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BS: I've got TV, now what do I do?
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Subject: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:50 PM I'm embarassed to say it, but I've been out of the loop! For the last few years, I've lived in areas where tv/radio reception is non-exhistant, the newspapers are a joke, and I could never see getting cable just because I don't watch enough of it to warrant it, but after an incident with this sniper thing (me at friend's house going "huh? someone got shot?" on victim 5...) it was decided for me that I need to be 'connected'. Yesterday afternoon, a few friends came over and dished me up! Problem being, I haven't got a clue as to what is out there, and no inclination to try and hunt things out. (I sat for about 15 minutes with the remote, humming Springsteen's "57 Channels and nuthin' on") What do you watch? Are the 'music channels' really music or just ads? News channels? What would you miss if you were stranded on a desert isle? JenEllen **PS of a heartfelt thank-you to folks like Dharmabum and katlaughing/Rog who did heavy time on their VCR's to help keep my head above water in the pre-TV days!** |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Gypsy Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:03 PM oh man, whatta loaded question..........but to answer you in a dignified manner: Discovery channel, history channel travel channel (kinda trippy, not necessarily travel) animal planet, and the sci fi channel. Any local public channels, as well. You would be well advised to stay away from network tv.....in a half hour program, can have 15 minutes of commercials. Of course, this WILL encourage you to practice more! lots of luck, gypsy |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: RolyH Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:10 PM In the UK it's become 'the bigger the choice , the lower the standards' |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:14 PM Well, our TVs different over here. But there's not a lot on. Of American programmes, I find I watch the Simpsons and the various Star Treks from time to time, but not much else. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: CarolC Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:18 PM There's a lot of good stuff on Public TV, if you can get it. My son and I watched that exclusively for years, and didn't really miss the other stuff. When I had cable, I enjoyed the Cooking Network from time to time, and the Home and Gardens Network has some good how-to, fix-it, and gardening shows. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: mg Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:36 PM I love the home network...and whoever carries all the Bob Villa reruns..and I used to like watching Cokie Roberts..Friends..whitewater rafting..love it on TV..would avoid like the plague in real life...steambuggy infomercials...(also avoid housekeeping in real life)...three Irish tenors...mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:39 PM The ones mentioned by Gypsy for a start. Discovery has an entire group of channels as well, health, history,etc. We also do A&E, PBS, and a few others. You might kinda' enjoy Animal Planet that was mentioned. WE have 200 stations, plus over 50 music channels and many times, there still ain't nothin' on! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Don Firth Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:44 PM PBS, History Channel, Discovery Channel . . . lots of good stuff there. Arts and Entertainment (A&E) is frequently pretty good. The Classic Arts Showcase Channel gives you a sort of mixed bag of things: concert excerpts, bits from opera, ballet, clips from old movies, etc. Kind of like a rummage sale of the Arts. CNN, MSNBC, etc. for stateside news; Barbara and I like to watch news from the BBC and CBC. Gives one a bit of world perspective. Nik at Nite and Lifetime do reruns of old sitcoms. All in the Family and Golden Girls are a helluva lot funnier than a lot of comedies being fielded today. British sitcoms available on many PBS affiliates are generally excellent. Channel surf. Have fun, but don't fry your eyeballs (or your brain). Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:47 PM RolyH, same in the States and Canada. Maybe worse in Canada because they have imitation Discovery and History channels of Canadian manufacture which broadcast old war movies etc., over and over. Cable in Canada offers about 150 channels (the more you get, the more you pay). Channels with the old tv comedies and "classic" oldies cost extra. Fed up because some nights there is nothing I want to watch, so I end up with my recorded collection or listen to radio stations which carry classical and some bluegrass-folk-etc. Some good stuff on the internet. Been listening lately to KBON, the Louisiana Cajun station broadcasting Cajun and zydeco. Of course the BBC, CBC, WQXR and CKUA when they have something of interest. The news channels have talking heads going over and over the same speculation over and over with the same pictures over and over until I go "over and out." |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Dave Swan Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:00 PM Lane, Fielding, Patterson & Swan, Layabouts for Hire, have a package for the professional too busy to watch television. For a reasonable monthly fee we will dispatch a qualified layabout, fully trained in remote control operation, couch hollowing, and refrigerator grazing to see that your satellite dish dollars don't go to waste. Why worry that you're not relaxing on your own soft couch? Why fret that you're not generating alpha waves in front of the blue flicker? Stay at work. Let us do nothing for you. At Lane, Fielding, Patterson & Swan, it's the least we can do. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: wysiwyg Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:08 PM No, no, no, NO.... Now that you ahve the TV, go shop for goodies to stock the fridge! There will be COMMERCIALS requiring you to take breaks fetching same for consumption! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: mack/misophist Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:11 PM Now that you have television, the best thing you can possibly do is to turn it off. It's not good for you. There must be a metropolitan newspaper that delivers in your area. That's all the news your need. Emergency stuff will be on the radio. