I don't own a television

[Seven of eleven]

I, personally, would rather spend my time doing something useful than watch television, I don't even own one. The "idiot box" or 'boob tube' is nothing more than an electronic babysitter.

I see all these copies of Entertainment Weekly and People lying around and it's amazing all the "stars" and shows I've never heard of. I have absolutely no idea who these people are. Calista who? Am I supposed to have heard of her? I'm sorry, but I haven't. The last show I watched was some episode of Cheers, and even then, I could only watch for about two minutes before having to shut it off because it insulted my intelligence so terribly. And to all you people who watch the news— watch the news? I don't know about you, but I read the news.

Yes, I decided to stand up to the glass teat. I'm not an elitist, it's just that I'd much rather sculpt or write in my journal or read Proust than sit there passively staring at some phosphorescent screen. If I need a fix of passive audio-visual stimulation, I'll go to catch a Bergman or Truffaut film down at the university. I certainly wouldn't waste my time watching the so-called Learning Channel or, God forbid, any of the mind sewage the major networks pump out.

People don't realize just how much time their TV-watching habit–or, shall I say, addiction–eats up. Four hours of television a day, over the course of a month, adds up to 120 hours. That's five entire days! Why not spend that time living your own life, instead of watching fictional people live theirs? I can't begin to tell you how happy I am not to own a television.

 

[gh4chiefs]

Do you want a cookie?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Do you want a cookie?

I want a cookie!

If I throw my television out the window and then tell everyone about it in the most self-congratulatory way possible, will you give me a cookie?

I'm not an elitist, it's just that I'd much rather sculpt or write in my journal or read Proust

Okay it's all in fun. There is no way anyone could write that other than as parody.

 

[Kegek]

I own a TV.

I don't read Entertainment Weekly or its equivalents; nor could I tell you a lot about what's hot and not and so forth. I do watch a lot of pretentious arthouse fare too; both at an arthouse theatre... and at home using my sizeable DVD collection.

On my TV. I also use my TV to record such films from various channels. I caught The Night of the Hunter last week; and a similarly grim Mitchum-featuring film, Cape Fear, a few months before that.

My point is TVs do not dictate the kind of reaction to their programming you suggest. They are a useful device and how they are treated and to what purpose they are used is dependent on the owner. And I am dubious that you; who are posting on a forum dedicated to a television franchise; are as leery of the entirety of its product as you suggest.

I recommend Dexter as proof that television can be both intelligent and entertaining.

 

[gh4chiefs]

I'm not an elitist, it's just that I'd much rather sculpt or write in my journal or read Proust
Okay it's all in fun. There is no way anyone could write that other than as parody.

Oh, well if that's the case, then it went totally over my head.

On the chance it's not a parody, then I only have one thing to add:

 

[Seven of eleven]

My point is TVs do not dictate the kind of reaction to their programming you suggest. They are a useful device and how they are treated and to what purpose they are used is dependent on the owner. And I am dubious that you; who are posting on a forum dedicated to a television franchise; are as leery of the entirety of its product as you suggest.

I joined in my teens in 1999. I have matured and have become more refined since then.

 

[ITL]

 

[PKTrekGirl]

And I am dubious that you; who are posting on a forum dedicated to a television franchise; are as leery of the entirety of its product as you suggest.

My first thought.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm not an elitist, it's just that I'd much rather sculpt or write in my journal or read Proust than sit there passively staring at some phosphorescent screen. If I need a fix of passive audio-visual stimulation, I'll go to catch a Bergman or Truffaut film down at the university.

Good one.

Bergman? Truffaut? Proust? NOT elitist? I'm rollin' in the aisles here!

 

[Seven of eleven]

Yes, three popular artists. How is liking popular artists, elite?

 

[Kegek]

Yes, three popular artists. How is liking popular artists, elite?

Pshaw. It's a little known fact that nobody likes Proust. The entire body of scholarship and admiration directed at Proust is all done by people who don't want to seem left out in pretentious circles.

But seriously, if you no longer care for Star Trek; why still post here? Sneering at the taste of others like a plain braggart is hardly a sophisticated thing to do, no?

 

[Seven of eleven]

The near sum total of my posts are done in TNZ where we discuss moral and political issues. And my topic is in regards to the wasteland that is television, not to one particular programme found in its medium. As Marshall McLuhan said, the medium IS the message and though quantitatively this medium may be large, qualitatively, it is quite small.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

People who *really* just think television is a wasteland, simply don't watch and that's the end of it. Those who go on and on *in public*, making it a point to continually remind everyone that they don't watch TV, would seem to be in it for the ego.

You know, kind of like this.

 

[Chris3123]

I hope everyone here noticed the period at the end of the last sentence in the OP.

 

[Starbreaker]

I like TV. I watch baseball and the news and STAR TREK. Ooh...

 

[firehawk12]

I'm reminded of this post:
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/28-not-having-a-tv/

 

[Argus Skyhawk]

Chris3123, thank you for pointing out the period at the end of the original post.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I hope everyone here noticed the period at the end of the last sentence in the OP.

Ah! See it now.

Jeez.

 

[Pink Skin]

'

 

[RandyS]

Do you want a cookie?

Can I have one? I'll eat it while I'm watching TV.