How pathetic are YOU?

[TZ]

I think I might have seen the dumbest MSM conspiracy thread ever in GD.
Basically the OP saw an interview about the writers strike where the interviewee said they watched TV everyday...The OP stated that since NO ONE was pathetic enough to watch TV everyday, this MUST have been a set up by the news channel because" This had to be a set up thing, I do not believe there are people who turn their televisions on every day of the week. I guess the industry will just make up lies to make us think they are so so important..."
Uh, what? Its too much TV that is the huge problem in this country.And how can anybody in this day and age (and who is posting on the internets for gawd's sake) be THAT ignorant of pop culture?
And yes, from all appearances this person was being honest and not sarcastic.
I freely admit I have my TV on everyday. In fact since I am a single woman who gets nervous at night, I go to sleep with the TV on so I don't hear noises outside my door/window and get scared for nothing...(also am a sports junkie, and love my TV sportscasts)
So I am curious, since this is a pretty intellectual group, is there anyone here who is not pathetic enough to have their TV on everyday...
:shrug:

[salvorhardin]

1. I don't own a television and haven't for almost a decade now

However it's a personal choice and implies no moral judgment. Since I get almost everything I need in terms of information and entertainment via the web and the rest via NPR, BBC World News and my daily newspaper subscription I just see no reason to have one. Also, since most TV shows are available on DVD now, without commercials, if there's a TV show I want to watch I usually watch it that way, or download a torrent if it happens to be produced outside of the country (Doctor Who).

I will say though that when my g/f isn't around I have the radio or music playing much of the time. It helps me to work and it makes the apartment seem more lively.

I saw that post you're talking about and IMHO the OP is an idiot.

[PVnRT]

2. RGBolen is a serial troller

He posts shit like that every once in a while, knowing it will get 100+ responses and thousands of views.

[Imperialism Inc.]

3. I watch something from 2 to 4 times a week but to not realize that

many (most?) people watch at least a little bit every day is pretty pathetic.

Part of the reason I don't watch as much is that I don't consider it important enough to buy cable. I have started to watch TV more regularly since the invention of P2P networks where I can download shows without commercials but I'd still rather read.

[Orrex]

4. I had trouble believing that the question was sincere

From the first few posts, it seemed to me that he was being--dare I say it?--disingenuous and affecting an air of "I never imagined that it could be so!"

In addition to my kids' viewing of PBS, my wife and I usually catch part of the Nightly Business Report, and we'll frequently zone out with whatever piffle is on the air immediately after we put the boys to bed.

:rant:
I work with quite a few people who watch literally four to six hours of tv each night, between the stuff they watch live and whatever they Tivo. Worse, they discuss each show at length the next day in the office, so that an hour-long show is dissected for five hours.

I don't care who kissed whom on Lost or what the mysterious numbers mean. If I wanted to watch the damn show, I would.

[trotsky]

5. Ah, TV. One of those sure-fired "holier than thou" topics guaranteed to rile up DUers.

It always seems to break into the "TV is fine, just don't overdo it" crowd vs. the "TV is teh EVIL!!!!1!!1" gang who want to proclaim their superiority for not even owning a set. (Half of whom I don't believe.)

BTW, for nice soothing nighttime noise that masks bumps in the night, have you ever looked at these?

http://search.ebay.com/sleepmate_W0QQcrlpZ676186182Q5f9413QQfclZ4QQfnuZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQkeywordZsleepmateQQmptZ1199298196358

I've used one since college, when my GF at the time had one and I got hooked. It's just a little fan inside a plastic enclosure - you can control the tone and volume of the whooshing noise by sliding parts of the enclosure. Uses about the same electricity as a nightlight! (Much cheaper than a TV tube!) Bought one for each of my kids too.

[moggie]

13. I'm not superior

I watch almost no TV. Watched none at all for about two years, and kept the set only for DVDs and games. Before the strike, I watched the Daily Show most nights, and nothing else. Over the holiday, I saw only the Dr Who special (which sucked, sadly). But I'm not about to claim any kind of high ground about this. It's not as if I spend the time wisely on lofty intellectual pursuits: while you're watching some improving documentary, I may be playing Half-Life 2, reading some trash, or laughing like an idiot at pictures of cats on the nets. I just... got out of the habit, somehow. Just wanted to point out that some of us non-TV people find the holier-than-thou types annoying too. It's a bit like hearing someone else's toddler proudly announce that he's done a poop all by himself: you can sort of see how, from his point of view, that's pretty remarkable, but it's hard to be as impressed as he wants you to be.

[trotsky]

14. Oh completely understood.

Wouldn't have included you in my accusation. Probably should have put in a "present company excepted" in there. ;-)

I watch lots of football - but zero other sports. So after football season, I have a couple of shows I like to watch (The Office, My Name is Earl) and I don't mind having Food Network on, but otherwise I'm either on the computer or doing other things. You could take our TV away from Feb thru July/Aug and I probably wouldn't miss it. Now the other folks in my household, they might have a problem.