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Dani Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:45 PM Give it back. Think of the time you'll save for making music!! Dani |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Dagmar Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:50 PM forget the TV..not worth learning about the channels..radio will do to be connected and I can still only praise BBC...though being german ..can only survive here in Berlin becaus I can receive bbc on fm....:-) Dagmar |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: CapriUni Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:51 PM Personnally, I watch mostly PBS (Don't have cable, so I can't comment on the "niche" shows). I generally like Charlie Rose and the nature/science programming... and the shows for kids :-). I admit it, I'm still a sucker for Sesame Street and Zoom (the latter being a good source for kids's contemporary folk culture), and Between the Lions (a learning-to-read show with adult humor thrown in, and the glorious muppets of the Henson workshop). But I wish Barney the Dinosaur would go back to the tar pits! I tend to avoid the news I get from network tv... where the policy is generally "if it bleeds, it leads" Now that you have a dish, though, you may also get clearer radio signals (don't know what your set-up is, but that may be part of it), if so, I'd recommend sticking with NPR. Otherwise, you might like the c-span channels, which have live coverage of congress and senate, and discussion of same.... (don't have it now, but used to, before the cable signals were all scrambled). The couple of shows I really like on commercial tv are West Wing and Life with Bonnie, both as much for general rhythm and patter of the dialogue as for the content... just learned last week that half of Bonnie is improvised. Anyway, these are my recoomendations... when I'm not hanging out in places like The 'Cat! ;-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:53 PM The answer is to use your video recorder to tape all the programmes you think you might feel like watching. Then you can give them a skim and decide they weren't, and you've saved the time. Or even do without the skim and over-record them with the next lot of programmes you aren't going to watch. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,Walking Eagle Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:59 PM 1. Unhook dish. 2. Throw TV out of a second story window, first being sure that no people or animals are underneath. The only thing I find my TV good for is watching my videos. I'm not joking. Walking Eagle |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Mudlark Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:09 PM JenEllen... Ah, just in time for long, dark winter nights of TV watching! Since I cannot abide commercials but love movies, I've got HBO and Starz, disk pkgs that show just movies and specials, no commercials (except for their own stuff) at all. If I had to drop one of them it would probably be HBO--some of their specials are great, others, like boxing...agh. Sundance and IFC are also commercial free and show indy films, shorts, and lots of good documentaries, like Ghengis Blues. PBS good (EGGart, Masterpiece Theatre, Mystery and MacNeil/Leher News) but not nearly as good as it used to be. On the weekend, C-Span Books can be riveting, depending on which authors are on...runs 24 hrs both days. On the commercial channels, I'm willing to hit the mute for: BBC America (lots of fun, and short-if you dont want to get mired in front of the damn thing-programs like Ground Force [gardening], Changing Rooms [remodelling], Monarch of the Glen [Scots ongoing drama], Ballykissangel [Irish ongoing drama] and several amusing BBC sitcoms]. Also, esp. while channel surfing, Trio (music specials, not MTV stuff), Animal Planet (Pet psychic is a gas), Bravo (interesting intertainment oriented special programming). Have fun...if you put away the remote you can get quite a lot of exercse jumping up and down to change channels. I think you'll find time spent in front of the tube is self-limiting--after switching thru what seems like 100's of channels and finding nothing to watch it is a relief to turn it off. The sound is offensive, for one thing, unless you're really abosorbed in what your watching. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: leprechaun Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:15 PM So could you record The Sopranos for me on Sunday night? |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Deda Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:29 PM PBS, BBC news, and old BBC comedies. An occasional movie, or history special. Personally I'm also hooked on the BBC soap that my husband calls "The Open Sewer Program" but which is actually titled "The East Enders". But it's a form of entertaining brain rot, and I can't honestly recommend it. OTOH, I'm always locked to my TV when it comes on at 9PM on Tuesday nights. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:29 PM Or how about the foreign language channels up there? My father-in-law flipping through the channels found a German channel playing 'Allo 'Allo,, which is a pretty bizarre thought. He can't understand German, so he wasn't sure how they managed to negotiate the jokes. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: artbrooks Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:32 PM I guess I watch an average of 2 hours of TV a week. History channel, CNN and old movies, mostly. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:54 PM Thank you Mudlark! I get a bit tired of hearing the "vast wasteland" bullshit. There are an awful lot of good programs on the alternative channels. If you're an information junkie you will be in hog heaven. There is an entire series right now that is listening to and discussing LBJ's White House tapes, if that winds your watch. There are a load of fine shows about people and places and their histories. None of this stops someone from reading books and newspapers ferchrissakes. but the sheer volume of info and pictures is fodder for thought. And frankly, the damn thing can be entertaining as well. Some of the new kids stuff and cartoons, while not replacing a parent, beats the living shit out of Bugs. I'm a cretin who thinks there are a few other things in life besides music and yeah, I love all the sports programming I have access to. This is especially good if you don't care much about the popular sports and would prefer yacht racing....it's on there! The premium movie channels are good at showing both old and new movies and though many of them are pretty poor, there are those gems that come along....and I don't go to theatres. I am sorry that so many of y'all view those of us with catholic tastes as lowbrow dimwits not fit to occupy the same fuckin' planet as you, but pucker up and kiss my ass. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:56 PM IFC, INdependent Film Channel, as mentioned, plus the others, PBS, History Channel, Home & Garden, Sci-Fi, and BBC-American, plus we used to get Animal PLanet, but they don't offer it down here. I loved that channel! With your penchant for old B&W There is a Steve somebody who does a 30 minute travel show which is really first-rate, I think on PBS. Changing Rooms and Ground Force on BBC-America, PLUS MOnarch of the Glen are excellent. I get almost all of my news via NPR and Mudcat. :-) We have cable and sometimes the Lite Classical is okay to put on. There are no commercials on any of the music channels, but I don't listen to any of them, but that LC. I second the recommendation of Life with Bonnie. She is funny, has great delivery and has a comedic quality akin to Lucy. Can't hardly imagine you with tv!:-) luvyakat |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Art Thieme Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:12 PM JenEllen (Hi) Like you, I live in a low place river valley where nothing gets to us through the air. To watch anything at all we've got to have cable. What is offered here on basic is pure crap-. I've chosen to forego TV and go with the Chicago Tribune and NPR-radio. Our building has a TV in it's lobby where I can watch news. Tonight I'll be watching the seventh game of the World Series down there. But generally, we' built