SOUTHERN ACCENTS
AIN’T THAT A PEACH? by Michael Buffalo Smith
Like the music industry and the movie indus-
try, television is going through some major shake ups and changes. I, for one, am happy to see it. I have long maintained that the viewer should have the op- tion to pay just for the pro- gram- ming he or she wants, and pay a little more to go com-
mercial free. Well, there are many such choices now, including the nifty Amazon Prime, which charges a moderate yearly fee to stream hundreds of movies and TV shows for free. of course, there are hundreds more available to rent. It’s a great deal. I have watched Netflix grow over the past few
years, and I truly believe they give you a lot of bang for your buck. Well,. now more than ever. Netflix recently rolled out their own original TV
series, choosing to post the entire season at once. I like this. The viewer can watch an episode a week, or two shows per night. The control is in the hands of the subscriber. And yes, no ads. I am over the top excited about their debut se-
ries, House of Cards, for several reasons. First off, it stars one of my all-time favorite actors, Kevin Spacey, along with many other A-list ac- tors. The political drama (with a large dose of com-
edy) concerns a US Congressman from, you guessed it, South Carolina. A democrat who is willing to toss any and everyone under the bus in order to achieve his goals. The writing is brilliant, and the presentation
totally original. Spacey’s character periodically turns to the camera and speaks directly to us
viewers, and it’s usually something pretty funny or profound. There is also a nifty on screen live shot whenever he or his gal-pal newspaper re- porter are text messaging. I had to laugh out loud the other night when
one of the episodes focused on an incident in his home town of Gaffney, SC, which is just up the road from where I live in Spartanburg. Matter of fact, they even dropped my home town’s name during once scene. What made it so funny was the focus was on a girl who had run off the road while texting someone about our famous “Pea- choid” water tank. The tank has long been a source of amusement and the butt (literally) of many jokes over the years. While
Spacey’s south- ern accent is a bit over the top Foghorn Leghornish, the character does have his south in place, with weekly, if not daily visits to a Washington eatery that cooks up soul food, including Spacey’s fa- vorite, ribs. It’s all about the pork. House of Cards is a huge hit, and Netflix is al-
ready shooting a second season, as well as preparing to launch other shows based on the new model. Not to be outdone, Amazon is prepar- ing to launch their own TV network in the fall with three new shows, including John Goodman in a political comedy. House of Cards is a winner in my book, and I
hope it continues onward and upward for many seasons. Meanwhile, let’s hope this new model for television catches on, and we can opt out of the non-stop fast food and pharmaceutical ads. •
Southern Accents first appeared in The Inman Times back in 1984.
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