When The Parade Passed Me By

I'm straying away from my usual home base today in order to rant about something that has been bothering me this week: HGTV.

Yes, I am aware that time does not stand still and that the HGTV I fell in love with ten years or so ago has been replaced by the "real estate channel". I rarely watch anymore, but I look forward to December because I enjoy the holiday-themed episodes and specials.

So, I went to the website to find the listing of these programs and when they would be aired. Amazingly enough, that information isn't there. It used to be. You could make sure you knew when your favorite shows were on and mark your calendar, or set your DVR. If you missed the first showing they listed any subsequent showings.Now? Nothing.

I tried asking on their Facebook page, and on Twitter. The only response was a link to their "What's on the TV Schedule Today?" page. The information isn't there. Response to my follow-up question? Zip. HGTV has decided that people like me don't count.

It must be something generational at work here. HGTV has decided that people like me are not their target audience. My approach of wanting to scan all the information and plan ahead must not be the trend they want to follow. There must be some up-to-date theory behind why they are (to my mind) concealing the information about their holiday programming. But what could it possibly be?

I've experienced discrimination in the past because I was a woman, or a blonde (yes, I really was) but I'm finding this hard to accept. Why would folks in the business of increasing viewership simply not care about what viewers think and want?

And is this what the rest of my life will be like, as I drop out of the target audience for other businesses: a creeping fog of insignificance?

Thank goodness I have a few things closer to home that I can count on: the Symphony of Lights, Midnight Madness in Ellicott City, the Peabody Chorus Concerts, The Oakland Mills Cookie Swaptacular, the Christmas Eve service at Abiding Savior. No one has tried to hide them yet.

Thank goodness.

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