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Why I Don’t Watch Television
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge motion picture fanatic in nearly
every genre. When my local Blockbuster® video store launched its monthly
flat-fee movie rental deal [Freedom Pass] I was sold. Every two nights, I’d be
back at Blockbuster® to rent another three movies. It was good for me to see
things that I wouldn’t normally watch; movies that my grandparents and
great-grandparents prided themselves in knowing. More importantly, there were
things to learn from great films, things to wonder about in great sci-fi, and
things to laugh at in great comedy; all of which was submitted for my approval.
So
with this said, if there was any feeling that I’m a hater or popular culture, I
hope it has dissipated. I mean, after all, I’m in a rock and roll band. No, I
write now for the reason that I write a lot of times: because, among other
things, I want to see our culture become awesome and celebrated by other
cultures. That is why I cannot in good conscience advocate the degradation that
intelligent Americans are being subjected to.
1)
There are some countries (ones that America has more power and money than) that
outright forbid our popular music videos, television programs and other things
to be broadcast to their people. Not because of some Castro-like authoritative
power play, but because the people of those countries are offended by it.
They’re offended by how these programs portray ethical and moral issues. How
embarrassed am I right now? These countries have only a fraction of our wealth
and power and we’re the ones that should be ashamed? I’m not even talking
about the anti-American countries!! I agree with them: our entertainment is
sometimes shameless, portraying things conceived by adult business execs that
they would have been smacked for had they suggested it as children. What’s even
worse is that the media actually gets us to buy into this lie that “this is what
America wants to see in our popular culture”.
2)
There’s a great quote used in one of my favorite movies “The President’s Men”:
“grab them…and their hearts and minds will follow”. I won’t even touch on the
monopolistic aspect of television and music because it’s been covered in-depth
greater than I care to cover it now, so let me continue with my next point: they
put it out there and we mindlessly eat it up for numerous reasons. Maybe it’s
because we don’t want to feel left out at the water cooler the next day while
people are talking about which mindless sap the naïve young woman will pick to
be her husband and if he will stay her husband after he finds out that she’s not
a millionaire…or a woman. Perhaps we can’t find anything reasonable to watch on
television and so we pick what appears to be the most entertaining (shocking)
thing. Perhaps we’re just so bored and need to be entertained, I have no
complaints with that. This leads to point three.
3)
Why are we being groomed for Attention Deficit Disorder? This is why I have
mentioned my affection for movies: one continuous plot consisted of sometimes
several unrelated subplots woven together with style in an uninterrupted time
sequence (no matter how much Quentin Tarantino mixes it up) anywhere from 1 ½ to
sometimes 3 or 4 hours. How could anyone used to this come close to tolerating 8
minutes of scattered, jittery, depthless sitcom (dare I even say) plot? There’s
no comparison—and don’t even try to compare it to a short story—they’re not the
same at all, you vegetable. The low-grade acting and silly, PC, shock-oriented,
witless television walked in the door just as (sadly) Seinfeld was walking out.
Movies come in all shapes and sizes and it’s just plain better for you to think
about one storyline from beginning to end instead of 8 minutes of so-called
drama followed by four minutes of 30-second commercials.
4)
Alright, I’ll say this for the last time: you paid for the TV set right? Do you
pay for the cable or satellite? Then why do we need to give these people more
money by letting them force us to sit through these (classless and stupid)
advertisements? If you paid for high-speed internet as much as you do in cable
bills and you had internet pop-ups floating all over your screen that were
supplied by your ISP, you’d throw a fit!! Oh, but every channel has
commercials, they need to make their money. Do you actually believe that the
only way they’re making money is though commercials? Do you think MacGyver
worked directly for ABC and now he works directly for the USA Network when they
show those old reruns at 2 in the morning? Do you think Richard Dean Anderson
just said “I’ve had enough of all of this money, here USA: show these absolutely
free”. It’s not MacGyver; it’s the people who own MacGyver.
5)
Do we really have to put up with the camera techniques? This conditions us for
ADD more than anything: turn on any primetime sitcom and observe how long the
camera stays at one angle (plot) before switching to another angle. I guarantee
you two things: 1) the camera plot will change at an average of about 4 seconds,
and 2) you will not be able to count the number of changes that occur in an
allegedly half-hour program. Try it!! How pathetic is that? What they’re saying
is that your mind is so easily distracted that you can’t focus on something for
more than four seconds before it has to switch up and become “more interesting”.
As an educator in both private and public schools, I confess that we have no
chance competing with these practices short of changing the media’s methods
(good luck) or doing the same thing ourselves.
6)
In Marilyn Manson’s book “The Long Hard Road Out of Hell”, I came across an
elusion he made to his troubled childhood and a side-effect being that he still
has to sleep with the television on. Now, during my childhood, I watched more
television than most people have probably ever seen. I can sing TV show theme
songs, name casts and characters, episode plots—you name it: I’m your fount of
useless information. When I heard this quote, I had to reflect on my own life
(the sign of a good writing). Why did I leave the TV on after Letterman’s
musical guest? Did I need it on? I had heard that those lights flashing while
you dream is bad for your R.E.M., but who cares? What is it about being a lone
with myself and my thoughts in silence that is so difficult or reproachable? Why
isn’t it normal anymore? Why can’t we think for ourselves anymore? How long will
we tolerate people thinking for us, depicting our culture, telling us what it
right and wrong just to tell us there is not right and wrong? What can we
learn from these “inconsequential” nations and their abhorrence to what has
become our perverted popular culture?
~VJ
Manzo
November 16, 2004 |
