So I've spoken a fair amount in this space about my having been off of the big TV habit for several years now. Sad to say, I can no longer claim media superiority, I'm once again a television consumer.
The new place I'm staying at is fantastic by the way. Right on the West Bay, with its own beach, which has seen its share of me either swimming or sitting and drinking beer or reading or walking or sitting around a fire pit playing guitar. However, its also got free cable. Put simply, my problem with cable (or sattelite) TV is not that its full of stupid crap that I don't want to watch. My problem is that its full of stupid crap that I *do* want to watch. I have wasted more time in the last 6 weeks on "Pimp My Ride" and "Celebrity Poker Showdown" than any human being should ever have to. I've watched Stripes! despite the fact that I have seen it at least 200 times already (from previous periods having cable).
True, part of this can be traced back to the fact that I no longer own a computer, so any of those time wasters are not really available to me. And I did spend a lot of time on the computer. But there is something very different about Internet or computer time, as opposed to TV, the primary difference being interactivity. South Park doesn't care whether I'm paying attention or not. I could be laying on the couch or eating linguine or doing jazzercise or asleep or in a persistent vegetative state or overdosing on heroin: South Park is still the same. (Of course, I may enjoy it more in some of these states than others, but the point isn't me, its the medium). Whereas, when I'm reading Slate, at least I'm involved in some way, or when I'm playing Black Hawk Down, I'm actively doing something instead of just letting the filth wash over me in complacency.
I'm not necessarily saying that the Internet experience is better. I happen to think it is, but that still remains to be seen: There certainly could be such a thing as too much interactivity. But I prefer the experience.
None of which stops me from watching. Despite all my objections I'm still an obedient TV sheep, sitting and watching whatever bounces in.
I do get to see Hockey at least, which is nice. Its a little dangerous, because one of my house mates is from Colorado and a big Hockey fan, and for most of you I don't really need to say more than that. I'm worried what sort of ultraviolence may break out when the Avs come to the Joe. But on most everything else we enjoy watching the same things.
Also a plug for The Colbert Report. In general, the reporter segments of The Daily Show were always my least favorite part. They'd had some great talent especially Mo Rocca and Steve Carrell, but in general the main goal was just to ask really stupid questions and make your interview subject seem stupid for trying to answer it. (Actually Samantha Bee is one of the best I've seen at this, which is why I really can't stand watching her. I'm not sure what was different about Rocca and Carrell, but it was different somehow).
Anyway, all of this should make The Colbert Report particularly offensive to me, as its sort of a half-hour version of the reporter segment. And yet, he's done a fantastic job with it so far. The thing that made me think to mention it was today's interview with Fareed Zakaria. While a lot of the credit goes to Zakaria, it was a fantastic interview. Part of that came from Zakaria's total willingness to play along with Colbert's "smug moron" interview technique. When Colbert asks Zakaria, "Let me put it another way: The world, why should I care?" Zakaria took the question completely at face value and explained why Colbert should care, but in a witty manner, bringing up outsourcing and the danger of "funny people in Bangalore" that could take his job. And at the end, Zakaria even managed to get Colbert to laugh, accomplishing what must be one of the most difficult tasks in show business, and for a moment breaking the facade of calm smugness Colbert perpetually maintains.
I'm not sure if he can keep it at this level, as I'm not sure how many others can really match Zakaria's wit and good humor. But its been great to watch so far, and could provide a little mindless, complacent, totally non-interactive entertainment the next time you're jazzercising on heroin.
UPDATE: Last night's interview with Jim Cramer of Mad Money was equally wonderful and ridiculous. Also, Colbert's rip on the O'Reilly monologue is consistently awesome. I remain hopeful.
Yeah, sure, give your Ma TIVO for Xmas and then bemoan having cable and how it causes you to sit and watch programs instead of doing things.
I find myself watching shows I choose and then watching really awful drek that TIVO chose for me because it is there and I don't remember if I requested it and don't want to miss it in case I did. It's a kind of obsessive/compulsive land of tv watching.
I would watch "Pimp My Ride" if they selected it, of course, since I like decorating shows I might pick up some ideas for my Element.
And while I'm at it, you got me hooked on football so now I TIVO entire games each week. How many times can you have your heart broken over last minute Lions games losses?
Anyway, my sympathies really are with you but apparantly your linguine/jazercise/heroin habits are genetic, I watched a Gotti retrospective today, and a biography of Robert Blake for god's sake. I loved that little damn white bird.
TV is the oreo cookie of life-we find ourselves consuming one after another until they're all gone. Only afterward do we ask why.
Gotta go, there is a history of Vanna White on I just can't miss.
Couldn't have said it better myself. All I can say is BAH...(that's my imitation of a sheep by the way).
Okay, you have cable. What, no FND? No OLN? No commentary on the new NHL rules/schedule/environment? Nothing? Don't tell me you don't have an opinion.
I can maybe put together an NHL review soon. In the meantime I'm focusing on my 20 credits of classes and 30 hours of work (most of which occurs during the meager hours in which the computer lab is open).
But I have demands... demands on your time! Do my bidding!
Also, I can't help but point out that more Detroiters decided that a speedy entry into state receivership was the best alternative... I'd include a link to your prior post, but it's obscenely late to me and I'm betting this post has a very interesting originating IP address associated with it.