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8/7/08

What's Up with the No-TV People

So along the way now and then I come across someone who doesn't have a TV in their house. They don't own one. They proudly stand by the idea of keeping their lives simply without the horrible garbagey blare of TV blasting off their walls or something. They like their books. And their magazines. And their music. And their peace and quiet. Ok. I get it... sort of.

I do understand that TV is way all over me and probably unhealthy in the large doses that I take daily. It probably is making my brain slower. But no tv!? At all? Not even a little one in the kitchen or something? Whenever I talk to a 'no-tv' person I think back to the night Diana died. I remember I was sitting in a studio apartment being wowed by the early days of the internet. Getting my mind blown by AOL IM and Duke Nukem over dial-up etc. Then news broke on TV! Diana got mushed up in a car! Whoa!

I glued up to the TV and I immediately got on the phone and started calling around to people to wow out with them. And at the time I was friends with a No-TV chick and I called her up and told her the news. I gave her the play by play. There was video of the crunched Mercedes! Paparazzi chase! France! I could feel how badly she wanted a TV at that moment. She wanted more details. I could hear in her voice she was questioning her person philosophical stance. She wanted to see what was going on.

And that's what gets me about No-TV people. I understand wanting to control the level of TV in your house. But no TV at all? Not even after 9/11? And no way to even play a movie? What about a TV/DVD player only situation? Don't they wanna watch a movie now and then? At least?

And it is confusing as to what a No-TV lifestyle is really rooted in? Being brainally allergic to video? A conversation piece sacrifice? Controlling a potential addiction? The need for certain sanctuary? A technological/entertainment snobbery? Is it about them? Or us? Or both? I dunno-- but sometimes after talking to No TV people I feel like an idiot for having one and watching it.

I dunno. I'm far from a No-TV kind of lifestyle fortunately and unfortunately-- but there is a side of me that is jealous of no-tv people. Slightly. A glimmer there of it being the right way. Maybe I wouldn't miss TV? Maybe I'd smarten up? I'd definitely read more books. And get more stuff done.

But WTF! I'd be constantly distracted by the 'what happens if something's happening happens!?'

ok bye!
tOdd

36 Comments:

Blogger Adam said...

Reminds me of this bit from The Onion

8/07/2008 4:08 PM  
Anonymous Chey said...

Personally I like having a TV, but nowadays it's not too tough to not have a TV. Almost all computers now have DVD players in them, and if there's a majour news thing happening, all the News websites will have coverage. I think that's why having no TV isn't really a big deal anymore.

8/07/2008 4:08 PM  
Blogger zedek said...

I don't have a T.V. I don't miss it. I've got other things to do, like sit in front of my computer monitor.

8/07/2008 4:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

TV sucks. Why bother? If I need to know anything it's on the Intertubes.

8/07/2008 4:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Years ago, I used to not have a TV. My reasons went kind of like this:

1) Didn't want to spend the money to buy one,
2) Enjoyed reading and listening to music at home just fine,
3) Had friends with TVs that I could go over and watch in a pinch, and
4) Just went to the movies when I wanted to see films.

In the years since then, I've acquired a large flat screen LCD TV for the living room along with a nice sound system, mostly for movie watching. I can't stand the theater-going experience anymore.

But in a nod to my TV-less days, I still refuse to get cable. Instead, I pull whatever digital stations I can off the air with rabbit ears and find contentment with "Two and a Half Men" reruns.

8/07/2008 4:38 PM  
Anonymous weeze said...

I wouldnt mind people without TVs but they act like stuck up about it

8/07/2008 4:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I never understood the no music people. Or the people who only listen to music in their cars, but nowhere else.

8/07/2008 5:15 PM  
Anonymous becky in tejas said...

We've got the huge DLP (DLP rocks), but we only watch sports, movies, and futurama (futurama really rocks!) on it. Someone asked me what was my favorite tv show the other day. The only tv show I could think of was futurama. Does network tv still exist?

8/07/2008 5:20 PM  
Anonymous Amy said...

What about the people with NO BOOKS IN THEIR HOUSE!!!! Those are the most strange to me!

8/07/2008 5:22 PM  
Anonymous Reggie said...

I want a wall of TVs like rich people have

8/07/2008 6:21 PM  
Anonymous Alex said...