a good library of recorded video films and we also rent. That's about all. The day our cable provider allows me to pick the channels I want to buy, that's when I might give them my business again. I've been without TV for a few years now. I don't miss it. My feelings are that your returning to the vastness of the wasteland that American TV has become, much worse than anything Newt Minnow ever envisioned, will be quite depressing for you. Enter at your own peril-----and bring plenty Zoloft and caffeine. Art Thieme |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Art Thieme Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:17 PM Pat, thanks for droppin' your pants, but no thanks. ;-) Art |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Thomas the Rhymer Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:26 PM Hi JenEllen! I am sometimes fascinated by tv. I work so terribly hard, that falling asleep in front of the tele is pure joy! Propaganda blows my mind... and I like to kinda stay on top of it... so where else but network news? ... and... since I work outdoors, it is fun to surf between all the different weather reports... My appraoch to tv is simple. They are trying to give us what we want, but most of us are satisfied with strained vegetables. I am fond of the occasional game (with sound off and the classical music raadio on), and anything genuinely informative that transcends the usual (fox) slease slop... In short, PBS, with occasional surfing amoungst the clamoring of networks... I watch a lot of movies, most of which come from the public library system. They are free, you can keep em for weeks at a time, and the selection is sometimes quite good! Charlie Rose is rather late, but Fantastic!... and "The News Hour" is my savior... ttr |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:33 PM Are ya' sure Art? I mean these invites only come every so often.......Hate to see anyone miss out! (:<)) Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Thomas the Rhymer Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:38 PM (!) |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Amos Date: 27 Oct 02 - 07:30 PM Jen: I don't get it -- you had to get Television because you weren't up on the NEWS? You had an intenret connection where the updates were as close to real time as wire services could make them. Well, now ya got it, I can only wish you the very best of luck. Can't help with advice, since I pretty well stick to rented movies. I think my TV is older than Barkie! But we tune in to her a lot more often! :>) Suggest you keep a strict budget on your itme! I am sure your razor-sharp mind will take care of itself! :>) A |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: michaelr Date: 27 Oct 02 - 09:07 PM WorldLink is at the top of my list (DirecTV 375/Dish Network 9410). Independent political programming - they just aired the incredible French documentary "The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm" - , news from other countries, and world music videos. Excellent! The Science Channel is pretty good; Sundance and IFC for movies you don't see on HBO; Food Network for "Good Eats" with Alton Brown; Comedy Central for "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, "South Park" (THE most subversive show on TV) and "Crank Yankers". Cheers, Michael |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Genie Date: 27 Oct 02 - 09:46 PM Well, Jen, you know what John Prine said. ("Spanish Pipe Dream") ¤;-D Genie |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Liz the Squeak Date: 28 Oct 02 - 02:30 AM Of course, one option is to put an excercise machine (bike, walker, whatever but not a rower) in front of the TV. Your hands will be free to hold the remote, and you can flick through channels whilst excercising. It's what I do with the computer, but it gets awkward trying to type into Mudchat whilst doing 10 miles at 15mph in high gear. I get distracted and do more than I'm supposed to..... We only have terrestrial TV, no cable company will hook us up (it's an address thing - apparently we live in an area with a lot of defaulters so they have a blanket No policy now)and I won't have a hideous dish on the house. We're investigating Digital, and if that works we will probably try for one of the history channels, Choice, Children's channel and Sci Fi. Then I can spend hours not watching those too. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Genie Date: 28 Oct 02 - 03:41 AM Actually, Liz, I've heard of folks who have a small generator attached to their exercise bike and the TV so that the only way to have power to run the TV is to pedal. Not a bad idea, eh? Genie |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Frivolous Sal Date: 28 Oct 02 - 05:09 AM I really really want to see "Counting on Democracy", a BBC production that some PBS stations, but not Seattle, are showing even though the big guys at PBS thought it would cause too much trouble. Can anybody, anywhere, record it for the poor lost souls in the Pacific North West? I will be glad to pay, and promise to share. Mehitabel |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 28 Oct 02 - 06:07 AM Here's something about Counting on Democracy". Not a BBC production, though it may have been broadcast on a BBC channel (I missed it if it was) - here's the site of Globalvision who made it, with contact details. No doubt as the technology moves on we'll be squirting the programmes we recommend across the net to each other. And the whole copyright thing will kick in, making life so much more complicated than it needs to be. But that's another argument. I'm sure that there must be websites out there which have adjusted to the fact that people living in different parts of the world want to exchange views and recommendations for programmes going out from different stations on different channels in different time zones and different countries around the world. Anyone found any that are helpful on that sort of thing? |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Mr Red Date: 28 Oct 02 - 06:33 AM I focus pretty much. It is the only way - but then I can't stand soap operas, game shows, and most situation comedies. I get analogue satellite and 4.5 terrestial channels. Satellite gives one sports channel that does a good job in the area of interest and there is CNN when I think there is a big international story. AND of the terrestial I focus-in too. News, science and such. Having said that I don't have that much choice we get a lot of German channels on satellite and the poor girls after midnight seem to be unable to afford dresses, but they spend a lot of time on telephones! I still listen to a lot of radio - speech channels. