The Idiot Box

There are some things I am really passionate about. I don't like when people attack those things. So when I read Julia's latest post, there was a catalyst that kinda worked me up into a huff.
Rant ahead

As someone who happens to seriously enjoy television, even bad television (you have to have something to make fun of), I obviously get kind of annoyed at people who write things on profiles like “favorite TV shows: TURN OFF YOUR TV. GO OUTSIDE.” And the like. I read books, I cook, I played music, I go to concerts, I am an avid runner, and now I write. AND I ALSO LIKE TO WATCH TV. Sometimes I fail to see how talking about the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby is any more stimulating than debating what the fuck the smoke monster is. When Julia posted that someone criticized her for building a friendship based on a shared experience of watching a television show, I got very defensive. Hey buddy, she’s my friend too. A damn good one at that.

Obviously there is good television and bad television. And the bad far outnumbers the good. But is there any form of expression where this isn’t true? For every To Kill a Mockingbird, I’m pretty sure there are about 10 Goosebumps books. For every Lawrence of Arabia there’s Bad Boys. And Bad Boys 2. But watching television, becoming invested and involved in it, can be just as much an experience as reading a book, going to a concert, or working with someone on a volunteer project. And that’s how we can relate to people. Shared experience.

And then I got to thinking. Of all the tv I watch, those most important to me are tied quite closely to social interaction.

So I clearly elaborated this point on two of my top five television moments in an earlier post, but even the other three strongly reflect on my social history: the number of sleepovers I went to where we watched mst3k and later, the movie nights where we watched the movie, are too numerous. The witty repartee is best shared, and then later quoted, with friends. Arrested Development did eventually land a spot in my viewing habits, when my suitemate and I found ourselves with an abundance of free time in spring break, and Seinfeld was one way that I spent time with my mother when I was stranded out in the middle of Santa Maria, miles away from home and friends.

Some of my earliest memories of playing at my friend Josh’s house involve fighting with x-men action figures until 5:00 when we would run, and I mean run, into the other room and turn on Mighty, Morphing Power Rangers.

The X-Files was the first intricate and involved series that I got into. And I spent countless hours thinking about and later debating each plot thread with friends. The intarwebz were all abuzz with conspiracy theory after theory. It was Lost before Oceanic Flight 815 existed.

And finally, I think by having something routine, a weekly event, it helps promote bringing people together. “Oh it’s almost 9:00, let’s go across the hall,” as an instigator to socially congregate. Then when the show is over, guess what? We’re still hanging out. Without anything necessarily holding our gaze. Just being social with friends. No, we’re not going out to sit in a coffee shop; who wants to go outside when it’s 4 degrees outside? We’ll have the exact same conversations.

In conclusion, I like tv and I think it is a perfectly acceptable social activity. And anyone who wants to argue with me is more than welcome to go jerk themselves off somewhere else.