Sarah Palin's Alaska

[John81]

A new reality series began on TLC last night (Sunday November 14) entitled "Sarah Palin's Alaska".

First question: Did you watch this show?

Second question: If you watched the show, what are your thoughts?

It seems this programs has garnered a lot of attention by varying people and groups. Some liberals are very upset with TLC for having this program on even though it's not a directly political program; although the program does touch upon such issues a bit because of who Sarah is, but the program itself isn't focused on that.

Some see this program as a great addition to Palin's foundation being laid for a presidential run in 2012.

Some seem less focused upon the political aspect and more focused upon the family. Some traditional and Christian folks are upset with the immodest dress of Sarah and her daughters. I've also heard comments on the radio today from those saying Palin's children have shown a great deal of disrespect to her and that she should have done something about this. There are also comments being made with regards to the language Sarah Palin uses.

If we focus upon the Alaska aspect, what beautiful scenery was shown and some interesting wildlife. The program could give a boost to Alaska tourism.

Maybe a couple more questions.

Do you think this program is a good idea if Sarah Palin is planning to run for president?

Do you think the program is a good idea in general and do you plan to watch this program over the several weeks it's on?

Do you think it's a good idea to have your family under such scrutiny?

Will having TV programs become a new means of building support for political runs? Sarah Palin has this program plus she is currently working for Fox News. Mike Huckabee has a program on Fox News and his positive ratings have seemed to rise because of this.

[Pastor Matt]

First question: Did you watch this show?
No I did not

Some traditional and Christian folks are upset with the immodest dress of Sarah and her daughters. I've also heard comments on the radio today from those saying Palin's children have shown a great deal of disrespect to her and that she should have done something about this. There are also comments being made with regards to the language Sarah Palin uses.
Does this really surprise anyone? Sure we all know she is conservative in politics, but who ever said she was a Godly woman?


Do you think the program is a good idea in general and do you plan to watch this program over the several weeks it's on?
Maybe I'll watch it.

Do you think it's a good idea to have your family under such scrutiny?
Sarah put herself in this situation, do I think it is a good idea? No, but she has other reasons for being on the show.

[Annie]

First question: Did you watch this show?

No.

Do you think this program is a good idea if Sarah Palin is planning to run for president?

Depends on how it goes...TV audiences are generally fickle and unpredictable. Sarah's taking a small risk, but I'm thinking she's heavily involved in the editing and production of each episode. On the whole, it will prOBably help her popularity with the American people. Unfortunately, the American public are so addicted to this kind of "reality" show that they are all too willing to be manipulated into believing whatever the show's agenda happens to be.

Do you think the program is a good idea in general and do you plan to watch this program over the several weeks it's on?

I'm not a fan of reality TV, myself. I won't go out of my way to watch it. If someone else is watching it, I may sit through an episode just out of curiosity.

Will having TV programs become a new means of building support for political runs? Sarah Palin has this program plus she is currently working for Fox News. Mike Huckabee has a program on Fox News and his positive ratings have seemed to rise because of this.

Might work. I don't think liberals would have as broad of an appeal as conservatives do. (They really are just boring, since they're not patriotic, and are against everything that makes for a dynamic/entertaining show. People would be yawning, and the ratings would be in the cellar.)...Just like talk radio: the success of conservatives like Limbaugh, Reagan, and Beck has far, far surpassed that of all of the liberal talk radio shows put together.

Do you think it's a good idea to have your family under such scrutiny?

I have a friend who lives in LA, and has actually been a participant in a few so-called "reality shows." He says that they're almost just as scripted as any other show...Scenes are mapped out, camera angles are planned, and the dialogue is redone if it didn't take well the first time. At times, the producers aren't happy with what happened, or they want to "stir up more drama," so they tell the participants what to say, etc. So, only the gullible think that "reality" actually does mean "reality" when it comes to these shows. (Of course, some things are spontaneous, and some shows, by their very nature, have more opportunities for spontanaity...but by and large, the show is scripted and heavily edited, since "normal" people who aren't trained actors don't have the ability, creativity, or originality to captivate an audience's attention for that long without help.) I don't know the level of scrutiny that the Palin family is enduring, but I don't think it hurts for a short time. I think it would be stressful, but maybe it's fun for some people.

I did happen to see a preview for the Palin show, in which Willow Palin is walking away from Sarah while Sarah futilely tries to get her attention. That's just the kind of "drama" that can be scripted so easily. The idea would be to convey that the Palins are just a normal American family, and that Sarah identifies with moms who have trouble getting through to their teenaged daughters, etc. Edited November 15, 2010 by Annie

[HappyChristian]

My mom wanted to watch it, so we saw the first episode. The scenery was beautiful. I didn't like her language - she didn't swear by what many people think is the accepted standard, but she did use the g_sh word an awful lot. I didn't like that. There were shorts, but that's been seen before, so it was and should be no real surprise.