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 28 Oct 02 - 03:37 PM Thanks all! The deal was this: The satellite was already here, and paid for, I just didn't have any idea on how (or why!) to hook it up. Thankfully, I didn't have to go it alone! There was a knock at the door last night and the TV SUPPORT GROUP came by to render their services! They thought I might be frightened by a flickering box with one-dimensional images, so I was introduced to junkfood and telly etiquette (see Jen, this is what they call a "commercial"...that's when you get up and pee), and they even picked a movie I'd seen about a zillion times (Young Frankenstein) just so I'd be comfortable. With friends like that.... And I do have the A&E/Discovery/History, so with all the thumbs-up they got, I'lll check them out. CarolC: PBS is great, but we can't get local tv in the valley. Same with NPR. If it's a sunny day, and I'm wearing my tin-foil underwear, I can maybe get a little morning news via radio. Don: Do they do Lucy re-runs? *g* misophist: excellent points, and the reason that network tv went the way of the buffalo around here, however, metropolitan newspapers aren't much better. If I wanted to be assaulted with sex and ads for crap I don't need, I could always just buy Cosmo. It has no place in 'news'. McGrath: GREAT idea! videotaping is on the books Walking Eagle: The dish was originally going to be an ornate birdbath....it might yet... Mudlark: yup, just in time to be snowed in, and turning the sucker off is no problem, seeing as I've never been one to subscribe to the "never push the red button" theory! *g* TTR: movies from the library is a fine idea as well, something to look into before the snow flies for certain katlaughing: You leave them ol' black&whites alone! *g* I can't help it if I'm a sucker for guys in cufflinks... ~JE |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 28 Oct 02 - 03:41 PM funny, I prefer them without...cufflinks or anything else...**BSEG** |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 28 Oct 02 - 03:55 PM Oh, c'monnnnn! Dapper guy, white tie & tails, little lock of hair falling over his eyes, breaking in to song for no apparent reason other than no one's sung in two whole minutes?? Suh-Wooooon... |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 28 Oct 02 - 04:02 PM It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that schwing...LOL* * you have to have seen that stupid movie of Dana Carvey & Mike Myers doing their "schwing" thing to get this:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 28 Oct 02 - 04:12 PM Oh, you know if a guy like that is still upright after everyone beating the ever-livin' crap out of him for singing all the time, then he's got 'schwing' to spare...*bg* (btw: that movie I toldja about went out to you in the post today, laugh well) ~JE |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 28 Oct 02 - 04:31 PM no codpieces, eh? LOL...tks, I'll watch for it! Speaking og B&W, the OLD Avengers series is being run on one of the nostalgia channels; before Dianna Rigg joined them...they are a hoot! |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: John Hardly Date: 28 Oct 02 - 09:37 PM time to catch up on The Simpsons! |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: YOR Date: 29 Oct 02 - 01:32 PM Take two "Seinfelds" and call me in the morning. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Peter T. Date: 29 Oct 02 - 04:40 PM I have inherited a big screen TV, and if you put a blanket over it, the top makes a excellent shelf for plants, it is just the right width and the new sets aren't very deep (Panasonic, I think), it can almost go against a wall. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Amos Date: 29 Oct 02 - 04:42 PM Good man, PT!! POxie things, IMHO... |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 29 Oct 02 - 05:49 PM "...breaking into song for no apparent reason other than no one's sung in two whole minutes." That sounds an excellent sort of reason to me. I used to watch a lot more TV. I've even got a little thingy on my computer that lets me watch while I'm on the net. But when I start using it, a break comes in the programme, and I move over to the Mudcat; and more often than not the stuff going on here is better than what's happening on the box, and I switch it off. (When you're watching the TV and you find yourself saying "That's rubbish what you said" or "Right on!", nothing comes back; but here someone's bound to argue the toss with you.) |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie Date: 29 Oct 02 - 06:03 PM You have TV? Sorry to hear that. I think you're supposed to move to Arizona, or someplace else where the climate is dry. Oh, and stop smoking, if you haven't already. CC |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Mudlark Date: 29 Oct 02 - 06:56 PM Jen...Forgot to mention the music channels...mostly schlock pop and worse but there are 2 classical (one chamber/baroque with lots of classical guitar, the other more bombastic orchestral works), a good trad jazz (as well as a Muzak jazz), a 40's big band, a bluegrass, and a blues channel. Not better than my own collection, but better than anything I can get with lousy radio reception. Since that's what's mostly playing on my TV, I've got a nice thick scarf I drape over the screen. The dogs like it when I leave jazz on for them... |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Amergin Date: 29 Oct 02 - 07:06 PM toss it in the rubbish bin |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Liz the Squeak Date: 29 Oct 02 - 09:11 PM Oh, c'monnnnn! Dapper guy, white tie & tails, little lock of hair falling over his eyes, breaking in to song for no apparent reason other than no one's sung in two whole minutes?? Suh-Wooooon... Actually, there's a guy like that in my office... except I've not heard him sing.... but he does own a white tie and tails. And (in his words) looks 'perfectly ducky in a topper'.... which he does. Duh-roool, Duh-rooollllll. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 30 Oct 02 - 12:08 AM Check out AMC- American Movie Classics. They had a 1931 of Bela Lugosi as Dracula on tonight. It was so Hollywood. Mina was in a typical 30's long, satin gown, swooned and all. I thought I had seen all of Bela's, but this was one I'd missed. They said this one was based on teh play in which he acted the same role and it had the feel of still being presented on stage. Quite a classic! |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Grab Date: 30 Oct 02 - 07:48 AM Why should anyone care if they're "out of the loop" on stuff that isn't related to them? If you were in the sniper's area, you'd find out bcos it's important to you; if you're not, what's the big deal? It's getting so TV is like an international version of rubbernecking at a car crash. If ppl feel the need to rubberneck then fine, but I wish they wouldn't pretend it's something important to them. I've not had a telly for 2 years now. Never really missed it - there's too much else to do. I finally get time on my hobbies and my music. I swear, you never realise how much time you waste until you ditch it. The only thing I miss is Jools Holland (late-night BBC music program). And I spend half an hour or so a day reading the news on the web, covering the stuff that's important to me. Graham. