Television: The Unnecessary Evil
I don’t turn my television on much. In fact, I’ve been trying to convince the cable company to give us a pay-per-use plan because, for the most part, there is absolutely nothing to watch. What do people use TiVos for? I can’t even find a show to watch that interests me, never mind recording one because I don’t want to miss it.
However, I was a little short coming up with a blog post so I figured if I turned on the tube, I’d have something to write about. Here’s what I learned when I flipped through the channels this weekend:
The Brady Bunch makes me feel inadequate. I don’t have my perky switch flipped ‘on’ twenty-four hours a day nor do I wear a dress while I am helping my housekeeper make cookies. Wait, I don’t have a housekeeper. We did, however, try using the words “groovy” and “neato” at dinner tonight. Gee, that was a real good time.
The Animal Planet makes my skin crawl. Of course, I can’t land on this channel when they are showing cute puppies. Instead, my television screen is filled with creepy, crawly insects with rotating heads. I’d rather watch some phony trollop on QVC force me to buy a dress I can wear sixteen ways.
Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Apparently there’s a large fan base for this show. There was a “John and Kate Plus Eight” marathon this weekend. That translates into 48 hours of watching a raving be-atch tell her husband how to talk, sit, walk and eat. Never mind the eight (admittedly adorable) children who horrify her when they get chocolate pudding on their faces. Horrors.
Why is it entertainment to watch two fairly dull people (who are paid over three million dollars a year) pretend to have such stressful lives? I would do it for 10% of that and show what life is really like when you don’t have a nanny, housekeeper or body guard to help. Not to mention I wouldn’t need a hairdresser who charges an exhorbitant amount of money to give me a reverse mullet like Kate’s.
So You Think You Can Dance? No. I can’t. So why would I watch it?
Celebrity Rehab. Frankly, this is a “feel good” show. Makes me realize how lucky I am not to be famous, covered with tattoos and loaded up on drugs. Truth be told, I would actually fake being famous and act doped up just to get in a room alone with Dr. Drew. Would a recovering Pepsi addict do?
Reality Television. People love reality TV. It’s almost like we need to see that people are more screwed up than we are or learn that we really can’t find love when shoved in a house with twenty strangers for six-weeks.
Does anyone really get real-life tips from watching ‘Super Nanny’? Other than knowing that I need to go sit in the “naughty spot” once in awhile, I’m not sure she’s qualified to tell me what to do with my kids. Then there’s ‘Wife Swap’. Incredible. It’s like test driving a new wife so you realize that the one you have isn’t half bad after all.
I just can’t master the TV Junkie thing. I think I’ll stick with my daily life for reality, Twitter for entertainment and the newspaper to catch up on what I really don’t need to know.
ummm… PBS is a good option. And in RI, it has to be WSBE Rhode Island PBS, of course. OK, end of commercial (full disclosure – I work there, haha).
Great blog! : ) I have been cable-free (and mostly TV-free, too) for nine years, and do NOT miss it. Besides being partly a financial choice, it was mostly philosophical: since when does a “utility” charge you a month in advance for service? Gas, electric, and telephone charge you for what you used, not for what you WILL use. It’s a luxury masquerading as a utility.
I agree. We have so many problems finding stuff on tv, though during the regular season we do have our shows that we DVR/TIVO.
I do have my guilty pleasure reality though LOL But it is getting sad the amount of shows they put on the air.
I am so not a fan of J&K+8…I don’t get the appeal, but the Duggars are like watching a train wreck.
you are so dead on AS USUAL! hahahah!!! kidding. but theonly one i dont agree with is the so you think you can dance! that show is amazing. they can dance their asses off. and the best part is peeing my pants laughing at the fools that fall on their faces!!! hahahahahha
Thanks for the chuckle (yet again). I watched the Jon and Kate thing last night and I just don’t get it. Seriously.
Super Nanny? I agree with you – I only got the “Naughty Mat (Step, stool, stair) thing…I cannot remember anything else that might be effective. Consistent parents might be a start!
I so agree with you! We don’t have cable anymore either, it’s a waste of money. I get my Grey’s Anatomy on my local channel, and we have Dora and Transformers on DVD.
I started writing and stopped watching TV. I don’t even get cable anymore. However, I download LOST once a week and allow it to rock my world with a smile.
I hear that LOST is really good. I just spend far too much time on my computer typing away to have the attention span for TV. I do, however, love old movies with the kids–esp original Disney ones. Fun stuff.
So True, Cheryl!
Discovery channel, National Geographic, History Channel, NBA, MLB and NFL, oh and also the NCAA hoops tournament. That and the occasional DVD rental … that’s all I use the boob tube for. All the sitcoms are to me just bad jokes, reality TV is for peeps that apparently don’t have a life, American Idol is only worth watching occasionally to see how marvelously rude and pithy Simon can be in his scathing put-downs, and the other crap is, well … just that.
The Old Silly from Free Spirit Blog