In which I talk about my on-going love affairFebruary 19th, 2008 @ 7:01 am
I was too young to remember, but my parents often told the story about the time our family television exploded, right in the middle of Mork & Mindy. They decided, right then and there, that they didn’t want to bother getting a new TV.
And so they didn’t.
We were the only family I had ever heard of that didn’t have a TV in the house. My parents weren’t necessarily opposed to TV in general (we were totally allowed to watch TV at friend’s houses), they just weren’t that into TV.
When I was in middle school we finally got a TV. I don’t know where this TV came from since I know my parents weren’t too thrilled about having it. I’m thinking one of my uncles gave it to us. Each of us kids were only allowed to watch seven hours a week. One hour a day. On Sunday we had to submit our Weekly TV Watching Schedule to my mom, for her approval. This plan worked for a while. And then, for whatever reason, we got rid of the TV again.
While I was in high school, I’m pretty sure we had a TV. But it was teeny tiny and didn’t have a remote. We also didn’t have cable. But dude, we could have cared less. I was busy reading books, doing homework, and um, making out with my hot high school boyfriend. In college, again, I had a TV but could have cared less.
During this time I missed out on the greatness of “My So-Called Life” and the first bit of “Friends”. I was busy in class, or studying in the library. What TV I did watch during my college wears was only on MTV. (You know, back when they played awesome videos.)
After college I moved back in with my folks and worked at a convenient store*. I began dating every boy that lived in my small town, so my nights were spent out with friends and on dates. No time for TV. I never even gave TV a single thought.
Never, ever.
While working at the convenient store I spent a lot of time with my co-worker, Gretel, and her family. I remember going over to her house after work and hanging out in her bedroom, or changing our clothes there before going out. Her parents were always there, sitting on the couch in the front room, watching TV. Every time I saw them doing this I found it to be so odd. It was something I had never seen. Never ever did I come home to find both of my parents watching TV. Usually I would find my mom at the kitchen table reading a book. My dad would be out in the yard, feeding his horses or checking on the flower bed.
I remember thinking how odd my friend’s parents were. I truly felt like they were pathetic. I didn’t know what I expected them to do every night, but I knew they were wasting their time, sitting on that couch watching “Blossom” reruns.
When I was married to my first husband, I worked during the day and he worked evenings. That meant I was all alone after I got home from work at 3:30. Which meant I had a lot of time to fill. Which meant I started watching a lot of TV. I discovered “That 70’s Show”, “Seinfeld”, “Will & Grace” and my love for “Friends” grew deeper by the second. I also found “Absolutely Fabulous” and “Keeping Up Appearances” and fell madly in love with anyone that spoke with an accent and referred to cigarettes “fags”.
After my divorce, I packed up all my things from our house and moved into my old bedroom at my parents house. I took my small TV and placed it on the top of my chest of drawers.
And there it stayed.
I started my day with Matt Lauer in the background and finished my day curled up in my little bed, clutching the remote and thanking my lucky stars that my TV had a sleep timer.
At this point in my life my love affair with TV was well into the “I would die without you stage” and was climbing higher by the second.
The King and I got married, and had nothing else to do in our tiny studio apartment besides watch TV in the evenings after working building our first house. Then we got a satellite and millions of channels and then TiVo came out and dude, life truly began for us.
Now that The King is gone every night building the new house, Babboo and I sit at home alone. I usually don’t watch TV when it’s just Babboo and me. Instead we cook dinner, read books, look at pictures and play with his toys. After The King comes home and we put Babboo down for the night, the TV comes on.
Our minds shut off, and life begins again.
I love the shows I watch. I love the characters. I love the stories. I love how they make me think. Or how they don’t make me think. I love how I can sit on the couch, next to my husband, and relax. In between funny dialogue and travel shows we pause the TV and recap our day at work, at the house, and with Babboo.
But I also hate that I love TV so much. I hate that so much time is spent on the topic of TV. Although I don’t hate it enough to change it. And really, truly if I did decide to throw the TV out the window, like my parents did, I am not in a place in my life where I could fill that time.
My point to this post?
