Dream Jobs: TV Show Recapper

When I'm at work, I often daydream about the jobs I wish I had.  I'm sure everyone does this... probably even the people working at my "dream jobs."  Or, maybe the people working at my dream jobs wake up every morning and leap for joy at the prospect of another day on the job.  My cynical self likes to believe no one is that satisfied with their job.  I'm sure ice cream testers get sick of eating ice cream.  I'm sure professional athletes get sick of playing the same sport over and over again for exorbitant amounts of money.  And, I'm sure J.K. Rowling gets sick of Harry Potter.  Oh, who am I kidding?  No one gets sick of Harry Potter.  If I wrote the Harry Potter books, I'd wake up every morning and congratulate myself.  "Well, good morning, self.  You are incredibly talented, rich, and awesome.  What shall I do today?  Oh, that's right... whatever I want!  Because I'm filthy rich from writing the most successful book series in recent history.  Well done, me!"  Then I would ring my maid and ask her to serve warm scones and tea in the "parlor," because I would have one of those in my mansion.  After breakfast, I would retire to the "drawing room" for a day of leisure and dabbling in my assorted refined hobbies.  Did I mention another dream of mine is to live in a Jane Austen novel?

A sneak peek into the parlor of my historic estate in the English countryside.

I decided my "dream jobs" may serve as another fascinating featurette for myself on the blog.  I say fascinating "for myself" because I like to give myself reasonable parameters for success.  If I have learned anything in life, it's that low expectations are fundamental to self-esteem and overall life satisfaction.  You know that saying, "Shoot for the moon... even if you miss, you'll land among the stars"?  One, that saying is factually incorrect, as the stars are farther away than the moon (or perhaps the author is employing a very liberal definition of the word "among").  Two, if you shoot for something and fail to attain it, you will be disappointed, no matter where you end up.  That's simply life.  Take, for example, a story of two children climbing trees.  The first child is arrogant and says he is going to climb all the way to the highest branch.  The second is more humble and only wants to make it to the first branch.  Both children make it halfway up the tree, to, say, the fourth branch.  They have both ended up in the same place, but who do you think is more excited about it?  Yeah, that's what I thought.  Now, I'm not saying to underestimate yourself.  I'm saying you will probably be happier if you set realistic goals for yourself.  Which is what I do with my blog.  I write for my own enjoyment, and if it happens to entertain others, fantastic!


Now... on to my first dream job!  A TV show recapper.  For those of you who do not read entertainment websites, this is someone who writes summaries of TV shows after they air.  Usually they are more than simply a dry synopsis of the night's occurrences.  The good ones include funny observations or insights from the author, or perhaps a "running gag" that the author likes to employ.  One that I read has a list of her favorite quotes from the episode at the end.  One always points out when the male characters take their shirts off (something I never miss when watching a show...).  Things like that.  I don't read the recaps because I want to know what happened... I already know what happened.  I read them because they entertain me.  They are written by witty individuals who get paid to provide clever recaps of their favorite TV shows.  For any TV fan, this position is a dream come true.  To be able to share your thoughts on a TV show with the rest of the world, as an authoritative source for entertainment news? Be still, my beating heart!

Instead of writing humorous recaps of my favorite television shows, and believe me, I watch more than I would like to admit, I sit writing legal documents all day.  Sigh.  It's not that I don't enjoy being an attorney... I would just much rather be sitting on my couch at home, in my pajamas, getting paid to write TV show recaps.  The benefits are endless.  Working from home - saving time, energy, and gas.  Not having to get dressed - less laundry is good for the environment and my sanity.  The list could go on and on.  Basically, I would be watching TV as my job.  I already watch TV like it's my job.  I can only imagine how much better it would be if it actually was my job!

I'm not even sure how one goes about becoming a TV show recapper... but I would hazard a guess that it involves living in New York or LA.  And, some kind of journalist/writing experience or education.  And connections.  Sadly, I do not fit the bill for any of these made-up requirements, so I suppose this dream job will have to remain just that.

Or perhaps I will start my own TV show recap website.  Stay tuned...