What a week! Traditionally things in D.C. are extremely slow during August.Congress is out (but since I am not a politician that doesn't impact me as much as perhaps some of the effects). For example, since Congress is out there is less traffic. Better than that, there is less coverage on television news programs and fewer promotions.You could say a "calmness" descends upon the city. School is out and since I am a mother that one is huge. Many have left the area for neighboring beaches and far away vacations. Those who are on budgets and the less affluent are left behind. But litterally it seems as if one half of the place is just gone. Quiet.
Yes, quiet..... That was until the BRAVO network decided to bring their camera's to the nation's capital. Before I even begin to lament on the reason, I want to say a few things.
Washington, D.C. gets a bad rap.(figures I would be born here)....It's the place people (mostly Americans) love to hate. Rarely are we Washingtonians truly recognized. We simply get to go along for the ride. The image and perceptions driven out to the masses is largely created by journalists, politicians (and their entorages i.e. interns etc who have hook ups because of their -often- small town connections) and public relations spin doctors. A huge percentage of these people are not even from Washington, D.C. or anywhere close. They bring their ideas and energies (which they have brought from the other states they hailed from). Yes, I said it they bring their mean and nasty; they bring their ambitions, then they write stories, do televisions and take lots of pictures and diseminate them out into the greater world. We true Washingtonians are hijacked and hang on for dear life as we get taken on this crazy negative ride. It always amuses me when I see tourist come here for the first time. They see us real D.C. folks on the streets and the metro, and you can literally see in their faces "Where did these people come from?" expressions.
Without question, Washington, D.C. is one of the most innovative, fascinating, complex cities you can encounter. It's residents are equally as interesting. I now think we are mysterious. I say that only because I have become aware of how little people know about us and what we have done (and are still doing).If you check in on this blog, it is my intent to provide a glimpse of who people from inside and around the beltway really are and how we live.
Back to the reason that this particular summer's rhythm has been interrupted.First of all it seems the national television audiences are shrinking out there. There are all the competing technologies, and new attitudes that bring more folks to laptops and cell phones etc... So combine that with cynism and audience share is decreasing.The numbers that the networks have to measure by is much smaller than what they traditionally work with.And as much as we Americans like to complain about the negativity of networks like Faux News (you know what I am talking about); as much as we like to complain about toxic talk shows on both radio and television, the bottom line is we are stressed and a little angry. We love to hate right now and finding a lightening rod to hate on is just what will get our tounges wagging even if we don't turn on the television. And BRAVO knows this. As a matter of fact they are banking on it. We may be hatting on their new show about the housewives from D.C. now, but before you know it our curiousity will win out and the seeds will blossom into a wonderful flowering tree. Maybe it's the beginning of a forest.... uhmmm.... I digress.
But in fairness, it's not just BRAVO... It's the TLC channel with "D.C. Cupcakes" along with the first couple and all the focus they in and of themselves generate. (Here's a flash -- there have been really intelligent people of color in this town almost since the beginning --- maybe it had something to do with the servants who built the nation's capital and then worked within the confines of it's walls; they learned stuff --i.e. how to speak, think, strategize etc...) Anyhow, those folk had babies who had babies and I have grown up with those folk. So when President Obama came on the scene, I unlike so many others, found little amazement. Whenever America is ready to point it's cameras around they will find loads of these peeps.
I am actually happy that D.C. is getting at least a little love (attention). But at the same time, history has taught me (and so has the buzz lately) to hold my breath and hold on tight... Look's like this is gonna be a bumpy ride.
P.S. I am gonna post this uneditted for a day or so... mostly because I have a habit of rethinking while I edit and then talk myself out of publishing at all
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