Television--is that still on?

[urbpan]

I'm probably not the only person to notice this on a blog, but I haven't read a discussion yet. Is it not somewhat ironic that at the same time that television broadcasts are going to be digital, and huge and high-def screens are becoming almost mandatory if not commonplace, that a majority of the programming is "reality" shows? Are "The Biggest Loser" and "Dancing with the Stars" and "Top Gear" all that much better in a crisp giant picture in your home theater?

For my part, I haven't had pay television in almost a decade, and the only channel that came in well enough and had something (cartoons) I wanted to watch was Fox, and our local affiliate already made the switch. So I've basically stopped watching tv. And when I do catch a few minutes of a broadcast at a bar or someone's house, I'm amazed at how brash and irritating I find it. I'm turning into one of those snobs who pour cold water on every pop culture conversation by looking down my nose saying "I don't watch television" in the same tone as if I said "I don't eat dog feces."

But I can't look down on "Flavor of Love" viewers because I use the television machine to watch the worst Sci-Fi movies ever made, and to play a video game where I pretend to be Keith Moon.

Comments

[joejack.livejournal.com]

I am the same way, but there is a public TY station that can be picked up from here via antenna called the Knowledge Network that has a lot of really good documentaries and environmental awareness programs, other stuff relating to British Columbia. It's a pretty good thing. If more media was publicly funded and operated outside of commercial interests I think it would do great things for society.

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

haha, I could have wrote that sentence about becoming a I-don't-watch-television snob. I don't feel bad about it though; it's a load of shrill rubbish. I don't see the point in HD TVs either, but then again I'm a weirdo who doesn't particularly care for films. I mean, I like crappy horror and sci-fi and anime, but I rarely watch even that. I had no telly for six years in my last flat, and now in the current place I get two channels. I hope the advent of digital makes those two go away.

You have Top Gear? Is it English Top Gear? That Clarkson is an all-pervasive creep.

[stonelizard.livejournal.com]

Although I still love movies, and particular tv series, mostly off the air, I also find TV to be a terrible bore these days, almost a waste of time. We tried paid TV and gave it up after a couple of months as we turned the tv on perhaps five times during that time! There is just too much to do.

Although I think I have found a reason for paying for tv again - it is the lifestyle channel here i Oz and it often has many, many gardening programs one after the other, after the other.... :)

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

At the moment I'm watching my favourite show (So You Think You Can Dance) on the tiny old CRT in the bedroom. We get shocking reception of Channel 10 (the channel the show is on) to our huge fandangled LCD, digital TV, and with digital, when the reception goes it's unwatchable (or just non-existent). At least with analogue TV you'd just get a bit of snow, often if the reception was just a little bit off it was still watchable at least.

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

I don't really watch TV - only cable (National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet and Travel & Living). The local channels tend to make my brains melt (in a bad bad way) as they cater to the lowest denominator. :P

[propaddict.livejournal.com]

If the significant other didn't have a serious TV addiction, I wouldn't have cable. Doubly so now that Hulu.com has virtually everything on it.

Even so, I can't remember the last time I watched a TV show. And I think my life might even be enriched by that fact.

[drhoz.livejournal.com]

You have Biggest Loser over there? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You poor, poor bastard

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

They had to conduct a very difficult search to find enough overweight Americans, but yes we have it.

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

You just need to keep better company. The good thing about bad TV is that there are others of us who also don't watch it. After a while you'll get so used to others sharing your opinion that your tone of voice will change to something closer to, "I don't knit," or, "I don't spend summers in Montreal."

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

A couple of reasons -

As much as the networks love reality shows (the profit margins are gigantic), they're not yet drowning out the rest of the programming. There's still a lot of glossy high-budget product out there. It's not just The Bachelor and Wife Swap and American Idol but also 24 and Heroes and Medium.

Two: those are just broadcast networks. Cable networks are mostly not into reality programming at all. Bravo has Top Chef, I guess. As long as HBO keeps generating things like The Wire and The Sopranos, there's going to stuff coming to the TV that really does benefit from a home theater.

Three: I doubt that TV programming is what's driving the demand for bigger and better screens in the first place. That's got to be all DVD and video games. 50" LCD TVs presently run about $1500; would you rather buy one for $500 if you couldn't watch TV on it -- if it only worked with a DVD player? I would in a heartbeat.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I would love to get a big screen without a receiver in it. I think that's the least expensive part, though.

Shows that I actually like, such as HEROES or BSG, I'll watch online or on DVD.

