimulated by opinionated programming. If its all fun and games, how can it seriously offend? Perhaps the easily offended people do not watch these shows, or misunderstand the content’s paradoxical sense (as often is the case with the extreme right wing and The Colbert Report). Yet, perhaps even, it is because of their large differences with the “ordinary” shows, they have become a cultural phenomenon. Now the question becomes will this type of parody programming become the norm, and if so, will it then become the ordinary for Bourdieu as well?