I think maybe there are people who try to make out that SP claims to be some sort of spiritual giant - and she has never done so, nor has anyone I know (and I know a lot of Christians in politics...) claimed it of her. It has been solely her conservative positions and the good work she did as governor that appeals to most. Yes, the youngest daughter was disrespectful, as was Willow. That was a turn-off. Todd spent months at a time away from home through the years, so there wasn't much of a dad presence while the older kids were growing up. As I was watching the show, I felt that was a large part of the prOBlem - but, Annie could have hit the nail on the head: Piper seemed a bit too sulky compared to what she's been in the past. So it could all be part of the show.

I honestly don't know if she'll use this show as part of her "resume" to run for POTUS. I am not convinced she's planning on a run. Once a person throws their hat in the ring, there are things that have to be muzzled - and if there's anything I think anyone who's seen her much knows, it's that she speaks her mind (sometimes too much).

I won't see any more, because I'm heading home before it shows again. My mom will prOBably watch it. The scenery alone is worth it, and it is close by...

Good idea for the family to be under scrutiny? Of course not - these reality shows that have cameras following family all over the place are intrusive. This one is supposed to highlight the summer months spent as a family, doing a lot together. That could work, and people could enjoy it. Who knows.

I'm personally not going to lose a lot of sleep over it.

[1Timothy115]

No.
I don't watch Huckabee either.

[trc123]

We saw it and liked okay. Better than 95% of what is on TV. Don't try to complicate it too much, just watch it for the Alaska experience from the eyes of the Palin Family.

[Crushmaster]

"A new reality series began on TLC last night (Sunday November 14) entitled "Sarah Palin's Alaska"."
Ugh.
"First question: Did you watch this show?"
No.
"Second question: If you watched the show, what are your thoughts?"
I've heard some about it...
"It seems this programs has garnered a lot of attention by varying people and groups. Some liberals are very upset with TLC for having this program on even though it's not a directly political program; although the program does touch upon such issues a bit because of who Sarah is, but the program itself isn't focused on that.

Some see this program as a great addition to Palin's foundation being laid for a presidential run in 2012."
She won't be getting my vote.
"Some seem less focused upon the political aspect and more focused upon the family. Some traditional and Christian folks are upset with the immodest dress of Sarah and her daughters. I've also heard comments on the radio today from those saying Palin's children have shown a great deal of disrespect to her and that she should have done something about this. There are also comments being made with regards to the language Sarah Palin uses."
Heh...
"If we focus upon the Alaska aspect, what beautiful scenery was shown and some interesting wildlife. The program could give a boost to Alaska tourism."
Maybe.
"Maybe a couple more questions.

Do you think this program is a good idea if Sarah Palin is planning to run for president?"
Depends on whether people like it, I suppose.
"Do you think the program is a good idea in general and do you plan to watch this program over the several weeks it's on?"
No.
"Do you think it's a good idea to have your family under such scrutiny?"
Well, depends on who your family is...
"Will having TV programs become a new means of building support for political runs? Sarah Palin has this program plus she is currently working for Fox News. Mike Huckabee has a program on Fox News and his positive ratings have seemed to rise because of this."
We'll see, I suppose.
God bless,
Joel ><>.
2 Chronicles 7:14.

[DennisD]

Haven't even heard of it until now...

[no name joe]

If Sarah Palin was serious about running for President, she should have fulfilled her committment to the State of Alaska by finishing her term as Governor instead of resigning so that she could complete here book deal. I think she is interested in staying in the public spotlight for one reason....to earn money. I'm not being critical of her, because if I were thrust into the spotlight and could capitalize on it, I prOBably would. However, if she wanted to be considered a serious candidated for Pres. in 2012, she should not have resigned.

I think she is riding the wave of the spotlight to make some extra income for her family, which is fine. Honestly, I cant take her seriously, and have grown weary of hearing about her.

[Invicta]

First question: Did you watch this show?

We don't have the prog over here, but I did see about it on the news.

I would not watch it anyway as I cannot stand that woman's voice, it goes right through you.

[John81]

Thank you for all the good responses!

We don't watch much TV but we watched that show last night, primarily because it was supposed to deal with a lot of outdoor Alaska. As far as that aspect went, it was pretty good. Some great scenery, the bears were fun, it was even funny watching the girls catching no fish and then as soon as Todd cast a line he caught a fish.

I agree with the language of Sarah Palin which some have mentioned. The term LuAnne mentioned and then I noticed she used a few other "polite" curse words several times.

It also quickly caught my attention with regards to the childrens behaviour with Sarah. When her young daughter called her Sarah rather than mom, I bristled. For a moment I thought perhaps I was mistaken and the girl who said it wasn't her daughter, but then after a dramatic pause Sarah explained that sometimes the only way this particular daughter can get her attention is to call her Sarah. I don't know how that's viewed up there, but everywhere I've ever lived that's considered to be seriously disrespectful and something most parents won't tolerate.