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,Fred Miller Date: 30 Oct 02 - 09:31 AM The Sopranos is excellent, as good as anything, and still going strong. This season Tony and Carmella accused each other of equating money with love, then sat silent in a weird Mexican standoff--both disarmed. It's fucking great. If anybody pirated the Simpson's parody of the Soprano's opening I'd like to splice it into my tapes of the shows. But I only see it on tapes. NYPD Blue reruns are good. Muppets are great, but hardliners always correct me when I say muppets and mean to include sesame street. If you choose to watch Seinfeld you should watch all of them, since they are neither fiction nor non-fiction, but Reference. there's an episode for every occasion. I can't watch Bonnie Hunt's new show but love her generally. It's long lost, but my favorite show when I was growing up was Kolchak the night stalker, about a dweeby tabloid reporter in a white seersucker suit. All the outlandish stories were true, but he was perpetually thwarted by the government's determination to protect us all from weird information. Anybody remember that? |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 30 Oct 02 - 10:03 AM kat: that is one of the best, love it dearly, and always sends me shrieeeeeeeking and over the back of the couch to raid the medicine cabinet for garlic tabs... Liz: Um, er, uh...does he have a brother in the states? *g* Grab: Thanks for taking the time to respond, and I actually agree with you. This thread wasn't started as "hints to go couch potato". I've lived without the damn thing for a long time, and never missed it, and even since being "hooked up", I've watched a whole hour of television, no more time that would have been spent had I rented a movie. I think of it like one of those annoying kitchen appliances that everyone seems to accumulate? It slices, it dices, it juliennes...when basically all you're ever gonna use it for is to peel spuds...but it's still nice to know what it CAN do. Fred: Keep an eye on your PBS video catalogs....it's still out there |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST Date: 30 Oct 02 - 12:07 PM Just like the bumperstickers say: Kill Your TV. Even the stuff that's supposed to be "good for you" is funded by corporations like Exxon ("At Exxon, We help Jesus walk on water....") and federal entities, so ... draw your own conclusions. One final slogan: Why do you think they call it 'programming'? |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 30 Oct 02 - 12:33 PM Guest, you have a lot of nerve. What do you suggest? Reading newspapers funded by similar entities and filled with like propaganda? Public radio funded by secular 'foundations'? Better yet, Oprah's book list? Perhaps we should just go back to sitting around the fire every night and listening for the drums? Tell you what, I'll do what I do, and you keep basing your philosophies on what you read on a car's bumper. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,TV Fan Date: 30 Oct 02 - 12:40 PM Guest: Kill your own TV if you want, but don't tell me what to do--and hey, some of you--where did you get the idea that you were better people because you don't watch TV? The rest of you, if you want to see something good, check out the Sundance channel, which has been showing the Ramblin' Jack Elliot documentary, made by his daughter--you aren't likely to see it anywhere else--and it is a good as anything can be-- |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Amos Date: 30 Oct 02 - 12:55 PM ...and the whistle of the claymore is heard in our land.... :>) Exit one head, slightly used, stage left; its erstwhile platform, stage right.... A |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Don Firth Date: 30 Oct 02 - 01:46 PM Jen, I'm quite sure I Love Seriously, though . . . Barbara and I have long been followers a lot of stuff on PBS, like Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery. The Brits do that sort of thing so well. Lately, however, we've noted that some American-made TV shows come pretty darned close to the standard the Brits set. Not many, but every now and then. And the occasional series, such as Northern Exposure, achieves a pretty high level. You have to be really selective though. Hallmark Hall of Fame productions are consistently good. There are some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (rerun on TNN, sometimes several episodes in an evening) that are really top drawer, rising well above the level of space opera to become excellent science fiction in particular and good drama in general. I think my favorite episode is "The Measure of a Man," wherein a cybernetics expert from Star Fleet wants to requisition Data, dismantle "it," figure out what makes "it" tick, and attempt to make a bunch of duplicates. Data refuses, and is then told that since he is a machine—the property of Star Fleet—he can't refuse. The matter goes before Star Fleet's Judge Advocate General (JAG). The hearing gets into such questions as "what is life?" and "what is consciousness?" with an uncomfortable reference to "manufacturing a race of disposable people." Heavy stuff. Courtroom drama in a science fiction setting. Irresistible! Just a thought. . . . Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Janie Date: 30 Oct 02 - 04:56 PM We chucked ours years ago. The only things I miss seeing are the PBS documentary and wildlife shows, and Tarheel basketball. Books and National Geographic make up for the first--an invite to somebody's house for a big game help with the other. I do, however, listen religiously to NPR Morning Addition and All Things Considered. All the news I need. My 8 year old son benefits tremendously from not watching TV. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Mudlark Date: 30 Oct 02 - 10:50 PM Janie: While I think what consenting adults do with their TVs is entirely their own choice and more power to them, I tend to agree about a no TV rule for kids. All that canned input can only stunt their imagination when young, and the kind of crud and violence that rules the TV airways has no place in a kid's brain. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Don Firth Date: 31 Oct 02 - 12:41 PM Well . . . I dunno about "canned input" stunting imagination. It depends on what's in the can. Granted, the vast majority of TV is crap, but when I was a kid, some of the PBS, Discovery Channel, and History Channel programs (e.g., Nova) would have really fed my imagination had they been available. I used to listen to American School on the Air on the radio (science, exploration, Alan Lomax, all kinds of good stuff). I listened to my share of The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet, too, but I was the kind of kid who read the encyclopedia for kicks. TV is (can be, if supervised) a great tool for education and imagination. Kids are omnivorous, and you have to point them in the right direction. But I think just using the TV as a baby-sitter verges on child abuse. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST Date: 31 Oct 02 - 01:09 PM Could a message's effectiveness be measured by the intensity of the reaction to it? There seems to be some indication of that, so perhaps the bumperstickers have served their purpose by hitting just a little too close to 'prime time.' You were the one who asked the question "now what do I do?" and then when some of the answers you get don't quite agree with what you wanted to hear, you want to take it out on the messenger (after all, I didn't make up any of those slogans). When you ask such an open-ended question, it should come as no surprise that you're going to get a plethora of answers that run the gamut, from bumpersticker philosophy to whatever. You do offer some good suggestions. Yeah, chuck the papers in the can along with the tube. And Oprah's book list? Thanks for the humor - though not being familiar with what Oprah reads I am inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt and conclude that she at least occasionally recommends something worthwhile. Sitting by the fire and listening for the drums sounds like a great idea, especially outside in this neck of the woods where autumn has splashed a few colors around. And yes, I will continue to base my philosophies on whatever I deem relevant, regardless of its source. Thanks for the encouragement. And I encourage you to do whatever you deem appropriate as well. Best of luck to you and your TV. