I watch PBS

Having finally made our way through all three seasons of “Arrested Development”, my husband and I have taken to watching “Frontline” on either laptop or television when we’re in the mood for a little tube time.

We watched “Bush’s War” after I had watched (on Netflix View Instantly) the documentary “No End in Sight”, both of which are about the war in Iraq. I have, perhaps to my shame, chosen to remain willfully ignorant of much of what has happened in Iraq; both documentaries were eye-opening for me. A major theme of both is the woeful lack of preparation that the U.S. had going into the war. While “No End” arguably slants more to the left than “Bush’s War”, both documentaries are balanced and far from shrill, and they feature interviews with central people involved in the invasion’s planning, execution and aftermath, which give both credibility. The interviewees are not anti-war activists who have been protesting the war right from the beginning, but people who were willing to put their own reputations and lives on the line for a cause in which they believed. Their criticisms carry significant weight and are balanced, insightful and, at times, damning. Some interviews even feature people who still seem to believe that things are going great (that’s you, L. Paul Bremer); I had to wonder if they were in denial or just lying. And, boy, if you think politics aren’t sexy, check out the behind-the-scenes power plays by Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleeza Rice (featured in “Bush’s War”)! Husband and I were literally on the edge of our seat, and I’m pretty sure the phrase “Oh no he (or she) didn’t!” passed our lips more than once. (On a side note: How creepy is that Don Rumsfeld? *Shudder.* My bones be chilled.)

Another duo that I would recommend is “The Secret History of the Credit Card” (PBS Frontline) and “Maxed Out” (Netflix). Do you remember watching those scary films about school bus safety and about drunk or reckless driving? “Maxed Out” is the credit card equivalent of those scare films; it should, perhaps, be mandatory viewing for anyone about to get a card. The PBS documentary is fairly balanced in its survey of the credit card’s history in the U.S., while “Maxed Out” nearly implies that credit card companies themselves are responsible for the thousands of dollars in credit debt that the average American household carries. Both documentaries, however, show how dirty, dirty, dirty the credit industry is; the fact that both have been made is also an implicit testament to the consumer mindset in the States. Be warned: it’s pretty sickening. Let me just say that one of the best financial lessons that my parents ever taught me was to use a credit card as if it were a debit card. If you don’t have the money NOW, don’t buy. Thanks, Mom and Dad.

I also highly recommend the documentary “The Business of Being Born” (on Netflix View Instantly), which gives a brief history of childbirth in the U.S. up to the present day, contrasts birthing in the U.S. to birthing in Europe, and makes a strong case for a natural (non-medicated, vaginal), mid-wife or doula-assisted birth (as much as this is possible in a given situation). My view formerly was, “Well, pain in childbearing is a part of the curse in Genesis, so, hey, doc, bring me that epidural!” (That was long, long ago, when I was young(er) and foolish(er).) Now, I tend to think, “Get away from me, doc, with your drugs and needles! Go care for some sick people!” Granted, I’ve also had two lightning-fast births, but this documentary reaffirmed my own commitment to natural birth for my sake and for the sake of my baby. This film gives men and women access to information about birthing that they may not get from their OB, which is one of its best features. If you cry at the sight of babes being born, though, prep the tissues. One of my pregnant friends watched this; from what she told me, I’m surprised her computed didn’t short out from the amount of tears she shed (yes, I shed a few too).

** A clarification: I consider all of the films above as documentaries except "Maxed Out", which I would describe as a Michael Moore-style documentary-type film. (Especially since it clearly hates President Bush.) We need a word for such films. 'Mockumentary' is too silly; 'faux-cumentary' perhaps too harsh? I'm taking suggestions.

Also recommended: “3:10 to Yuma” (2007) with Christian Bale, which beat Brad Pitt’s “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” in my opinion (I want guns, not psychology in my westerns!).

Saturday addition: Last night we watched PBS Frontline "Spying on the Home Front." My head almost exploded. Someone get me a "Hillary '08" sign.