Im bored play this

http://youcharades.com/

8/07/2008 6:37 PM  
Anonymous Tyler Durden said...

Personally I think we would all be better off if we didn't have televisions. Over the past few years especially I think the mind control aspects of opinion and social norms have been growing with alarming speed. Also there is too much pornography on the internet and this is damaging society.

8/07/2008 8:15 PM  
Blogger LibrariAnon said...

The night Diana died, my family as camping. With a TV, so we saw it. We are NOT no TV people.

8/07/2008 8:40 PM  
Anonymous Vegas Dad said...

Those folks probably drive their horse and buggy to work....and wear dresses with little flower patterns on them.

8/07/2008 9:11 PM  
Blogger catsnjags said...

i still can't believe that I have friends who don't have cable or satellite... but NO TV?? WTF??

The no TV people must be the one's who buy into the 9/11 conspiracy theories.

8/07/2008 9:29 PM  
Anonymous MsM said...

I have a TV. I turn it on when there is a storm warning to watch the live radar. I also have cable. For the internet. If I am really bored, I watch CNN Headline news until it loops. I had to be in the hospital ER waiting room for 5 hours yesterday. I could not believe how REALLY STUPID some of the shows were. A dog training reality show?

8/07/2008 10:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does it count if you have a tv that's only hooked up to a dvd player and playstation 2? :-) I used to be a tv person. I grew up in a tv household, every night from 7-10 pm I'd do my homework while watching "must see tv Thursday" or whatever was on. My boyfriend wasn't a tv person though and he's the one that got me off of it. Now I have more time for my projects, novels ectera. As for news, honestly 911 kinda helped me get off of tv watching. After about 40 minutes of it I was tired of hearing people panic. Now I hate reality tv and I hate the the way the news wants everyone to live in fear and panic.

8/07/2008 10:48 PM  
Anonymous Neil said...

That's me, too. No TV. I can watch a DVD, but actually I hardly ever do.

I used to watch a lot of TV, but I stopped watching so much, and then my sister came over, and she said "Your TV is broken". I hadn't noticed. I checked it out, and it didn't work any more. So I canceled my cable.

Now, if something really good is on TV, then maybe I'll watch on youtube. Like this one: The Front Fell Off"

Someone gave me a DVD with a whole season of "Weeds". Actually, I only watched a couple of episodes, then I forgot to watch the rest. It's a good show, but I don't have the attention span for TV any more.

8/08/2008 12:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually, Todd, you'd be amazed at how quickly you can forget all about TV. I'm super-addicted to TV when I'm ensonced in my everyday, go-to-work-go-to-gym-come-home-switch-off-brain mode, but the house we go to for holidays doesn't have TV or an internet connection. I always think I'm going to go nuts, but I never do. In fact, once you're forced out of that mindset, your experience of life completely changes. Of course, as soon as I get back home and go back to work, it's back to Diff'rent Strokes reruns and Supernanny. Whaddya gonna do.

8/08/2008 3:38 AM  
Anonymous Josh said...

I have a TV but I just recently canceled my cable except for like 5 channels. I think not having a tv would be easier these days with most of the shows I watch being put on Hulu.com or other websites... Plus I spend most of my time dicking around the internet.

8/08/2008 7:41 AM  
Anonymous illbill said...

I'm sorry, did somebody say something?? I was watching TV.

8/08/2008 7:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There are many studies showing television to be the primary cause of unreasonable anxiety and anger. For instance, folks who are frightened by terrorism have all "learned" their fear from what television has "told them." The folks who do not fear terrorism ... well, not one of them owns a T.V., according to a recent gallop poll. Similarly, according to a survey conducted at Harvard University, only 2% of people who denied television in their lives are afraid for the economy whilst a whopping 96% of television viewers could claim the same. Further, this study also recorded ange3r levels given a variety of topics and the folks without a television consistently reacted with socially acceptable emotional responses as opposed to the television viewers.

Bottom line: If you watch T.V. ... you are what's wrong with America.

8/08/2008 7:57 AM  
Anonymous Bee Bub said...

Well I guess ignorance is bliss, Anonymous.

Snobbery, pure and simple. Like anything else TV can be taken in moderation. Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to turn it on.