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 31 Oct 02 - 04:03 PM Dearest Faceless Guest; It's a paired ire, really. I don't enjoy being told what to do by a nameless entity (anonymity doesn't exactly put you in the best of company) and it is apparent that you didn't read the first posting, considering the knee-jerk reaction of your initial post. That borders on rudeness. The title may have been "what do I do?" but the questions listed were: What do you watch? Are the 'music channels' really music or just ads? News channels? What would you miss if you were stranded on a desert isle? I'm to take it your answers would have been "nothing", "I don't know", and "none of it"? However, your response of encouraging me to kill something (it's okay for you but not for Exxon?--there's your bumpersticker right there) was ill appreciated, I don't kill for sport. And you are correct, I should probably cut Oprah some slack, I simply used her to illustrate the point that there are as many bad books floating around as there are bad television programs. I'm glad you are enjoying your fall, I wish you loads of campfires and native drumming, and thank you for clarifying. ~JE |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST Date: 01 Nov 02 - 10:00 AM you're welcome |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Hrothgar Date: 01 Nov 02 - 11:29 PM Well, to go back to the original questions, if I were stranded on a desert isle, I'd miss my library. I think I might miss some good stuff on TV sometimes (football and old movies) because I forget to switch it on (No, that's not a senior thing - I just don't have the habit). |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,Fred Miller Date: 02 Nov 02 - 09:55 AM There seems to be a general idea that reading is better for you than tv, which I'd tend to disagree with. Both can be junk. My kids watch tv and know how to watch tv, better than many adults, I think. My son was playing nintendo games quite a lot, then without any prompting from us, started reading books instead--dozens of them, the magic treehouse chapter books, which are good (I read a couple, since he was delighted that he saw me lookiung at one). He's in first grade, and I'm proud he can manage his interests like that without my making rules about it. When he got home from halloween he counted his candy, then charted it in bar graphs by class and type. He enjoys his candy museum and has no plan to eat any of it. Excuse my admiration of my own kids. But I think it's a worthwhile excercise to try to find the good in things, leave the rest, rather than set yourself above it all. And trying to keep pop culture from kids is a losing battle--I try to innoculate them, let them learn to digest it. We're in a good phase now, and enjoying it, since there's always some trouble to come. And I really think it's shallow all the British stuff people put above American tv. It only looks more elevated, imho. All that Howard's End type garbage, those guys who wrote about English real estate. E.M. Forster's reputation grew more the less he wrote. And there are things in Brideshead Revisited that seem to have come from a How To Write A Novel textbook (although it's still better than any Forster stuff). Green Acres was a very sophisticated and deep comic premise, by comparison. There's good stuff nearly everywhere people are making stuff, but you have to look to find that out. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Don Firth Date: 02 Nov 02 - 12:43 PM Fred, congratulations on your kids. Each to his own taste, of course, but I don't think it's at all shallow to prefer a lot of British TV available in the States over what is generally offered by American TV production companies. Granted, stuff presented on Masterpiece Theatre or other British shows that PBS offers (e.g., Britcoms such as As Time Goes By or Good Neighbors or Yes, Minister) is bound to be considerably better than most of what is available on both sides of the puddle because PBS selects the best of British TV to present here. You might say that PBS acts as a sort of "crap filter." I'm quite sure that there are a lot of real stinkers presented on British TV that never make it across the pond. At least my taste pretty much agrees with that of whoever does the selecting. And I've been watching TV off and on since the early Fifties. The problem I find with most American TV shows is an abysmal lack of creativity. One really good show comes out and for several years you're treated to an endless stream of imitations—feeble attempts to copy and/or repeat the same success.* This holds for both dramas and comedies. Also, the general philosophy of American TV networks (broadcast and cable both) is that the show is merely a device to keep you glued to the set between commercials. Drama or comedy is strictly secondary. Selling stuff is the name of the game. I do watch American TV, but I've very selective about it, and if a drama's impact is based on little more than car chases and shoot-outs, or a comedy counts solely on pratfalls or snappy patter and stupid put-downs, I just don't watch it again. Selectivity is the magic word. Don Firth *This same lack of creativity also permeates the movie industry. Notice how many movies issued within the last decade of so are remakes of previously successful movies and TV shows. In the remakes, usually the production values are superior (due to technological advancements in movie-making), but in other ways the remake fails abysmally to measure up to the original. Imagine, for example, some movie company trying to do a remake of Casablanca, starring, say, William Hurt and Demi Moore. Just the thought of it makes my stomach turn, but I'm quite sure something like that has already been discussed in Hollywood—many times. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,Fred Miller Date: 04 Nov 02 - 11:16 AM Well, I only meant that it's shallow, you know, when it is, not when it's not. But some of my favorite American shows go off the air because nobody watched them, and I doubt t.v. will get better if no one watches the better efforts. Some of the better shows not only spawn weak imitations, but tend over time to become weak imitations of themselves, I think. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Amos Date: 04 Nov 02 - 11:21 AM Sure you can buy shlock books Fred. But the thing is that books invite participation, exercise the imagination, require the displine of connecting things in your own mind in a way that TV never does. Books are participatory to a much greater degree. Spend ten thousand hours reading and you get an education. Spend the same time watching TV and you learn which tampon you should buy to look your best. