Monday, February 28, 2011

Unspoken discrimination

There is a prejudice
that no one talks about,
yet it is real.
It is the act of television viewing.
I am a TV person.
I like TV, and I get judgment, A LOT.
I like to read, I like to look at magazines,
but I love to watch TV.
I get the raised eyebrows, 
or the even more common remark,
"I don't watch much TV."
It's said snarky-like as though 
those who do, are less intelligent,
or somewhat less motivated.
It is often said with an uppity attitude,
as if television watching is inferior.
I ask, why?
Both are stories.
In either scenario,
you aren't the creator of the story.
The viewer and the reader are just
enjoying someone else's work.
What's with readers thinking 
a book is superior?
One believing a reader 
is more worthy than a viewer.
There is trash in both mediums.
I don't watch bad television.
It has been a process,
but if I can't watch it with mom or Jesus...
I ain't watching it.
I miss some shows.
I wonder what the Walkers are doing...
but garbage in, garbage out.
I want to live a intentional life.
I don't want to watch shows
that teach values and morals
I don't believe.
I could get sucked back in easily.
I see a commercial, and I want to
but... I try to refrain.
Sometimes, I fail.
I am not perfect, but I am trying.
The Oscars, were not worth watching.
The f -bomb is stupid in an acceptance speech.
Disrespectful, and I think, it was planned.
But I digress.
However, there are plenty of decent shows.
Why is a morally sound, 
family friendly show 
of less value than a book?
So, I ask you book snobs... 
lay off the TV people.
We are not stupid, we are not lazy.
We like our entertainment 
in a different form.
Not better, not worse, just different.
On that note, I am off to read a bit 
and then 
watch my Harry's Law at 9.
Judge Judy Reader,
can't we all just get along? :)
P.S. I am not upset, just saying.

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10 Comments:

At February 28, 2011 at 5:31 PM , Blogger Shannan Martin said...

This post + The Bachelor up on the tube = I'm a happy camper. :)

ps - Who are the Walkers?

 
At February 28, 2011 at 5:57 PM , Blogger The Boston Lady said...

Hi Janie! I love to read, but I am a TV and movie junkie. The Oscars were not good last night, altho the lady who won and used that bad word had a fantastic performance. I like to think I forgive her, but I would never use that word myself, so I wonder why she did, especially since I admire her work. However, we are all human... I love to read. I love TV. I love the movies. I love the Oscars because they remind me of my mother who let me stay up late, as a child, to watch them. We would guess what color so-and-so's gown was because we just had a black and white tv. I still love the movies because I think they reflect real life many times. I still love tv because I learn so much about the world. I still love books because, as a lonely child, they filled the empty spaces. And I love blogs because they are the new way to express how we feel. And we are all entitled to feel as we do. Oh, and I am a total American Idol freak, and Survivor fiend. And I really LIKE Janie Fox talks! She's the best reality! Ann

 
At February 28, 2011 at 6:07 PM , Blogger ain't for city gals said...

Yikes Janie...you sound upset...I do love to read....I don't watch too much tv because we don't have cable or dvr and I just can't do all the commercials. I love movies and really should get netflex but don't want to have that monthly bill...Kind of the way I look at blogging..it is fun...it is entertaining...it doesn't cost much (internet)and I actually learn alot.

 
At February 28, 2011 at 6:58 PM , Anonymous green bay fan said...

To the boston lady...loved your comment and it brought a tear to my eye. Makes me want to call my mom :)

 
At February 28, 2011 at 7:43 PM , Blogger Mommy Emily said...

i love this. that you love tv. that you told us that.

 
At February 28, 2011 at 8:08 PM , Blogger Marlene said...

Preach on Sister! I like to divide my time between tv, books and the computer. I can even multi-task and do tv and the computer at the same time! ;-) People are wired to judge. Ignore them.

 
At February 28, 2011 at 8:10 PM , Blogger Esther Goss said...

is it ok to like both? :) cause i am guilty of enjoying them both!!

 
At March 1, 2011 at 2:36 PM , Blogger SZM said...

I enjoy both too....but I will admit, I feel more virtuous when I read. Now I am wondering why?

 
At March 2, 2011 at 3:13 AM , Blogger Rebecca said...

You make some great points here! The same standards you apply to a TV show should be applied to books, right?

I'm not a huge TV watcher. I'm with "ain't for city gals" re. commercials....and have a hard time visualizing Jesus sitting around watching most of the shows that are my options here w/o cable, etc. NOT saying "I never watch". Just saying most of the time I wonder WHY I bothered.

 
At December 31, 2012 at 4:58 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

OK...we were separated at birth. I, too, am a tv girl. I sometimes think it is because I was born in the golden age of tv...Lucy, Dick Van Dyke Show, Dragnet, etc. Who knows?!?!? My mom didn't ever think that allowing me to watch "the classics" was killing brain cells....I think it helped develop my quick wit and sense of humor :). Being a tv watcher and one who hates for ANYone to judge ANYone as "less than"...I sooooo understand those subtle "Oh..I don't watch much tv" comments. They do chafe my bu*t...to put it nicely. No need to be Judgy McJudgerson! :)

Susan from GA

 

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