Killing the TV (Week 32)
"When I got my first television set, I stopped caring so much about having close relationships."
Few people have had more to say about popular culture, either in words or in images, than Andy Warhol. He understood the impact of moving pictures piped into our living rooms, both on our own psyches and in our connections to other people. And despite reports of its demise, TV is still alive and kicking with binge-watching addicts everywhere. I am definitely one of them.
So, what would it be like to simply click the Off Button on the remote and avoid TV for a whole week? Sounds simple enough, but it ain't!
Since I also have a smartphone – and access to YouTube on my laptop – I decided to watch no video of any sort for those seven days. So, with nothing to "rot my brain" as my mother and countless psychologists had warned since I was 12, I set out to plant a fertile garden of goodness in my cranium.
On Day One, Val decided it was time to start watching Breaking Bad, which she had missed when it came out. I had seen it with our son Nic, who now decided to join Val in supporting her new habit. So, while she watched it for the first time and he for the second, I sat on the deck with a book and tried to ignore the lure of Walter cooking meth. It wasn't easy, but going cold turkey never is.
On the second night, I went downstairs and began tinkering with my bike while Val and Nic tucked into three more episodes. Now, that was truly productive! I fixed a troublesome gear, replaced a worn-out chain and shined it up to look good as new.
A few nights later, I went for a stroll. With the family huddled around a glowing screen on a beautiful summer evening, I walked to the water's edge and watched the sun go down over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was magical. But I make no judgments. I'll leave that to others, like social scientists who tell us the average teen has seen over 200,000 acts of violence on TV.
One thing that changed for all of us was our dining pattern. Over the years, we've become that family who eats evening meals in front of the tube. It's a little like the 1950s except with drug dealers and mafia kingpins replacing polka-dotted suburban housewives. So, for this week we sat at the dining table and actually used it for dining. I'm not gonna say that will be a permanent thing, but it sure was nice – and the conversation was scintillating. As a family, we were getting back to those "close relationships" that Warhol abandoned when TV came along.
So, where to from here? As much as I enjoyed doing all the non-TV things during my week, I just really enjoy the passive comfort of easing into a couch in the evening and exploring the gaps we still have to fill. After all, Val and I still have yet to see The Wire, Mad Men or Game of Thrones. You may find that hard to believe but...true fact.
Oh, and I'll be joining her for Season Two of Breaking Bad. Here I go again!
NEXT WEEK: One week without sugar!
Few people have had more to say about popular culture, either in words or in images, than Andy Warhol. He understood the impact of moving pictures piped into our living rooms, both on our own psyches and in our connections to other people. And despite reports of its demise, TV is still alive and kicking with binge-watching addicts everywhere. I am definitely one of them.
So, what would it be like to simply click the Off Button on the remote and avoid TV for a whole week? Sounds simple enough, but it ain't!
Since I also have a smartphone – and access to YouTube on my laptop – I decided to watch no video of any sort for those seven days. So, with nothing to "rot my brain" as my mother and countless psychologists had warned since I was 12, I set out to plant a fertile garden of goodness in my cranium.
On Day One, Val decided it was time to start watching Breaking Bad, which she had missed when it came out. I had seen it with our son Nic, who now decided to join Val in supporting her new habit. So, while she watched it for the first time and he for the second, I sat on the deck with a book and tried to ignore the lure of Walter cooking meth. It wasn't easy, but going cold turkey never is.
On the second night, I went downstairs and began tinkering with my bike while Val and Nic tucked into three more episodes. Now, that was truly productive! I fixed a troublesome gear, replaced a worn-out chain and shined it up to look good as new.
A few nights later, I went for a stroll. With the family huddled around a glowing screen on a beautiful summer evening, I walked to the water's edge and watched the sun go down over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was magical. But I make no judgments. I'll leave that to others, like social scientists who tell us the average teen has seen over 200,000 acts of violence on TV.
One thing that changed for all of us was our dining pattern. Over the years, we've become that family who eats evening meals in front of the tube. It's a little like the 1950s except with drug dealers and mafia kingpins replacing polka-dotted suburban housewives. So, for this week we sat at the dining table and actually used it for dining. I'm not gonna say that will be a permanent thing, but it sure was nice – and the conversation was scintillating. As a family, we were getting back to those "close relationships" that Warhol abandoned when TV came along.
So, where to from here? As much as I enjoyed doing all the non-TV things during my week, I just really enjoy the passive comfort of easing into a couch in the evening and exploring the gaps we still have to fill. After all, Val and I still have yet to see The Wire, Mad Men or Game of Thrones. You may find that hard to believe but...true fact.
Oh, and I'll be joining her for Season Two of Breaking Bad. Here I go again!
NEXT WEEK: One week without sugar!
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