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: JenEllen Date: 04 Nov 02 - 11:48 AM Well, a week into "The Experiment", and I've decided I'm no better or worse for it. I played the same amount of music, spent about the same amount of time catching up on reading, and did honestly try to give television the benefit of the doubt. Things I didn't enjoy? That CNN runs a ticker, so you can't just 'listen' to it, you have to actually 'watch', and that the music channels aren't music anymore (I remember back in the days I used to have TV, when MTV and VH1 used to have music and not game shows) and that was a disappointment. And who knew that something as interestingly named as "The Learning Channel" would have precious little to impart? Things I did enjoy? Small kudos to The Learning Channel for the building shows like Junkyard Wars, intersting to see what people come up with. (Don, they DO have Lucy re-runs, and that would make a snowy day warm all on its own) I seem to have a CNN spin-off called Book TV, authors talking about their books, and that would be captivating should I ever come across someone talking about a book I was interested in! Fred, I agree with you about the weak imitations, and have seen quite a few examples of it, but I did enjoy one of them. A mystery/detective show called Monk. The plot was pretty weak, but the title character is a detective with OCD, and since I've struggled with it myself for many years, I could identify, and the main joy in the program was my own anticipation of the character's reactions to certain situations (to the point I actually laughed out loud when I was right!). Ah well, live and learn. ~JE |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 04 Nov 02 - 12:06 PM Ah, I've enjoyed Monk also, JenEllen. This weekend we really enjoyed two movies on IFC. A 1960's Japanse movie of ghost stories called Kwaidan and a lighweight best friends/romantic comedy directed by and starring Anglica Huston called Agnes Browne. I gave away a brand new tv when my kids were little, then the next one I had, I watered a plant too much, which was hanging above it, and the plantpee shorted out the tv! We didn't have another until Rog moved from radio engineering to tv transmitters, then we had to have one so he could check the on-air status. We always watched tv with our kids, making critical comments about the ridiculous advert messages, etc. We did't watch that much and they learned to watch it with a critical eye. Two of them do not own tvs; the other has one and does let her 4 yr old twins watch specific children's shows, but otherwise is pretty strict about it. The only complaint I have about that is I think they watch too much video, i.e. Shrek too often, even though I LOVE that movie! Concerning BBC and American tv: lately BBC America has been running nothing but overused re-runs EXCEPT for Monarch of the Glen and a few Changing Rooms and Ground Force, otherwise I've seen nothing any better than most. When they first went on in the US, they had fantastic movies and dramas, now it is all the same as thye've already shown. THEN, we see their best stuff on PBS or A&E. It's as though they are selling all of their good stuff to those other channels and offering us the leftovers. Ah, well...have fun! kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Don Firth Date: 04 Nov 02 - 02:03 PM Fred, I'm definitely in agreement. There are a number of American TV shows that I thought were excellent, but didn't last more than a season—or sometimes even less. This was not because they weren't good shows, but because they either didn't draw a sufficient number of viewers (not enough people to watch the commercial breaks) or they managed to offend someone and the network didn't have the guts to stand by their initial decision to air the show in the first place. One show that I really liked—it got down to the nitty-gritty and dealt with some very real issues—was called Nothing Sacred. Young Catholic priest in an inner city parish dealing with things like a group of wealthy neighbors objecting to the church's free lunch program because it drew the homeless and the poor into the neighborhood, a nun who had to conduct a mass (big "no-no" apparently) because the priest had wound up in the slammer for participating in a protest march, and a teen-age girl wanting an abortion. The priest didn't absolutely forbid it as some viewers felt he should; he told the girl, "You know what the Church says as well as I do. Just remember that whatever you decide to do, you'll have to live with that decision for the rest of your life." Also, the young priest was wrestling with his own doubts about certain points of theology. Heavy stuff. But some people objected to the realness of the show and some objected that the show was not a "weekly sermon" (which, in it's own way, it was) and some objected that the show dealt with religious themes at all. I give ABC points for trying to keep the show going, but they finally crumbled before pressure from the conservative Catholic League despite the fact that a couple of Jesuit priests acted as consultants to the writers. The Education of Max Bickford (starring Richard Dreyfuss) got the ax from CBS. Very good show about an underpaid history professor at an all-women's college dealing with real situations in his own life and at the college. Despite good writing and excellent acting, CBS gave it the ax because too many viewers who prefer their TV to be an endless succession of explosions and punch-outs found a show about a college professor "boring." Boston Public, a gritty drama about an inner city high school that deals with some pretty controversial stuff, did make it back, amazingly enough. Possibly because of last season's addition of Jeri Ryan (formerly "Seven of Nine") to the cast. In the meantime, the networks keep plaguing us with these ridiculous so called "reality shows" and more asinine sit-coms. One thing about some of the British shows that PBS and the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) channel run is that they are limited in term. They have a story to tell and once the story is finished, the series ends. Too many American series' go on beyond the point where they've said all they have to say just because they do have a lot of loyal viewers—until the show gets so inane that they fall away. I remember that when opera diva Beverly Sills retired, her singing voice was still one of the best around. She commented, "I'd rather have people say 'Why did she retire?' than to have them ask 'Why doesn't she retire?'" Good point. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 04 Nov 02 - 02:32 PM Don, thanks for mentioning Dreyfuss and "The Educatin of Max Bickford!" It had a great ensemble cast and I loved the quirkiness which Dreyfuss brought to it. We were really sad to see it go. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,Fred Miller Date: 05 Nov 02 - 10:09 AM Kat, thanks for mentioning watching t.v. with your kids. I'm never sure what people mean when they say reading is more interactive than watching, or that you don't draw connections when you watch. Except that when the material is bad, it doesn't work very well, and, sure, there are more good books out there than good movies or t.v. We've been trying longer. I remember Mulan having some interesting points, kid-sized meaningful structure, when we saw it. How the men behaved like boys when they were trying to act like men, but later when they matured, they didn't care how they appeared, dressed as women, simply did what they had to do. Most Disney things don't have any stuff like that. My wife and I had a good time reading War And Peace at the same time, ecept she skipped all the philosophic essay sections, and kept getting ahead of me. Yes, Don, I suppose it's the commercial definition of shows that makes them turn into ads of themselves, they wind up trying to be what has already worked, and the process defeats the creative impulse. Must take special people and circumstances to keep being good under that pressure. I never saw the show, but there seems to often be a pressure to merely illustrate in contemporary church culture, which prevents strong, credible art from getting made. I was talking to a youth minister recently who had qualms about using profanity in a script which seemed to require it. Sounds like the show you mention had both the commercial pressure and the church constrictions going against it. I never saw Monk. Sometimes I find t.v. on video, later, like the prime suspect series, or Sopranos. But once a show goes weak, I feel embarrassed to admit I ever liked it--it leaves that bad impression stonger than the early promise. