My wife and I have become TV watchers. Not in the purest sense of the word, because we don’t have satellite (the only way to watch tv up here, cable is unheard of). We watch TV in a much different way…
A friend of ours loans us entire seasons of television shows in DVD format. We’re currently taking our time making our way through Season 3 of the X-Files. Since moving to Alaska, we’ve watched Season 1 and 2 of Alias and Season 1 and 2 of X-Files. It’s great.
This is far superior to watching TV on…well… TV. For one, you don’t have the constant stream of commercials blaring at you. Secondly, TV comes at you in a stream format, where there is a certain pressure to not leave the TV, lest you miss anything. This pressure can be alleviated by devices like TiVo, but TiVo still requires one to zip through the commercials (but does have the clever, and DVD-like, feature of allowing you to press pause if nature calls).
No, I definitely prefer watching my TV by way of DVD. It is there on my schedule, and my wife and I can choose to watch an episode or two of X-Files from the mid-nineties. The only problem is, I can get stuck in the mid-nineties. Dude.
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Sounds like Africa – watching shows a decade late!
§ #1 By Diggidydan at 7:53pm on March 29 2004
I confess: I’ve never seen a single episode of X-Files or Alias. I’m out of touch.
§ #2 By rebekah at 7:53pm on March 29 2004
Another benefit to watching TV shows on DVD is that you have a chance to argue. It still does not encourage argument, but at least the option is there.
Normal TV viewing involves a barrage of ideas presented in a way calculated to discourage thinking about the subject matter. If a false idea is presented, your ability to think about and argue against that idea is bulldozed by the next idea and the next idea which follow in relentless succession. I think, as awful as it sometimes is, the content of TV tends to be less harmful than the manner in which it presents ideas. Watching the 700 Club every night will turn your ability to think critically to mush at about the same rate as watching (insert name of controversial television show) every night.
The DVD allows you to stop. Think. Replay. Argue with your television.
Argue with your television!!
(This tirade brought to you by a guy who recently re-read “Amusing Ourselves To Death” by Neal Postman. Mighty good.)
§ #3 By Casey at 7:53pm on March 29 2004
Casey, I had a hunch when I started reading your post that it was related to neal’s book! I should re-read that. It’s good to step back once in a while.
§ #4 By Diggidydan at 7:53pm on March 29 2004
That’s the whole nasty pasty dark and dirty injustice of the “stream of consciousness” style that TV presents you. Maybe I should say “stream of unconsciousness”. They make it so hard to just get up and leave the room, taking on the next show to the credits of the last show. Teasing you thinking the commercials are over, when they’re not.
§ #5 By brian at 7:53pm on March 29 2004
Yeah, i agree that television leaves little room for much thought and relies on keeping you glued to the set for whatever sweetness is coming up next. Its easy to get lulled into it and think youre getting informed, when really youre not able to process much of what youre viewing more than, ‘woah,’ or, ‘thats interesting’ before something else is there to dominate your senses.
Now I hate to just say, ‘...then just dont watch tv’ or ‘gut your set and turn it into a metal container to hold your zen garden’ or whatever.
I wonder, what are some ways TV could be better? What about channels like TLC and the History channel, theyre actually pretty fascinating (and informative) sometimes… Or should it be a modestly viewed provider of entertainment and nothing more?
hm? hhMMM??
§ #6 By vexerblogger at 7:53pm on March 29 2004