When you’re sick, you stay home, right? I did this recently, and watched daytime television. *shudder* I hadn’t set up my TV antenna in my new apartment yet. I moved in about 6 months ago so you can see TV is a real priority for me, so I figured I’d finally get around to it. TV rocks, just not daytime TV.
Daytime TV warped my brain. No, seriously, after a while you start contemplating changing your name to Eve because apparently she comes in three fresh Summery varieties. That could be a plus, you suddenly imagine. This is a thought brought to you by the letter E, and co-sponsored by McDonalds with a side of new and improved home-delivered Prozac.
I had a friend once, no BS, tell me that she was realising her full potential by spending a couple of days a week watching Jerry Springer, Dr. Phil and General Hospital. But it’s all good because it was finished off with a good hour of Oprah so that made it well-rounded mind-numbing idiocy.
Apparently it takes dedication like this to find your inner dolphin and his five Brothers named Tinky, Winky, Blinky, Pudding and Moron. Serious dedication if you’re trying to do it using the ancient arts of change management solutions and neuro-linguistic programming anyway. I don’t want to program my brain. It’s bad enough as it is.
Maybe it’s just me but I really do think these shows swallow people’s minds. Not just small nibbles, either. Oh no, we’re talking active destruction of areas which I am pretty sure could prove useful to people, given half the chance.
Like a good fire, daytime television will gut your skull cavity then present your grey matter to you on a silver platter with a yellow ribbon and a penny in the middle for the luckiest person in the room. Clearly not you.
Watching these shows is like saying: I don’t really feel I need my frontal lobe anymore then going out into the streets and randomly asking people to boot you in the head.
But people seem to watch them anyway, exclusively. The horror. These are, however, the same people who says things like “you’ve got to help yourself because nobody else is going to”, the same people who tell me that they’re going to travel India in search of themselves because they feel a close spiritual connection with Indira Ghandi even though they’ve got about as much in common as a crocodile does with a piece of goat’s cheese. The very same people who tell me that they look for their soul mate in the local pub with a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in their back pocket, just in case. In case of what, I ask you? Suspicious Unibomber activity or just in case some girl doesn’t actually think they’re scary enough as it is?
I suspect this is the type of person to have stacks of newspapers lined up in their house dating back to the 3rd of November, 1998. That’s the day their last soul mate left after the pain of living with somebody who thought that a book called Who Moved My Cheese was a peak literary experience grew to be too much.
I watch daytime television, and cap it off with a sigh of relief. It’s over, I think and thank God I’m as deeply unfulfilled as when I started.
I work nights so when at home I have the television on for background noise. I usually put it on TNT so I can fall asleep to reruns of E.R. and Law and Order.
The only Dope Opera–I mean Soap Opera I ever deliberately watch is Passions and that’s because it’s a bit off center, like me.
Daytime tv definitely eats brains. You can almost hear the shows muttering, “chow time”.
I rarely watch television but have daytime tv forced upon me at my many doctors appointments. I can only imagine the pure mush inside people’s heads that watch this crap regularly. Actually, I don’t have to imagine. I talk with them nearly every day and it ain’t pretty.
LOL!!! I think the lives on our blogs are more interesting than daytime television…I don’t need more drama. However, much to my dismay I got hooked into General Hospital in the 80’s during the Luke and Laura days, but I was an adolescent and grew out of it.
I did like Dr. Phil until he became “Dr. Phil,” a television entity. I still like Oprah, but not all the time.
Most television can eat away at your brain…lulling it into log off mode.
We share similar sentiments on this.
Daytime televison is really bad not to mention how supid soaps that have gotten supider and have no really meaning. I doon’t really watch daytime televison, once in awhile i will watch a cooking show on Foodnetwork, but that is about it. In general if I watch TV i try to watch something that isn’t going to turn my brain to mush but makes me think.
Bottom line is that I don’t need stupid daytime televison to give me any more thoughts or sugguestions to go along with the thoughts etc already in my head. I agree with you kid about daytime tv. Thanks for sharing.
I have to admit that when I was depressed and in constant pain I would sometimes watch soaps to take my mind off of my misery. I couldn’t even concentrate enough to read many times. Luckily with health, sanity has returned and the TV is hardly ever on. Even at night I would much rather read a book or write than watch TV.
I have friends and family members that have the thing on ALL DAY LONG! Within a few minutes of being at their homes I am just irritable from the noise and distraction. Makes me wonder how it is really affecting them living with it on day after day.
I watch Daytime television in small bits.
Ten minutes here and five minutes there.
I think it’s less taxing on your brain that way.
Most of it is manipulative crap.
I actually think the soap operas are less harmful than the talk shows and information stuff. At least with soap operas, most of us know it’s fake and over the top. We understand it’s fiction. But a lot of us tend to put way too much faith in the talk show stuff.
