End of Semester and Iraqi TV

So as the semester comes to a finish, I'm just taking a short break from completing my book review and final paper. Besides blogging, I'm watching an absolutely amazing show that I TIVOed from Discovery Times Channel on TV in Iraq. It's amazing how media and technology has changed over there since the fall of Saddam Hussein. One girl spoke about how the day after Saddam's fall, there were satellite dishes everywhere when before they were illegal. Satellite retailers were selling $100 dishes for more than $400. Where under Saddam's rule there were two channels, both run by Saddam, now there are over 30. Before all you could see was Saddam on TV, and if your TV broke all you had to do was "put up a picture of Saddam" and you wouldn't miss anything. Now they have game shows, soap operas, sitcoms, stand up comics, and even their own version of American Idol called Iraq Star. They even have a show called Labor and Resources that is basically a home improvement show for houses that were bombed.

What's really amazing about all of this is that it's all going on even though death and war is all around them. The finale of Iraq Star had to be moved to Beirut for fear of bombings in Baghdad. During the filming of a soap opera, the cast and crew were told that one of the cast members was arrested for being an insurgent.

I don't see any other showings of this program this week, but if you get a chance, make sure that you watch this. (EDIT: I've just found a link that might show it. It's a RealPlayer file though so good luck. ^_^ http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=56089) It's absolutely fascinating and really shows the effects of technology and media on the world. The last line of the program sums it all up: "Iraqi's have taken television, a tool as powerful as any weapon into their hands."