Growing up, we often watched television while sick. This means that, for me, the medium carries some unfavorable associations: watching television was something you did with a large, ominously empty plastic bowl next to you.
This deep-seated distaste has now festered into something rather formidable. Some would say I have blamed a disproportionate number of the world's ills on the unfortunate tube. I'm not convinced. Simultaneously stimulating and stupefying, television seems to me to border on the hypnotic, which should at least brand it as incredibly dangerous, if not downright deadly.Jerry Mander, in his book Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television, (which is sitting patiently on my bookshelf,) agrees. This cursory review from TurnOfYourTV.com is a worthwhile essay in its own right and touches on many of the more salient points of the issue.
Working on a trash-hauling job with my brother a few weeks ago, I was powerless to resist the urge to plunge a 2x4 through the blank screen of a doomed television monitor. Besides the sweet, momentary indulgence of the male thirst for destruction, it provided an outlet for my increasing frustration with this devilish device that has all but bewitched western humanity.
But rest assured: as of yet I still respect other people's property, so you needn't hide away your television if I'm coming to dinner. Only please do not invite me over for football or Peter Pan, as I may find it necessary to respectfully decline.
Image courtesy of drabbytux.com
5 comments:
Hmmmm...
I suppose smashing televisions could be rather enjoyable. Yet I fail to see how it can be at all satisfying to pass blame to a controllable medium.
While masses of folks excersize little control and "choose" to be become responders to their television set and the media it channels, the same can be said of any medium.
In my own experience we have been very comfortable with the Television as a device for education and family entertainment... although at one time we allowed the media industry to infiltrate our home, we eventually found that to be unfruitful and distracting. Most of the news and other items of interest are easily found on the internet...
At any rate, I'm glad you won't smash my TV and hope you would give the medium a chance sometime and give the blame to whome it is really due :). The media industry and the folks that submit to it.
Mander's premise in the book is that "the medium is not reformable." Not having read it yet, I'm not certain I take it this far, but at the same time I don't consider television to be just another amoral medium.
The computer was designed as a tool; television was designed as a toy. There is more of a difference between the two than is immediately apparent.
Of course, much of the discussion hinges upon one's philosophy of entertainment...
By those standards, I suppose the radio would be labeled a toy as well? I think we should remember that even broadcasting has it's virtues.
It also doesn't take long to see the thousands of educational films that have been being produced since VCRs where available that teach everything from arithmatic (sp?), especially geometry, to exploring new lands and creatures. And in many cases, more effectively than a book (another one-sided medium). Of course I like the computer much more, but I wouldn't be that quick to pass the television off as a toy... especially considering that it preceded the computer. Though it is a dying medium.
Mander sounds like an opinionated gent! As for entertainment... I find it to be a good family undulgence as much as dutch blitz... in the right and limited settings, but I suppose that's pretty much off-topic now... or was that truly the topic in the first place?
I should add that, yes, I consider it amoral. A TV remote is no more dangerous than a windows desktop... er, make that a Mac desktop...
Read the book review, as it helps to frame the issue. We're dealing with the pros and cons of different types of sensory input.
I am passionate about cultivating a spirit that is awake and aware,
and television just seems to get in the way. Welcome to Aaron's closet of quirks.
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