That incident plus a few others with regards to disrespect from the children really seemed to stand out. As has been mentioned, it's possible some of this was scripted in order to make their family appear "normal". If that's the case, such could backfire as many of the traditional-minded conservatives and Bible-following Christians will see this as a larger prOBlem. Such could also potentially be used as ammunition for those who wish to continue hounding he Bristol/baby issue.

While it's true Sarah Palin has never called herself a super Christian or anything, she has made a point of saying she's a Christian and calling herself a traditional conservative, and some of what's coming out in this show could be seen as contradicting some of this.

Sarah Palin does have a unique voice. I don't really know how I would describe it but I do know it grates on the nerves of some folks so I can understand those who would avoid the show for that reason. There are certain New England accents I can barely tolerate and I never cared for the way Jimmy Carter speaks.

Anyway, it would be interesting to know just how scripted the show is. Myself, I would like such a show better knowing one way or the other regardless of which way it was. The Alaska scenery makes it a good show for the eyes. It's only when Sarah is wearing her overly short jogging shorts or Willow is walking around in her overly short cut-offs, that one might want to look elsewhere. There were a few political references but rather minor and not highlighted. If nothing else is going on I might watch it again but it's not something I would go out of my way to watch.

Oh, almost forgot, someone mentioned they don't watch Mike Huckabee's show either. When it first aired I saw portions of a few shows but I didn't care for it myself.

[John81]

Palin scores big with 'refudiate' and 'Alaska' TV show
Mash-up word named 'word of the year'; show sets ratings record at TLC

Politics Daily
updated 1 hour 56 minutes ago 2010-11-16T14:16:45

Her recent poll numbers suggest a slump, but Sarah Palin definitely scored two home runs Monday. The debut of her new TV reality series, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," set a ratings record for TLC Sunday night, and a mash-up word she made famous, "refudiate," was named " word of the year" by the New Oxford American Dictionary.


..The new TV show, which features Palin fishing, watching bears and doing other outdoor activities with her family, delivered 4.96 million viewers Sunday night, the "No. 1 program launch in TLC history ... besting the 'What Not to Wear' series launch in 2003," according to a TLC news release. Many writers and critics said Palin is hoping to bolster her image and her chances for a 2012 presidential bid with the TV series, but others said it just showcases Alaska's natural beauty and Palin's insights.

"Sarah Palin's Alaska" runs for seven more weeks.

And in another coup over her critics, Palin's use of the word "refudiate" won the endorsement of a decidedly academic crowd. The New Oxford American Dictionary proclaimed it "Word of the Year."

"From a strictly lexical interpretation of the different contexts in which Palin has used 'refudiate,' we have concluded that neither 'refute' nor 'repudiate' seems consistently precise, and that ' refudiate' more or less stands on its own, suggesting a general sense of 'reject,' " the New Oxford American Dictionary said in a press release.

Palin is not the first politician to use the word, but she set off critics when she tweeted in July that "peaceful Muslims should "refudiate" a mosque planned near the site of the terrorist attacks in New York City. When bloggers took her to task, she fanned the flames by referencing Shakespeare: "'Refudiate, 'misunderestimate,' 'wee-weed up.' English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!"

The GlOBal Language Monitor Survey, which tracks how frequently English words are used, also included refudiate in its list of 2010's most popular words, along with "spillcam" and "vuvuzela," The Washington Post reported.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40213282/ns/politics-politics_daily/

[Anon]

I watched a few minutes of it last night here in my hospital room haha (yes I'm fine...long story...hopefully will go home tonight) and I thought it kinda lame....she should spend more energy doing political stuff rather than making reality shows, if she wants to be in politics. I feel she is doing discredit to herself and losing credibility.

[John81]

I watched a few minutes of it last night here in my hospital room haha (yes I'm fine...long story...hopefully will go home tonight) and I thought it kinda lame....she should spend more energy doing political stuff rather than making reality shows, if she wants to be in politics. I feel she is doing discredit to herself and losing credibility.

Praying for you Suzy!

Yes, I can see how this can be seen as rather lame. Actually, I think reality shows tend to be lame. Why put your family up for such scrutiny? How much is real and how much scripted?

As some have suggested, she may be simply trying to ride the wave and get all she can while she's in the spotlight. However, I do agree that if national politics is her aim, she could much better spend her time.

Myself, I would have preferred a show along these lines to have been more in line with what Sarah said about promoting Alaska. A show featuring the wonders of Alaska and having Sarah Palin as the guide with her taking us to various places, telling us about them and her doing things there such as she did with the fishing trip seeing the bears and the rock climbing. I would find it better without all the family drama.

It seems no one really knows her true motivation for doing this show but I suppose we can't tell a lot from just one episode and there are 7 more to come.

Anyway, let us know when you are home and how we may pray more specifically for you!

[JerryNumbers]

No, did not watch. And as Dave said, "I don't watch Huckabee either."

Its easy to see her goal, the White House. I believe the only way she will not run for the republican nomination is if she feels it will be impossible for her to win.

Why watch reality TV when we live reality each day of our life and its not faked reality as seen on TV.