Debasing the coinage

As of Monday, The Military Channel became “American Heroes Channel”. Apparently parent company Discovery Communications thought the change will broaden its current appeal, although its target is still males aged 25-54 who aren’t burdened with particularly high expectations or maybe even with active cerebral cortexes.

I suppose that makes it less of a reach to air such crap as “Who Was Jesus?”, “Myth Hunters: The Hunt for the Book of Spells” and “The Devil’s Triangle”, which bear no relationship whatsoever to anything particularly military.

Although, I grant you, TMC didn’t have a high barrier to entry. One of their mainstays used to be shows hosted by R. Lee Ermey, whose undistinguished 11-year career as a Marine provided the backdrop to some acting gigs. As near as I could tell, Ermey played one character—the bullying gunnery sergeant—which he carried through for his work for TMC. He also had one method of delivering his lines: screaming.

In its announcement of the name change, Discovery intoned, “…American Heroes Channel explores compelling and uplifting true stories of the bold men and women who have distinguished themselves by their actions… These stories bridge the connection between lessons of past and legends of today, and demonstrate – for all generations –how courage and conviction shape the future.”

Oh, what a crock.

What they are doing is further devaluing the coinage of the concept of heroism, a process which has been well underway for some time in all media. Basically, their idea is that anyone who makes it out the other end of a sticky situation is a hero.

If I sit through any of their programming, I think I'll qualify..