History Channel or Horror Channel?

Last night while commercials interrupted Wife Swap (last night was hysterical, btw) my husband was flipping to the History Channel, or what I like to call after last night the Horror Channel. The HC was covering the Tsunami that hit Sri Lanka, Sumatra, India, Africa, The Maldives, etc. Of course, the footage they were showing was devasting and heart-wrenching.

Just to see the water come in and abolish coastal cities was terrifying, and hearing the people scream on the home movies they had shot and donated was horrific. There were interviews with scientists, historians, and survivors; graphics that showed maps laying out the course of the Tsunami and its origin; and shots of the water ravaging the city. All of this footage was documenting the event, and it was important to see what devastation a natural disaster can cause, BUT, where I draw the line is the repeated shots of the dead. Bloated dead bodies floating face down in the water or trapped in debris from buildings was more than I could bear. Those poor, poor souls that lost their lives for being in the wrong place at the wrong time is so, so sad. Then on top of that, survivors have to live the rest of their lives remembering those terrifying events and/or mourning their lost loved ones.

I just don't understand Americans' obsession with "shock and awe." Wasn't the footage of the disaster good enough? Why did the HC have to keep showing the dead? It was like the editor who cut the footage is some sort of horror film fanatic and the more dead in a shot the more points you get or something. We got the point after one quick shot of a dead body, why did we need a body count on cable tv? I mean, those are people's loved ones, and they did not CHOOSE to be there to die.

I say choose because I know people would argue with me about war movies or footage. That is different, war is a manmade disaster. Accounts of war are almost needed to prove the winning side did the right thing or show war caused a turning point in economics, governement or society. I am sure WWII is told in a completely different way to Germans than it is to Americans. BUT, I am damn sure that the accounts of the Tsunami are told the same way.