Listening: to Sommer Waite’s Pass in Front of Me. Sommer is so talented and creative. Her music fits any mood I have and I’m proud to claim her as a friend. Check out her website and listen to her work.
Pondering: the impact of our television within our family. I know that some folks really despise the tv and think we should do away with it altogether; I’m not one of those people (obviously). However, I won’t tolerate the other side either. Who needs to watch tv 24/7? When the television is turned off the following seems to occur: I read more books, I have more quality time with family and friends, I complete more household chores. And then, when the tv comes back on, I don’t even care what I’ve missed! And yet, I like to catch the morning news and weather (the internet just doesn’t do it for me) and I plan on watching a few favorite programs like Alias and The Amazing Race. Anyone have opinions to share regarding tv? I’d love to hear them if they’re not extreme is one direction or another.
8 Comments
bobw Sep 9, 2004 10:09 AM
aww come on, what’s wrong with extremes? “everything in moderation, including moderation”
basically it comes down to: the good of TV doesnt outweigh the bad of TV. and I’m just talking about content. dont get me started on what the medium does to young (and old) brains.
when I watched a little olympics, I got more than enough sexual innuendos from the commercials alone. I’ll watch baseball now and then, but the commecials show murders and whatnot too. ugh. not worth it. I can filter out porn and crap on the compy, but not so with tv commercials.
I too have enjoyed alias and survivor (but they’re both really stale now) so I wont say it’s all crap, but I wont be raising my kid(s) with a TV in the house. and thanks to the web, I dont need the weathergeek or newsdork.
Rebecca Sep 9, 2004 10:37 AM
ha! bob, i *knew* what your opinion would be! thanks for posting it here.
bethany Sep 9, 2004 11:06 AM
I’m kind of the same as you, Rebecca. I enjoy several tv shows that I try to catch with some regularity, but when I am without tv (for example, the six weeks in England this summer, or the past three weeks in my duplex), I don’t really miss it all that much. When it’s around, I have a tendency to use it as a time waster, just sit in front of it and zone out, so I have tried to thwart my tendency toward that. By getting on the internet and wasting time there instead. ;)
sommer waite Sep 9, 2004 1:53 PM
hi rebecca
i agree with you. I think we think choosing black or white it the most righteous way when i have a hunch that God lives in the grey inbetween area.
love ya
sommer
Jason Sep 10, 2004 9:52 AM
I used to be a *huge* TV nut, and I’d always justify having 235 channels by saying that I’d watch stuff like Discovery and TLC. When, in fact, I was only watching crap like *gasp* MTV. So giving up TV, esp. cable TV, wasn’t really a big deal. I haven’t missed it one bit. And thanks to the wonder and magic of DVD, I can now check out shows that I otherwise would’ve missed, like “Freaks & Geeks” and “Firefly”.
Jeremy Sep 10, 2004 11:28 AM
A sound principle for this issue can be found in Paul’s letters. “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
In principal, encouraging one another to watch less television would be beneficial, if only because the television reinforces sedantry—passive entertainment, such as television, movies, and their ilk, can promote poor brain delevopment (cf. http://tinyurl.com/4rate). Moreover, as Bob mentions, there are some specific programs/adverts/movies that are inappropriate in content. Depending upon our individual convictions, these should be avoided. However, I don’t suspect that total abstention from the television is ever required—except, maybe, in certain extreme cases.
That said, I also believe that television is a modern art form, and that susccessful evaluation of it must take this into account. Some programs reflect the beauty of creation, in all it’s myriad elements, and others do not. We should be thankful and appreciative of the former. For instance, in my opinion, the world would be lesser place without Freaks & Geeks.
Considerably more could be said, but it would take considerably more time, which is something I don’t have.
Rebecca Sep 10, 2004 3:18 PM
“Some programs reflect the beauty of creation, in all it’s myriad elements, and others do not.”
JT, I imagine the beauty you’re referring to includes what you’ve recently seen on PBS (chosen channel for late-night viewing). TAR and The Apprentice definitely reflect God’s creation — for better or for worse! Teamwork and common goals, individual personalities and strife, travelling the globe or climbing the corporate ladder… I think these shows are fascinating.
Jeremy Sep 10, 2004 4:15 PM
Yes, many PBS programs do come to mind. But so do other programs, like Freaks & Geeks and Band of Brothers—both of which capture many wonders of interpersonal dynamics. While, neither may offer the intellectual stimulation of good prose, they can, and do, quicken our hearts. In my experience, never has a book enraptured my heart with long-lasting emotions. I do look fondly on books that I have read; and, overall, I enjoy them more than movies/television, but the latter (if well made) can illicit in me an emotional response that withstands time. For instance, even today, when I reflect upon “Almost Famous” or “Forrest Gump,” I am usually revisited with the same rapture that I experienced when watching them for the first time. I wish I could explain it exactly—it’s a very internal reaction. I don’t know the reasons for the reaction, but I suspect it has much to do with the visual and aural mediums by which we experience them.