Ugh! I hate television!!!! :)
It truly does make me lose IQ points. Only quicker way to do it is to ride the Colfax bus and make small talk with the man who calls you by the name Aunt Margaret and asks you if the tutu he’s wearing makes his butt look big.
LOL!!!
I don’t know about you but when I watch Jerry Springer I get reminded of that saying, “The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree.” I have to turn it off to keep believing I can do better in life. It’s an instinctual self-protective move!
Do you have girlfriends who are really into self help books? I have one like that. She and her circle of friends seem to have read every self help book Oprah has ever recommended. Quite frankly at this point therapy would be cheaper. I guess it’s easier though to believe that all you need to do is love yourself more and buy nicer underwear and eat more chocolate and get more massages. That should solve all of our problems, right?
Brilliant post, CK.
hugz
wily
I have probably only watched about a total of four hours of television since I moved into my flat over a year ago. Well, maybe another hour or two if you count a really naff movie to numb my brain with “Idiot Box Novocaine.”
I’ll stick with my DVDs or even my old VHS tapes (good stuff still on them!)
Much like Clinically up there, in uni. my housemates were hopelessly addicted to Soaps (or “Droop Dramas” as my Nana used to call them–oh, her expression still cracks me up to this day!)
Unfortunately, as a result when they watched them and I was around sitting with them, I think some unearthly force came over me. Whenever I looked at the screen, I suddenly became completely immobile. The only thing I could do was blink my eyes.
At least “the force” didn’t treat me like I was poor Alex in Clockwork! And had it, would it at least spared me some eyedrops???
Let’s face it kids. Soap Operas (or Droop Dramas) are very scary things.
Tell us how you really feel, Catatonic Kid! :)
I’m no fan of TV. Have one, don’t watch it, don’t miss it.
Yeah, I’ve learned to limit my intake because it’s just so bloody BAD! Prime time TV, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
LMAO, you are crazy and probably quite right in daytime T.V. eating the brain.
Loved this post!
@Cheesemeister – My Aunt does that, has it on for background noise.
I’ve never watched Passions. I always hear jokes about it, though. It’s the one people refer to on other TV shows.
@Immi – LOL Chow time. For sure.
@Bradley – LOL Wow, at doctor’s appointments? None of my doctors have TV. They’re clearly missing something ;)
@Clueless – I like that. I don’t need more drama either, I don’t think.
@Man on fire – Cool.
@Terri – I don’t have cable but I do like the Food network.
@Tamara – Yeah, I know folks who do that too. Can’t say as I understand.
@Dina – That’s actually a good point, I reckon. The talk/infotainment stuff is insidious whereas the soap operas just are what they are.
@Ash – LMAO. Dare I ask what the Colfax bus is?
@Wily – Hugs! LOL Yep, I sure do. It’s moderately annoying that people think life’s problems can be solved so flippantly. If only, on the one hand. And bugger off, on the other.
@PA – Droop dramas! LMPO That’s a classic.
Yeah, I much prefer my DVDs too. No horrid ads, for one. If I never see another ad again it’ll be too soon.
@Jennifer – LOL Yeah, I’m just full of tact ‘eh ;)
@Coyote – Sure has its pluses. I’m even tempted to put up with the ads so I can get me some new season Dexter.
@Wblmom – LOL Yes, crazy indeed. Never deny that one ;) Glad you like the post!
hey CatatonicKid,
been seeing you all over the place and today when you told Stephany you liked the blog awards because it made you go check out other great blogs, I figured I’d check you out…
You are very entertaining! I’m happy to meet you. I will put you on a feed and start getting up to date…at this point in my online habits I’m not so good about digging into archives…to much reading to do…
cheers.
oh and by the way we moved into our new house on the 14th of August and I haven’t watched TV once. Our living room isn’t set up yet and I simply don’t miss it!!
Hi Giannakali =)
It’s surprisingly easy to do or rather, not do, isn’t it? I didn’t at all mean to go without the TV for so long but it just kind of happened.
Glad my comment got you over here. That’s cool. I’ve added you to my feeder now too!
I need the T.V. too some times just for background noise too… If I don’t have the radio on or the t.v. and it is quite the ringing in my ears get so loud… I talked to my PD, but he thinks it’s just a side effect of a med… but I father put up with that then to change any meds right now.
Chato
http://www.mentalhealthhumor.com
I totally disagree. I think the only way a modern human can reach the pinnacle of self-actualization and true wisdom is through the wondrously fantastic teachings of Oprah. She is a god…hahaha :mrgreen:
That’s fair enough, Chato. I know how annoying and hard to deal with side effects can be! And yeah, not worth changing meds if your meds work for you. They’re way more important ‘eh.
LOL Bobby. Glad to see you back :D