Jake Conrad

Jake Conrad
Blog dedicated to my writing and whatever else I want: movies, games, books, electronics, music, ... anything Jake. The interior of my mind is a mixture of grindhouse, steampunk, Lovecraft, and 80's pop. Be very afraid.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

TV - The Black Hole of Death


I don't understand Television any more.  I don't exactly know when my love of the tube changed, but at some point in the 90's, I quit watching mainstream TV.  If I turn on the television anymore, it is only to watch a random Simpson's episode, a cooking show, or a DIY home improvement show.  From what I can tell here are my reasons:





1) I have less time than in the past and so whatever I choose to do can only last an hour or two.
2) We got rid of our TiVo and I'm too lazy to program our DVR or actually plan my life around a show.
3) We seem to be busy every night of the school/work week.
4) The bedtime circus (as I affectionately refer to the act of putting 3 boys to bed) falls right during prime time.
5) Without a TiVo I don't want to invest myself in a series like Lost when I know I will miss at least one episode.
6) I don't understand why I would forfeit watching a movie with normally a higher caliber of acting, special effects and writing to see something that is just interrupted by commercials.
7) Reality TV that I hate more than Hitler has diffused it's way into every channel.
8) I would rather read than watch TV.
9) I feel that watching a movie adds something to my mind, while watching TV subtracts.
10) I am a snob since I bought an HD TV, HD DVD player, and Blu Ray player and only want to watch something clear that sounds beautiful in surround sound.
11) I can control what I and my kids see in a movie by using the web site "kidsinmind.com" but I have no control over what images pop up during commercials or the tv shows themselves.
12) I have an elitest belief that TV is for dumb people and it makes me feel superior. (just threw that one in to see if you were listening.)
13) The purpose of making a movie is for people to spend money on watching the movie and buying the Blu ray where the purpose of TV is to get people to buy other products.
14) A note to all you video game haters... You wag your fingers and call video games destructive and a waste of time, yet have no problem watching reality tv where people marry midgets for money or eat spiders.  You watch CSI Miami which is about as gory as it gets.  You watch Desperate Housewives and get your jollies.  So unless you have burned your tv, thrown away your romance novels, and stopped buying the SI Swimsuit Issue to ogle the painted on bikinis, then you can't cast stones at me playing a little Rockband.  It may be a waste of time, but not any more than watching 3 football games in a row.


4 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Jake you are missing some good shows! Have you tried watching online? I watch The Office online and the commercials are only 20-30 seconds.

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  3. It is not just a commercial thing Cheaper, it is a medium with low production value and a lower brow. Just my preference. My wife loves TV and she is much smarter than I am :-)

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  4. AnonymousMay 20, 2009

    well said, if it wasn't for my addiction to football I would no longer need television.
    Jeremy

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