I made the mistake of stopping on a commercial and leaving the TV on the channel--- then it came on...American Gladiators...which I hadn't watched since my parents were using checks with 19__ on them. For some reason (maybe it was the fact that I was 7), I thought this was much more impressive than I do now. It's a sad commentary on the 90s that someone came to a TV producer and said... "How about we have a game where we have people on steroids compete in gaudy leotards with NERF weapons against people who work in menial office jobs."...and someone else said "Yes. I think that would be a great idea."
Now ESPN Classic is the guilty offender--and should be forced to air 10 hours of children's programming for each airing.
The show went so far as to name the men after industrial equipment (Laser, Tower) and the women after natural phenomena (Storm, Ice). It was 25 minutes that I will never get back, but yes, I watched the entire thing, even the corny credits and paid particularly close attention to how the arena looks like a bizarre carnie gymnasium. What a distorted message to children: no one should let children think it's ok to have a mullet and an American flag leotard.
