I am terrible at going to the gym.
I say this not to be self-deprecating, not out of some charismatic attempt to belittle myself in the minds of my readers and thus inspire empathy or jocularity, but as objective fact. I really suck at working out. Aside from a four-year stint in high school when I fenced (and even then, I didn’t really run) and some off-and-on racquetball jaunts in college, I have not been a fan of exercise. Like, ever. When I lived in Houston and worked at the University of Houston, I dabbled with the elliptical machine at the gym on campus, because I had cheap rates and it was a brief walk across campus, but that’s about it.
Yes, before you mention it, this has been a source of some small ignominy to me. And now, dear friends and colleagues and readers, I have stumbled upon a solution. An iPhone. An iPhone and The Wire.
I am lucky enough to have a friend who upgraded to the most recent iPhone. When he did, he gave me his old one. It has the same processor, but it’s not shiny and new and 4G or whatever. I don’t have AT&T, so it doesn’t much matter. It works as a phone, I can text with it, and it has a big ol’ screen that I can utilize to play game “apps” on the can and check my email (when I can get a wireless signal). Also, the enormous screen is great for watching videos.
The Wire is a television show that I’ve been meaning to watch for a while. Many people whose opinions I respect love this show and have tried to get me into it. My friends Dan and Bill have tried to get me into this show. My friend Nate Unique has tried to get me into this show. My old pal Erin tried to get me into the show. Musician, producer, and extremely nice guy John Vanderslice tried to get me into this show. But here’s the thing– there are like five seasons of the show, and it’s supposed to be engrossing but depressing, and it seemed like kind of a massive undertaking to get into the show and then feel obligated to watch sixty hour-long episodes.
And now, holy shit, two birds, one stone! I converted The Wire to .mp4 format and slapped the first season onto my fresh iPhone. And I’m back from the gym after watching the first episode. And man, that was a pretty damn good show. I didn’t even realize that I was sweating my balls off and running four miles. Elliptical-machining four miles. Whatever. Balls.
And I don’t know, really, my willpower is not all that hot. But I want to watch more of the show, and I want to go to the gym after working until midnight, and I feel pretty good about this. After The Wire, then what? Twin Peaks again? Finally all of The Shield? What’re the most engrossing television shows you’ve ever seen?
I fell in love with Spaced with Simon Pegg last year. I also fell in love with Simon Pegg, so beware.
I have been told recently that the bbc “traffik” miniseries is way super better than the movie.
Also on the subject of British shows that are like North American shows but different: Try “Misfits” (from E4), which is like Heroes but with better writing and a hilariously rude character in Nathan Young, played by Robert Sheehan. There is one series at the moment (6 eps) with Series 2 beginning in November.
Dang, four miles! Good work! also, I think you should watch Skins. It’s a British Degrassi with more sex and drugs.
I thought about it some more.
a) band of brothers.
b) battlestar galactica (added workout bonus, some of the episodes are so maddening that it’ll make you hulk out and work harder)
c) deadwood (it starts slow but then is the best then it gets cancelled)
d) Party Down. have you watched this yet?
e) yeah, so what I really did is looked up my ratings on netflix to see what tv shows i’d rated highly.
g) i guess i need to go get a life now.
a) the wire is the jam.
b) the shield is really good until you get towards the end and then you’re just like “huh. this all sucks.” (and by you I mean I)
c) I’m also someone who couldn’t get through the second season of twin peaks.
d) mad men? i’m into this new show rubicon (on right before mad men), sports night is a quick 2 seasons, homicide: life on the street is kind of the precursor to the wire though not as strung together narratively, Southland has run 2 (or 1.5) seasons and is one of the most exceptional cop shows around, people love that breaking bad show on AMC too, though I think it’s a little overrated.
e) that’s what i got for you right now.
f) i’m pretty sure i forgot some.
g) did i tell you i’m getting married?
If you’d like a quick work out, I’d recommend Hung.
White Collar
Chuck
Both girl and guy friendly, no one will make fun of you if they happen to sneak a peek at your iFun screen.