8/08/2008 10:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HOW ABOUT GOING OUTSIDE AND TAKING SOME PICTURES

8/08/2008 12:27 PM  
Anonymous moralcompAss said...

I agree with Tyler. Maybe we should start a club - or something.

TV, the computer, Internet, and any technology can be blamed for the downfall of civilization, societies, and morals. It's definitely not arrogant, narrow-minded, self-righteous people who believe the only way others should live is how they do.

8/08/2008 1:58 PM  
Blogger antinoun said...

I am so addictied I watch tv on the internet while reading blogs at work! I think they are3 going to fire me soon.

8/08/2008 2:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If they are really no-tv people then they wouldn't have a computer of anykind or an ISP. Since nowadayze it is considered a programmable TV. So throw that in their face.

8/08/2008 3:52 PM  
Blogger AidelMaidel said...

I don't have a TV for religious reasons, but even prior to being religious I had given up TV.

Why? Because it's like a drug. If I'm in a bar or airport and there's a TV on, I become a drooling idiot. I could easily go without sleep and watch TV instead.

I get all my news and information via the internet, I have a clock radio that wakes me in the morning, and most of all I have *time* because I do not have to get home to watch _______. I have *relationships* with people because I spend time with them instead of in front of a television.

Honestly, can you tell me your life is enhanced in any way by the majority of television programming? Let's leave out CSpan, Discovery, National Geographic, and the history channel - all of which have at least some educational value. Okay, through in PBS as well.

That leaves the majority of your 1000 channels is just turning your brain to mush.

I gave it up because it wasn't helping me in anyway.

8/08/2008 4:04 PM  
Anonymous TEAL said...

Maybe they should have a spelling channel. ** "through" instead of "throw" ** Too funny.

8/08/2008 5:46 PM  
Anonymous MsM said...

The internet has Dictionary.com.
I am not anti TV, I think I am TV apathetic. I don't care if I have TV or not. Like someone said, you can get some of the shows, (I like "Bones") on the internet. But I also have a part time job selling things on the internet, and I also like read books, listen to music, do crafts and go places. I don't have time to sit in front of the TV. When I do, I get restless.

8/08/2008 9:19 PM  
Blogger Refflection said...

Hmm interesting thoughts. Let's put it this way. TV is incredibly addictive because everything about it causes your brain to release endorphins. And thus it is incredibly addictive to everyone. So no-TV people are those that just don't want to be tempted, just like not having any junk food in your house. Simple, really. I have one, but I just watch a movie once a day or so. I've had to break a habit of watching movies for several hours a day, thankfully it became easy when my baby became a toddler and needed more entertainment. I'm thinking about getting rid of it, though. I have a computer for everything I need, really.

Applause for no-TV folks :)

8/09/2008 12:36 AM  
Anonymous God said...

When Armageddon comes your TV won't work anyway. The devastation will not be televised.

8/09/2008 10:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Diana was a stinking whore !

8/09/2008 10:14 AM  
Blogger steadof said...

I unplugged my TV and TiVo during the writers strike in January (and started my blog about that experience). I realized I'm a TV-holic--can't even have it in the house without scarfing even bad reality reruns marathons. I still love some shows, so I'll watch on Hulu, etc--easier to regulate myself when I'm seeking, not surfing channels and getting caught up in a Dog Whisperer marathon (which is not a half bad show, but I don't even have a dog). I'm even discovering creative people who are putting out their own shows online (kinda like you, tOdd) and have started writing about them. Unfortunately, it's also easy to procrastinate surfing the internet. Win some, lose some.

8/09/2008 7:51 PM  
Anonymous GQflyboy said...

I don't own a TV because I hate commercials. Every 5 minutes it's telling me to ask my Doctor about some pill, or send a text to some random number to get a ring tone for 9.99.

It just seems so feeble to me.

8/10/2008 2:16 PM  
Anonymous cat said...

well, this month is one year without a television for me. dang, i DO NOT miss it AT ALL! i'm calmer, sleep better and my senses are heightened, no kidding! i never heard the birds chirping outside my window over the blare of the television.

just think how overstimulated poor roscoe must be? so, i challenge you to come to the dark-side and go tv-less for one week!

8/25/2008 1:50 PM  

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