[janetmk.livejournal.com]

I've never had cable and didn't watch TV for years--the last time I had turned on my 1985 portable TV was for 9/11--until I bought a small, inexpensive digital TV from Amazon in Fall 2007. It has a built-in DVD player.

I know it's a terrible cliche but I really do only watch public TV broadcasts. I can't stand the unrelenting commercials on commercial TV and I have zilch interest in reality shows and sports. I usually watch one or two hours a day. I'm home during the day when the previous evening's shows are repeated.

Our main PBS station has 4 digital subchannels. I've enjoyed many nature, science, and history programs. My guilty pleasure is America's Text Kitchen on the Create subchannel--even though my cooking skills are minimal.

[brush-rat.livejournal.com]

Fine. I'll just watch Castle without you.

But, by and large, yep.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Cap'n Tightpants in a show without spaceships or superpowers? Is it a remake of TJ Hooker?

My theory is that anything worth watching will show up on DVD eventually. Some day I may even watch LOST.

[wandererrob.livejournal.com]

*blank stare*

Did you really just lump Top Gear in with The Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars.

I don't think I'm allowed to play with you anymore.


sorry, I have a thing for hot cars and random vehicle-related silliness. Come on, skeet shooting with cars is great! OK, maybe not everyone finds that amusing.

Hertz donut

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Yes I did, although to be honest it was a dig at a buddy of mine. All three shows were recently mentioned in friends' facebook status updates. If I was just out to get sacred cows, I would have lumped in Mythbusters.

[urimancy.livejournal.com]

You know, I've been defending this as the "golden age" of television for a while, proclaiming modern televised series superior in many ways to films, and just being in love with the quality & choice available on TV in general. But that really does seem to be ending now, even for me. Nearly all of my favorite shows are retired (or retiring, or need to be retiring), and there doesn't seem to be anything all that great popping up to replace them. But then again, I've felt that way before, and been proven wrong.

Anyway, we don't pay for TV anymore either: digital antenna, Netflix, and downloadin' all the way. No wonder it's dying?

[shellasaurusrex.livejournal.com]

i own a television but attached to it is my dvd player for movies, dvd and vhs. I don't have cable and I guess because of my age people look at me like I have 8 eyes when I say that. I have no desire to watch tv and any of the few shows that interest me into watching them can be found online. TV went down the shitter and never came back. I miss the tv of my childhood.

[weofodthignen]

I've been saying that for years. I used to watch Trek, and I used to be quite a news junkie--especially NY1. But then 9/11 happened and I turned it off, and now it's a major annoyance to encounter a playing TV, and I've considered unfriending people who constantly post about it. I'd much rather they post about the movies I will never see and the books I will never read.

What I do instead is read and write online . . . and for the first time in my life I can sometimes find time to write. There's lots more writing--and gardening and other things--I could be doing if I had more time, but not if I have to care about what's happening on some TV show or who that twit is that my friends keep referring to.

I suppose I can see how some people are fleeing to TV--and movies--in this awful era. It's like in the first Depression, when they listened to the radio and went to the movies. But while we still have the internet and publishing, I'd rather use them.

M
who really is an anti-television whackaloon these days

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

I rarely watch reality shows...ok scratch that, I watch like "Animal Cops", "Jockeys", "Whale Wars", etc. if those count, but I'm also learning a lot when I watch them...they could be "educational" on some level...I don't normally watch the "trashy" contest ones, although my friend makes me watch "American Idol" sometimes, but I don't choose to watch it...
I do love having a high def tv and watching movies, tv and video games in high def is AMAZING...

[jmmek1.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

The first rule of Top Gear is: you do NOT make fun of Top Gear.

I just had to take the bait on that one.

[elainetyger.livejournal.com]

Better on the HD:
1. baseball, tennis, figure skating... any sport. I guess the challenges on Survivor would look better there, but we only have HD by the treadmill in the basement and not in the living room.
2. wonders of nature and engineering. I am totally in love with the HD Theatre channel. I can live without all the car shows on it, but love watching how they repaired the Bay Bridge or one of the many shows that just have animals running/flying around. I like watch HD Theature Channel with the sound off and listen to the Howard Stern Show while I'm on the treadmill.

Bad on HD:
News shows. Every friggin zit and makeup crease is evident on the anchors. You can almost make out the scars from the plastic surgery.

[corivax.livejournal.com]

I think Top Gear would be better, anyway. They have the BBC's trademark high-saturation, arty camera work. I can't believe the number of times my partner has been watching Top Gear and I've commented on how pretty it is.

I bet Planet Earth and Blue Planet would be pretty awesome, too.