Re: my life
randy royal (randyr@mailhub.jaxnet.com)
Sat, 13 Sep 1997 17:56:57 +0000
you know i almost deleted this because my fav. tv. show was on.
> WILL HOCHMAN wrote:
>
> > Malcs, you bring up something very interesting to me. When I was an
> > undergraduate in the early seventies, it was uncool to watch tv. Having a
> > tv in your room was absurd but having a good stereo was a necessity, and
> > when you talked to someone you were attracted to, you talked music, books
> > and life, not about my so called life of tv watching.
> >
>
> Touche on the apt use of the phrase. I constantly find that the only people
> who complain about not having "a life," but instead reconcile themselves to
> having a "so-called life" are the ones who refuse to jeopardize the countless
> hours they spend with the television. I'm all for moderation when it comes to
> TV, sure, but most of the people I've talked to who watch TV watch a LOT of
> TV...TOO MUCH TV, and they end up having their lifestyle as a scaffold for
> their TV watching and not vice versa. Have you seen those incredibly crass new
> ads for ABC yet? "All we ask is eight hours of your day." "Scientists say we
> only use ten percent of our brains. That's too much." Next year they'll
> probably resort to "Only losers don't watch ABC." "Because who needs a life
> when you have ABC."
>
> > But here's the paradox. More than 20 years and several degrees later, I
> > now watch tv. Granted my viewing is focussed on news, sports, and movies
> > we rent but which my wife mostly chooses, but I do enjoy it and admit it.
> > I'm aware that Mr. Salinger had a dish and probably enjoys a tv screen as
> > well.
> >
>
> Well, yeah, that's to be expected from an agoraphobe.I fully understand
> Camille Paglia's justification for the inherent worth and validity of
> television because, quite frankly, it is the quickest way to keep on top of
> which way the zeitgeist is zigzagging this season, even if, at the same time,
> it can be horribly patronizing, hopelessly behind the avant garde and
> embarassingly written (eg, the coming out episode of Ellen Degeneres which I
> watched to see what all the fuss was about.) simply for the sake of the lowest
> common denominator of "ethics" "morals" and attention span in Bumfuck, Kansas
> (read: profit motive). I just don't see how anyone who has read Noam Chomsky,
> Shakespeare or Krishnamurti can have the time and patience for the emotional
> manipulation and enforcement of stereotypes (not to mention the
> trance-inducing lull of advertisements) of a medium that is increasingly
> mean-spirited and wallows in sarcasm as if it were an advanced form of wit.
>
> Take Seinfeld for example. Given: it's a revolutionary approach to a situation
> comedy, but the writers, which means the multigazillionaire Jerry himself,
> haven't got the guts to be truly revolutionary. Easiest way to ensure the
> continued popularity of the show? Simple. Have George be the one who has women
> flocking to him because of his sensitivity. Have Jerry be the one who women
> don't want to be caught dead with because of his aloof indifference to anyone
> but himself. Have Kramer not only get a decent job, but a talk show where he
> can milk his personality for all it's worth and make gazillions of dollars
> (just like in real life) and have Jerry's sarcastic schtick become so passe
> that his popularity plummets and he grovels to Kramer to have him on his talk
> show. And have Elaine quit going out with loser hockey players and meet a
> caring sensitive guy in a bookstore whom she notices is picking up a copy of
> Franny & Zooey.
>
> > I don't think we can dismiss tv as part of our reading lives though I'm
> > not at all sure how the conflict between reading and viewing is going to
> > be played out online or in my own life.
> >
>
> Three words. Decreased attention spans.
just joking! for all you who do not suffer (yet!) from the above,
how is instant information gratification on such a versatile media
like the internet any better the tv? i, for one have skipped going to
a site merely because of the wait time. personally i think this is
just another box that will dumb down our future. no malcom i haven't
heard the new slogans yet. and probably won't since i do not watch
tv too much. just the simpsons (if ever) or maybe looney tunes.
cya~ randy
> Malcolm
>
>
>