Kicking the TV

Dinner with friends, spaghetti somewhere, and Popstars was on the TV. This is the German talent show where untalented people cry about their dreams in front of judges who’ve learned to look serious. The only good part about it was when Mandy or Anne appeared—for maybe thirty seconds you’d see someone who could actually sing, and then it went back to being garbage.

But that was kind of the point. With a full mouth and people I actually liked, tearing into these talentless singers became something we could all agree on. Everyone was thinking the same thing anyway—this is bad, these people can’t sing, the whole setup is weird. We just said it out loud. No pretense needed.

During the commercials I’d switch over to something else on the same channel, something with Nora in it. She’s the kind of person who just shifts things—the moment she appears you remember that TV doesn’t have to feel like punishment.

Then back to Popstars. I wanted to kick the set, honestly. Still kind of do.