[LeftishBrit]

6. Most people put their TV on every day..

what an odd argument that was.

I'm generally more a radio than TV person myself and use the radio in pretty much the same way turtlensue uses her TV. But how bizarre to seriously think that it's unusual to watch TV regularly... I wonder if he was pulling people's legs.

[Evoman]

7. I thought that was disingenuous.

And that he was trying to pretend that he was suprised in order to act superior. He, and the crowd he hangs out with are all artistic and musical and intellectual and sooooimpooooortant they don't have time to watch tv.

Come on. Nobody is that fucking dumb that they don't know that almost everybody watches at least a little tv everyday (and most watch way too much).

My TV is on almost everyday. When I lived by myself it wasn't so much, because I really don't like most shows on TV and I would spend most of my time reading journal articles and writing (masters). But since I started living with my gf, usually one or the other turns the tv on at least a little while. I'd say in the average week we watch about 10 hours of tv (I'm including movies).

[Warpy]

8. I got satellite for the first time in my life on 8/4/06

and I've become a total vidiot. That box is on most of the day, tuned to educational crap, food porn, house porn, Ovation, or old movies. I don't know how much of it I actually watch because I'm generally doing something else at the same time, like cranking on DU, but I've enjoyed having a wide variety of programming immensely.

Before the dish, I'd usually be listening to music, either computer or radio, sometimes recorded, while I did much the same things I do now. I also rented movies. The box wasn't on much since I'd given up on news completely and there wasn't much on there I found particularly worth watching, especially the four months a year our local PBS station begs for money while running shite.

So just color me pathetic. I lived for many years completely without a TV and didn't miss it--those were the years of shows like "My Mother, the Car." I've enjoyed having it now, especially during this incredibly prolonged recovery after a corneal transplant.

[JitterbugPerfume]

9. I watch SOAPS

I live alone and I get bored. SO shoot me!

[mr blur]

10. I don't watch television and didn't have one for years

We got one for the kids and now they have their own connected to video games and the like.

But we do have music and books in just about every room. :thumbsup:

[dropkickpa]

11. I watch TV all the time

I need the background noise because I am a spaz and hate silence. I need to find a machine that mimics the sound of my air conditioner, because ever since it got cold I have a helluva time sleeping because it's too quiet.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Me Too

I like sports. I like history and science. And i like to laugh. So, the TV provides that. Hey, i don't have to prove i can also be intellectual. I've got three advanced degrees for goodness sake. If i also like TV, and someone wants to look down their nose at me, so be it.
The Professor

[onager]

15. I am THIS pathetic!

Remember I'm in Egypt, where there isn't much to do if I'm not out gawking at historical sites etc. Unfortunately I don't have time to do that after work here.

But after hearing so much about that crap TV show To Catch A Predator, I finally sat thru a BUNCH of episodes. My mother is a big fan, though after finally seeing it, damned if I know why.

I don't know which appalled me the most: the rockhead stupidity of the suspects, the awful Bushlike smarminess of Chris Hansen, or the totally unjustified and often excessively brutal takedown tactics of the cops. In most cases, the cops just seemed to be acting out because they knew they were on TV.

There was one funny moment when I clearly saw a cop, with a drawn gun, pointing it at his own foot. Considering the lawsuits and negative articles about TCAP recently, maybe that was a visual metaphor.

In another scene, at least from my viewing angle, a cop seemed to be pointing his pistol directly at the head of the cop in front of him.

I did have a moment of grim humor, fantasizing about a stray bullet melting a new part thru Chris Hansen's plastic hairdo...

[TZ]

16. Yeah I've tried to watch that a time or two

but the awful stupidity of the suspects..usually I like to laugh at stupid crooks, but these guys are definitely sickos....

[Random_Australian]

17. Never been much into teevee. Suprised my friends at school when I didn't know who Britney Spears was

I found my thoughts in condensed form in an episode of AAaaaagh! It's the Mr. Hell show:

The presenter looks out at a magnificent view of the stars and galaxies. "This" he intones "is... The Universe".

The presenter turns to a small dot on a blank background. Pointing to it, he says "and this is Britney Spears. (He flicks it away) Hard to see what all the fuss is about, really."

And the show moves on.

What better attitude to celebreties can one have?

[moggie]

18. Leave Britney alone!

I do know who Britney Spears was (not sure who she is now), but I'm frequently puzzled by "news" reports which refer to celebrities, often by first name only, and I have no idea who they are. It's like there's a whole parallel world out there.

[lizerdbits]

19. NPR doesn't have as much of the celebrity crap

I came home early a little over a week ago due to being sick and couldn't believe the crap that's on TV news. I don't even know why I was watching it, must have been under control of whatever is clogging my sinuses.

I wish they had a la carte cable so I could get the 5-6 channels I want without all the crap. At some point the cost just won't be worth it, but I've been so depressed without the Daily Show and Colbert I'm not sure if I could scrap it. If I move this year I'll look into one of the dishes.