tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post111463609905007378..comments2024-03-21T03:35:20.539-04:00Comments on writing as jo(e): Yes, I am one of those people who thinks television is eviljo(e)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114771025373196792005-04-29T06:37:00.000-04:002005-04-29T06:37:00.000-04:00See, if I don't put the television in the living r...See, if I don't put the television in the living room, I have to put it in a bedroom because we don't have any other rooms. The downstairs of our house is basically one big room, living room and kitchen combined, and we have bedrooms upstairs. I have a small office off the living area, but it can't go there. So that's how it ends up stuck in a closet or the garage.jo(e)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114746338587980252005-04-28T23:45:00.000-04:002005-04-28T23:45:00.000-04:00When we first moved to this house we had to furnis...When we first moved to this house we had to furnish the whole thing, having had so few belongings as nomad grad. students. We bought a TV, but the box was really unwieldy and I was hugely pregnant. So we asked our neighbor to help Joerg move it into the house. He and Joerg set it down and our neighbor announced, "There! Now you have a TV!" <BR/>"Yes," I replied. "I guess that's about all we need for this kid, right?"<BR/><BR/>Obviously, I was joking. But he's looked at me a bit askance ever since.Moreenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10681083490424789027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114734258892716262005-04-28T20:24:00.000-04:002005-04-28T20:24:00.000-04:00Okay we have never had a tv in the living room. It...Okay we have never had a tv in the living room. It's always been upstairs or downstairs in a family room or den. You have to go to watch it. Still we watch too much tv. However, never will there be any tv in any bedroom. Same reason there is no computer in the bedroom. I think it's distracting from private time and space to think, oh and yeah sleep.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114717274150326222005-04-28T15:41:00.000-04:002005-04-28T15:41:00.000-04:00Dr. M, you're my hero. TV as Other. Wonderful!Dr. M, you're my hero. TV as Other. Wonderful!Phantom Scribblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03258384756183844406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114711698635454432005-04-28T14:08:00.000-04:002005-04-28T14:08:00.000-04:00I am a product of some sort of TV generation. It ...I am a product of some sort of TV generation. It was all I did for many years as a youngin' only because my parents didn;t see the worth in me lighting everything in sight on fire.<BR/><BR/>However, college broke my TV habit. work, work, work. <BR/><BR/>I watch Tv now though, mostly because work makes me want to enter a vegiative state, where I am bombarded with cliche, predictability and bad puns, so as to avoid having to think for a while. <BR/><BR/>It's like a self induced pseudo-coma.. what could possibly be better?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114708706239009292005-04-28T13:18:00.000-04:002005-04-28T13:18:00.000-04:00Dr. K, you call me "Sweets" ever again, and I will...Dr. K, you call me "Sweets" ever again, and I will just have to slap you.<BR/><BR/>(Now, see ...<I>that</I> was snarky.)jo(e)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114705713671866992005-04-28T12:28:00.000-04:002005-04-28T12:28:00.000-04:00Dr. K's comments reminded me of the "aha/duh" I ha...Dr. K's comments reminded me of the "aha/duh" I had when I realized that really, the goal of a television program is to deliver the viewer to the advertiser.<BR/><BR/>I agree that movies are different in the level of engagement and also the required attention span. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.<BR/><BR/>We just moved our TV/entertainment center down to the basement. We have to make a point of going down there to watch--it's not the family hangout place. (Plus my husband gets to watch his movies LOUD without disturbing little she-who-is.)<BR/><BR/>TV in the bedroom. No, no, never.reverendmotherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07457532866087494676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114697788319869402005-04-28T10:16:00.000-04:002005-04-28T10:16:00.000-04:00Our kids cannot watch TV during the week, ever. T...Our kids cannot watch TV during the week, ever. The way I see it is if the homework is done, they can read for entertainment. Or practice an instrument. Or practice spoken French for an upcoming competition. Or play a game with us, like Boggle, because it can acccommodate both the L.D. kid and the non-L.D. kid. On the weekend, they get 1 hour per day each. Seems like a lot to me, but what do I know? My sisters and I sat in front of the TV as much as we could.<BR/>I don't think it's evil, I just don't think it's productive, and I will NOT have it in my living room!