VBS - Rescuing Me From TV’s Deathlike Grip
I know it’s been out there for about a year now but how many of you have actually spent some time with VICE’s VBS.tv? As VBS themselves so eloquently put it, the mission of the online network is to save viewers “eyes from the blinding pain of television.” Sure, the statement is exactly what you would expect from a brand that was founded on elitism and smarmy criticism but the more I’ve watched their programming over the past year, the more I agree with them.
I’ll admit that there hasn’t been a ton on television over the past few years to grab my attention. Six Feet Under, Dexter, Scrubs reruns, The Daily Show/Colbert Report and the occasional NYC TV, PBS or Discovery Channel offering are all I can really say I’ve watched with any regularity. Last week, I sat down in front of the TV without any direction and started flipping around. There wasn’t a damn thing that I could bring myself to keep on for even long enough to eat dinner. It was sad. Very sad.
After a while away, due to technical and reality-based distractions, I decided to check back in with VBS. When I first checked out their programming, I really dug how real/genuine it all felt. The on-location news pieces from places like Beirut, Sudan, New Orleans and Bolivia to investigate the drug and arms trade as well as general civil unrest was surprisingly captivating. Also, each webisode is split into chunks that average about five minutes a piece so popping in for some content didn’t need to be a huge commitment unless I wanted it to be.
Upon my return, I was pleased to find that the programming that worked for them six months ago is still being churned out at the same quality as I remember. A series of shows have been posted that chronicle VBS’ return to Beirut after the bombings that took place last year. One such show travels into Lebanon’s infamous “Drug Valley” where incredible amounts of drugs are trafficked to reportedly fund Hezbollah’s military campaigns. However, upon meeting and interviewing one of the top traffickers, they’re told that Hezbollah find drug money embarrassing and are perfectly fine with the funding the receive from Iran. He mentions this funding from Iran as if it’s obvious and available knowledge which to my (admittedly limited) knowledge in the area, it isn’t. Not only is it fascinating stuff but incredible when you realize the kind of interview and information some guy in a rental car can (or is willing to) get when compared to what we see on the nightly news.
Another show I’d recommend checking out is Thumbs Up!. Currently in it’s second season, the show chronicles graffiti artist/musician/gambler David Choe and his cousin Harry Kim as they hitchhike from one end of the country to the other. This second season follows them as they start in Tijuana and try to make their way up through Alaska via hitchhiking and train-hopping alone. Where they end up and who they meet is so much more intriguing and entertaining (to me, at least) than what you’re going to end up running across on a random channel-surfing ride.
Next time you’re flipping through the mundane selection of programming that the nightly lineup has to offer, consider allowing yourself to be rescued from television’s deathlike grip (another VBS slogan) and checking these guys out.