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: katlaughing Date: 05 Nov 02 - 11:48 AM You're welcome, Fred. Here's part of an op/ed piece where I spoke about that; the whole piece was published in some newspapers and then in a textbook and quoted by the head of the federal bureau of land management!**BG** (Ironically, yesterday's Talk of the nation on NPR talked about this very thing, though they didn't identify it as critical thinking skills per se. Maybe I am being a bit of a snob but I am amazed that people need to be taught this kind of stuff, it seems so obvious.) "Teach children critical thinking skills" ...What really causes one to recoil in disbelief and dismay is wondering what kind of nation we are when children view violence as the only means of resolution. We cannot blame it on television. We are told grandparents grew up with very violent folk stories which did not, apparently, incite them to kill. Television executives do not plan their programs to deliberately incite violence. Studies claim the Japanese release their rage through their violent television programs and video games, rather than each other, attesting to their lower crime rate. The way America watches television has changed. The way we watch our children has changed. In the fifties and sixties, watching TV used to be a family affair; everyone would gather `round to watch a favorite. Even in the seventies, when my children were growing up, we, as parents, sat down with them to view what we considered to be good programming. We discussed and critiqued what they watched, making sure they didn't grow up thinking everything could be assuaged by gunfights, taking a pill, or colouring their hair a certain shade of blonde. They were restricted and monitored. They were allowed to watch adult programs, as long as there was interaction with us as to the truth and probability of content... Today's children mostly watch tv on their own. If they come from the middle to upper classes they probably have a television in their room, while mom and dad each have their own to watch elsewhere in the house. Often, parents use television, willingly or unwillingly, as a baby-sitter or incentive to children; to quiet them down, to entertain them. With the isolation of each to their corners, comes poor or little judgement of what they see happening in programs of all hours of the day. To restrict certain shows to what is supposedly bedtime for children is ridiculous. When one can tune into soaps and vile talk shows such as Jerry Springer, there is little left which need be censored to later hours. We do not need to monitor the content of television as much as teach parents and other childcare givers the importance of limits and discussion about what is offered for daily viewing. Children's minds are like sponges; they soak up everything they see and hear without discernment for reality. They need guidance and discipline; to be taught critical thinking skills and non-violent means of resolving their differences or grievances... Each of us starts out in a nucleus of home. Some are better than others; most have some sort of conflict and/or dysfunctionality. Many of us rise above, overcome, and continue to progress, making it through our difficulties with the help of friends, family, and professionals. Today's parents expect the government to protect their children from everything, including television. The v-chip came about because most parents are unwilling or unable to take the time to monitor what their children are doing, let alone what they watch on television. The irony is a v-chip is not critical; it does not teach children the discernment which they will need as they become adults. By not sitting down with them, by not commenting and discussing with them what they see on tv, at the movies, on the Internet, and in print, parents are abdicating their prime responsibility in raising their children. By not taking responsibility for the content of their daily lives, by not teaching them how to cope, parents have given up their position as the first line of defense against the insidious spread of violence which is portrayed in a society with such utter disregard for consequences. © 1998 Kat LaFrance |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Celtic Soul Date: 05 Nov 02 - 12:21 PM Best suggestion I can give you is to get rid of it. Not the TV, but reception of any channels, whether "free" or cable. I saw some TV for the first time in some years just last night. It was enough to convince me that the decision to chuck it in the first place was a wise one. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST,Fred Miller Date: 05 Nov 02 - 05:24 PM Thanks again, but I must very respectfully disagree. I do agree on many points, and maybe more than agree with the point that knowing the difference between fiction and reality is the big deal. I love some pretty horrifying lit, and wouldn't return a book of fiction because it turned out to be full of lies. But I think blaming any aspect of entertainment for violence is too easy--it's mostly a spurious correlation. In general, I think senseless aspects of our culture drive people to violence, and drives senseless junk entertainments along as a side-car-- the latter doesn't cause the former. Sneering luxury, self-righteous materialism drives desperate people nuts. Tidy white-collar crime causes messy blue-collar crime. If we had a maximum wage we wouldn't need a minimum wage. Sure, strong, interconnected people don't have to react that way, but weak and lost and beaten people probably do. Grotesque glitsy ads are probably as harmful as grotesque violence. Cute romantic comedies that dramatise a woman as a prize or reward are probably as harmful, if not more, than dumb porn that supposedly "objectifies" women. Early Shakespeare was gross, sensational, tabloidy and gratuitous--it's not such a big divide, after all. This is just my two cents and then some, but I think it's too easy just to blame the t.v., too easy to just turn it off and pretend you're somewhere above it. Yikes! I guess I must feel strongly about it, huh? |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: GUEST Date: 08 Nov 02 - 09:49 AM You've had it for a week. Is it better than sex for you? |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Fortunato Date: 08 Nov 02 - 10:25 AM Personally I think television is a blivet. What's a blivet? It's ten pounds of manure in a five pound bag. |
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Subject: RE: BS: I've got TV, now what do I do? From: Amos Date: 08 Nov 02 - 12:55 PM GUEST 08 Nov 02 - 09:49 AM: Sod off, vile lowlife, and find a life of your own -- try under a rock somewhere. A |