Stewart, Patron Saint of Television

One of the days that Andrew was downtown this week, he popped by Jay's flat. We don't know Jay at all. The reason Andrew stopped by was to pick up a television that belongs to our friend Stewart, who is from Ballymina, and is studying right now at Central Michigan University. Jay and Stewart are friends, and Jay's dad brought Stewart's TV down for us one of the times he passed through Dublin recently.

All that is a really long way to say, thanks to Stewart et al., we are now able to experience the weirdness and wonder that is Irish television. It seems to be much more the former than the latter, actually.

Example 1: Last night, I watched a two-hour special about the Alternative Miss Ireland Pageant, which is held at the beautiful Olympia Theatre; and is a fundraiser for several HIV charities. If it happens while we are here, I have resolved to go see it. Alternative Miss Ireland allows any human--gay, straight, bi, trans-- to enter and win the pageant. Oh yeah, and animals can enter too. It is hosted by Panti and her two lovely assistants, and there are daywear, swinwear, and eveningwear competitions. You can imagine the guts and the glory of these events. My favorite, well, I had a lot of favorites, actually-- was the inventive and engaging performance by the current winner. She started out on stage in a fancy frock, lip-syching, dead-on, I might add, to "Total Eclipse of the Heart," went offstage briefly, and HE came back in a sleek black long leotard thing and Irish dancing shoes, and did a Riverdance. The crowd went crazy.

I liked watching this program. It seems to me that we can learn much from Alternative Miss Ireland: how to have fun, how to do good for others, and perhaps most importantly, how to build unity and community between an increasingly diverse world.

Alternative Miss Ireland: you might have an American entrant this year. I'll probably sing "What's Love Got to Do With It," though while wearing flats because I will most certainly fall if I wear heels.

Example 2: This morning, Little House on the Prairie was on. What's that all about? Does Ireland have a fondness for tear-jerking, calico-and-bonnet wearing, horse-and-buggy frontier family dramas? Will Baywatch be on later?