Ira Glass in "This American Life"
courtesy of SHOWTIME
“This American Life” (SHOWTIME)

Ira Glass’ program “This American Life” starts its second season on SHOWTIME this month. These are vignettes of American life seen through the eyes of an every man observer. The everyman being Glass. The segments are better this year than last, at least in the first two episodes which I previewed.

This year the program seems to be more thought provoking than ever before. One program focuses on the plight of a twenty-six year old man who suffers from a dehabilitating muscular disease. It has left him with only the abilities to move his eyes and a finger on his hand. With the miracles of modern technology he uses these motions to type messages and to communicate through raised eyebrows and other facial expressions.

His name is Mike and he lives in Tampa, Florida with his mother Karen. The two appear to get along just fine but then as you listen to Mike you learn he is chafing due to the closeness of their relationship. He longs to have a place of his own. He has a girlfriend and he wants her to be there with him, not his mother.

The fact that common issues such as these arise in such an extraordinary situation is amazing and makes for totally fascinating television viewing. I mean you have to see this segment to believe it.

Another segment deals with an Iraqi man who is in this country as a student. He is curious as to what ordinary people think about the war in Iraq and America’s occupation of this country. To learn the truth or as close to it as he can get, he travels around the country putting up a small booth with a sign overhead that reads, “Meet An Iraqi.”

Hearing people speak with him and the words they say are eye opening experiences for him and for the viewers. They actually present more information about the situation than we have heard on any newscasts or read in any newspapers. This information won’t necessarily change your opinions but it will make you think.

Finding these stories and presenting them is what Ira Glass does. If you are smart you will sit down and watch them and have your intellect expanded and your viewpoints possibly challenged.

“This American Life” airs each Sunday at 10 on SHOWTIME. Do yourself a favor and watch it.
 

 

 

 

 

©2008 Jackie K. Cooper

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