TELEVISION POLL

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Also, what the hell else are most people gonna do? They seem happy working for 8 hours a day, going home, watching tv, fucking their partner and going to bed.

If its what they like to do, why bitch about them doing it? Some people are infophilic and interested in interactive processes where information passes between them and other people... some people like to watch The View. Both groups of people are gonna die, most of them never making a major impact on the world around them.

Like what you like, Enjoy what you enjoy... for fucks sake, don't bemoan how other people choose to waste their time because its different than how you choose to waste yours.

[LMNO]

"I read books.  It's like TV, but a lot slower, and without pictures!"
  \

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

StD,
only reads books with pictures.

StD,
only looks a the pictures.

[Thurnez Isa]

This questions should really be how often do you watch per week...
then I could answer it

[Jenne]

Also, what the hell else are most people gonna do? They seem happy working for 8 hours a day, going home, watching tv, fucking their partner and going to bed.

If its what they like to do, why bitch about them doing it? Some people are infophilic and interested in interactive processes where information passes between them and other people... some people like to watch The View. Both groups of people are gonna die, most of them never making a major impact on the world around them.

Like what you like, Enjoy what you enjoy... for fucks sake, don't bemoan how other people choose to waste their time because its different than how you choose to waste yours.

Well put, Rata!  I think anyone can choose any way to fuck around and release  (or at least LOOSEN) the shit that piles into your soul day after day.  What works is what works.  Anything can be done to excess. 

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Well put, Rata!  I think anyone can choose any way to fuck around and release  (or at least LOOSEN) the shit that piles into your soul day after day.  What works is what works.  Anything can be done to excess. 

The Guns and Dope party line FTW

GUNS AND DOPE PARTY POSITION PAPER #23

Little Tony was sitting on a park bench munching on one candy bar after another.

After the 6th candy bar, a man on the bench across from him said, "Son, you know eating all that candy isn't good for you. It will give you acne, rot your teeth, and make you fat."

Little Tony replied, "My grandfather lived to be 107 years old."

The man asked, "Did your grandfather eat 6 candy bars at a time?"

Little Tony answered, "No, he minded his own fucking business."

[Jenne]

Well put, Rata!  I think anyone can choose any way to fuck around and release  (or at least LOOSEN) the shit that piles into your soul day after day.  What works is what works.  Anything can be done to excess.  

The Guns and Dope party line FTW

GUNS AND DOPE PARTY POSITION PAPER #23

Little Tony was sitting on a park bench munching on one candy bar after another.

After the 6th candy bar, a man on the bench across from him said, "Son, you know eating all that candy isn't good for you. It will give you acne, rot your teeth, and make you fat."

Little Tony replied, "My grandfather lived to be 107 years old."

The man asked, "Did your grandfather eat 6 candy bars at a time?"

Little Tony answered, "No, he minded his own fucking business."

I do like the notion of not being satisfied with a dumb-n-numb populace, but really, when is that EVER going to change.  In my great-grandmother's time, they all took off work to go and grab a picnic lunch to go watch the public hangings by the river.

Was that any better?

I don't think so.

So I dunno, perhaps because I was raised partially by TV, I don't find it that deleterious, and we try to get either pure entertainment out of what we do focus on with TV, or pure education (my husband's a documentary--any subject--junkie).

[Z³]

I watch maybe six hours a week.
I watch House, Jeopardy, and lots of public tv (I dont have cable).

Although to tell you the truth, I hardly recognize the difference between one glowing box and the other... I mean, I prefer the internet, but you can mindlessly saturate your brain with complete nonsense that way too. Its nothing to be pretentious about.

I do watch a lot of movies though. I have a pretty good collection.

[Z³]

That being said the smug sense of unwarranted self importance some people get from saying "I don't watch tv" has become so irritating that its almost embarrassing to say anything similar.

Really? How is not watching TV something people can be smug about?

It's not.  

Especially if they log multiple hours on-line.  (not related to work of course)  Screen time is screen time.  
It would be like a vegetarian screaming at a meat-eater while wearing a leather jacket.  

I don't think not watching TV is anything to brag about, but I wouldn't equate it with being on a computer either. Granted, there's a fuckton of useless vapid time-wasting crap you can do on a computer, but there's a lot of things you can do to improve yourself as a person or improve the lives of other people (like making WOW porn for snobby non-TV watchers to jerk off to). Computers are kind of a two way street, TV is one way and it's not even like you can use your imagination like with radio. It doesn't encourage thinking or problem solving and it seems to be a detriment to that sort of thing when you go overboard.

Good point.  So maybe it isn't a 1-to-1 ratio, it depends on who is using it.  Though, TV too can offer things that are at least somewhat educational.  Both the History Channel and the Science Channel have some pretty good programing on space and astrophysics. 

In the end, a lot of people like some escapism now and again.  Perhaps the problem isn't really the medium of escapism, it is more of the frequency and depth of the escapism that is an issue.  Too much leads to less thinking and machinating in reality, regardless of how it is delivered. 

This post correctly engages the motorcycle.
:gloves:

[trippinprincezz13]

The TV tends to be on a lot of the time we're home, mostly because I don't like silence and prefer a background noise. Usually, I'm doing something else - cleaning, cooking, needlepoint, reading, etc. Something to keep me occupied. But there are some series I like to watch - Sons of Anarchy, Always Sunny, Fringe & Breaking Bad. I can't stand a lot of what's on TV, but I do like watching Discovery, History & Court TV - though not as much Court TV since I like their forensic/investigation shows, but half the line-up now is all different Cops spinoffs and other "reality" shows.

Eh, I like TV, but I try to keep myself from mindlessly zoning out in front of it too much.

[LMNO]

I think it might also have something to do with how you watch TV.  I mean, I usually take "normal" programming as combat: What are these fuckers trying to sell me and why?  Or, I look to see how the dramas are trying to manipulate me (TV Tropes has been oh so helpful)... Or I see the target audience of these shows, and I charge my inner Rage Battery............


There are a lot of ways to watch TV; passivity doesn't have to be your default.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

If there's something I am interested in watching, I'll download it but there hasn't been much in a while. I can't stand advertising and how it breaks up the shows. You really notice them when you haven't been exposed to them in a while.

That being said the smug sense of unwarranted self importance some people get from saying "I don't watch tv" has become so irritating that its almost embarrassing to say anything similar.

So fucking what?  I don't watch that fucking thing, and I'm not bothered to say so.  Does that make me smug?  If so, I don't give a fuck.

You don't make a holier then thou condescending point of it though, that's the difference.

Oh, yeah, I get what you mean.

[The Johnny]

This questions should really be how often do you watch per week...
then I could answer it

Week total divided by 7 

[Fredfredly ⊂(◉‿◉)つ]

i probably watch the most teevee on this board AND IM OK WITH THAT 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

i probably watch the most teevee on this board AND IM OK WITH THAT 

FACT:  Fred hasn't left her dorm room since 2005.