Ask Matt: January 14

Question: I've loved Bones since day one, and am thrilled they'll get another season, but the goo and slime (with sound effects!) are simply getting too gross. I've actually begun DVR'ing the show just so I can fast-forward through the ickiness. I expect they were trying to appeal to the teenage boy aesthetics, but c'mon, is that really the demographic that is watching? I think not. To whom can I appeal that this characteristic of the show is simply unneeded? The stories don't need the gore. And I suspect the more of us who DVR to avoid the gruesomeness are also avoiding the commercials, not what I expect the show's sponsors want to hear. — Connie

Matt Roush: Maybe I'm just an immature fanboy at heart, but those icky bits are part of the appeal of Bones to me, and these kinds of sound effects amplifying our squeamishness have been with us since the days of radio (sample Arch Oboler's classic Lights Out if you doubt it). One of the charms of the Bones character is that she's absolutely unfazed by any of these gross-outs. In one of this week's Monday episodes, she nonchalantly asks Hodgins at a crime scene, "Can you please get the bugs off my eyes?" Made me giggle. This is not an uncommon complaint about this show, however, and the producers are very aware of it. Probably makes them take even more delight in making us squirm through those moments. As for the DVR issue: I'm pretty sure the gore isn't the main reason most people are DVR'ing this or any other show. It's convenience, and the way many of us are consuming TV now regardless of content.

Source: TV Guide
Tipster:  KATIARABREU