<BR/>I definitely don't think it's furniture!Yankee, Transferredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06627693160131161133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114687963580230712005-04-28T07:32:00.000-04:002005-04-28T07:32:00.000-04:00Dr. M: I loved your analysis. See, the topic of ...Dr. M: I loved your analysis. See, the topic of television just does not inspire poetic imagery. Further proof that television is evil. <BR/><BR/>PPB: I think we grew up in the same household! We had soda once a week, only on Fridays. We never called it pop, though. OH, and keeping my kids from computer games? That is a whole other battle.<BR/><BR/>K: I am <I>never</I> snarky. What are you talking about?jo(e)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114656139710813662005-04-27T22:42:00.000-04:002005-04-27T22:42:00.000-04:00fantastic post. The part about the way your furni...fantastic post. The part about the way your furniture's arranged, that's got me by the frontal lobe. We have a piano and a huge tasmanian blackwood table kind of poked into corners in small rooms - how much better would it be to hide the telly & put these sociable things in the big open space?lucy tartanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09244574932248425378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114655971368663992005-04-27T22:39:00.000-04:002005-04-27T22:39:00.000-04:00Amen, sister!We ditched television about 8 years a...Amen, sister!<BR/>We ditched television about 8 years ago as a cost-saving measure when we needed to move to a more expensive flat. We have a VCR/DVD player, but the kids can only watch on the weekends, and only one movie/day. And I still feel like that's too much.Psycho Kittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05633634991906191853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114653003620084882005-04-27T21:50:00.000-04:002005-04-27T21:50:00.000-04:00The two kids still at home don't have much time fo...The two kids still at home don't have much time for TV anymore, because they are both into reading and practicing their instruments. I can't believe how lucky I am! I get to listen to the piano and clarinet instead of what used to be the background music of my life: Spongebob Squarepants. I loathe Spongebob Squarepants.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08235049965406944684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114642990700849092005-04-27T19:03:00.000-04:002005-04-27T19:03:00.000-04:00Dr. M, ROTFL! That's masterful.Dr. M, ROTFL! That's masterful.Pilgrim/Heretichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08588407758172717893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1114640107720033512005-04-27T18:15:00.000-04:002005-04-27T18:15:00.000-04:00First, jo(e), congratulations for hitting 15,000 h...First, jo(e), congratulations for hitting 15,000 hits! You're a media starlet.<BR/><BR/>Wow, this post is sort of unique for you, short of descriptive phrases and poetic imagery. I'd place it in the genre of apologia.<BR/><BR/>I'd like to encourage a little rhetorical criticism of this piece. Perhaps others can find themes, tropes, alegories, and other hidden meanings.<BR/><BR/>I'll start with a familiar theme that people who have televisions and watch the news know well: the positioning of oneself in relation to something described as "evil." First, there's tradition: you grew up without one, thus, TV is posited as Other. Then, there is the metaphor of a habit needed to be kicked (enthymematically, this conjurs a "dirty habit" like smoking). Then, there's the medical pathology metaphor, conjurred by describing TV watching as a vaccination. Then, there's the dirtiest secret of them all, the queerness of the television, conjurred by the fact that you "kept it in the closet." Then, there's the distancing from the contradiction that you like to watch movies on the TV. A movie on the TV is not a film. It used to be on film, but was converted to a format that can play on TV. The fact that the difference is "in your mind" does not necessarily resolve this ontological contradiction (buyt, hey, this is apologia, so your rationalizations are just fine). Then, TV watching is described like an evil person, as something that creeps. Then, the pillowcase moment just reminds me too much of those weird pop-psychology rebirthing events. Then, there's the overt aggression and violence of the constant dropping. What's up; is your set made out of butter? Then, there is the silencing of the TV--hegemon of pop culture. Then, oddly, TV is dismissed carte blanche as a waste of time, while we are given examples of things that are not a waste of time like: duct taping things to ceiling fans, throwing metal objects at each other, and putting margarine on things (OK, so that's why the TV is so slippery!). <BR/><BR/>This is the point in the tirade that I remind everyone that I adore jo(e), and that I mark my tone in the above as cheeky and ironic. Regardless, I think it is a good exercise to analyze the posts of those who write so many things worthy of that exercise.Michael LeVanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16984885131387135660noreply@blogger.com