I guess it’s that my parents are clearly better at filling their free time then The King and I. And while that’s good for them, I feel bad that they have no idea who Sayid or Barney are.
And really, how can they live without having seen Jack standing on the beach?
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*I’m getting a lot of slack for referring to the gas station I worked at a convenient store and not a convenience store. But dude, where I’m from I swear it was called a convenient store. So I’m sticking by that…whether it’s right, or not.
They're just my family · I have a slight TV addiction · The King · Back in the day
Nic
said,
February 19, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I worry about my TV addiction just like you do. And really, my life would not be complete if I hadn’t seen the Robin Sparkles video.
Janssen
said,
February 19, 2008 at 6:08 pm
We also didn’t have a TV growing up (and when we did finally get a 13 inch one, we had no channels - just fuzz, so it was just for watching movies).
Bart and I now own 3 TVs but none of them are hooked up to the wall or have antennas, so we get no channels. But we do watch TV shows online or on DVD by the truckful. My life is more complete now that I know who Jack, Sawyer and Kate are.
Meritt
said,
February 19, 2008 at 6:12 pm
OK… you already know this because I’ve never made a secret of it… LOL… but I stopped watching tv in September of 1998. If and when it comes up a lot of people say “Oh, yeah, I don’t really watch tv either…. just ____ and ____ and oh, _____ and the news and oh yeah - that show ______ but really, I hardly watch tv either!”
And I laugh.
Because no… I mean - there is no TV on the main floor of our house even. I don’t have it on in the background. I just don’t watch tv. For almost 10 years now.
Emily
said,
February 19, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I have the exact same love/hate relationship with my tv. Some days I think I should spend my free time taking photos, classes, walks, going to the park, but then I’m all “but I’ll have no idea who gets voted off Survivor and I just can’t live with the not knowing!” Pathetic, I know.
Brittany
said,
February 19, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Even though Matthew Fox has man boobs in that picture, I’d still make out with him.
Kim
said,
February 19, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I watch HGTV and the news. I never got into Lost, or Grey’s Anatomy, or Survivor, or any of that. The last show I religiously watched was Sex and The City. Maddy uses the TiVO more than me.
Keri
said,
February 19, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I think I am one of the only people on earth who doesnt watch Grey’s and Lost. Though I do have a list of shows that I like to tune into.
When I was in HS, i used to babysit for a family that didnt have a TV & it used to scare me when I was there, b/c I liked having the TV on in the background so I didnt hear all the noises of their house settling, etc
Sadie
said,
February 19, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I have loved TV my whole life. During college and law school, I watched like 10 hours a day, probably. Now it’s more like 2 or 3, but I MUST have TV.
Operation Pink Herring
said,
February 19, 2008 at 8:19 pm
I don’t watch Grey’s Anatomy, either! And I sort of wish I didn’t watch Lost because it makes me feel stupid. What the eff is going on? Seriously. I have no idea. And I have seen every single episode.
I have a similar TV addiction, as you know. I love TV. I don’t feel guilty about it. But the writer’s strike has been sort of nice. I’m actually not excited for the full lineups to come back, but I think that’s because a lot of “my” shows had started to suck before the strike. We recently instituted a “no TV during dinner” rule and it’s been life-changing. I feel pathetic admitting that, but it’s true. And now we are waaay behind on the Tivo cache and I fear we will never catch up. Oh well.
Viviane
said,
February 19, 2008 at 8:54 pm
We actually did not have a TV for most of my childhood either! Now our TV didn’t do anything as exciting as blow up in the middle of a TV show we watched, but it just stopped working and my parents decided not to replace it. We did finally get a TV again when I was 11 years old, and I missed out on pretty much all childhood TV shows, except for one (a German one) that my grandmother would tape for us every weekend. I have also come to love many TV shows, though, I have to admit, Lost is not one of them. I never got into it. Now I download most of my TV shows because I hate waiting for them to come on TV here (and when they do, they are dubbed).
kate
said,
February 19, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Awesome! I was so worried this post would end with me feeling wicked guilty about my occasional brainless tv-viewing. I am one of those truly idiotic people who watches American Idol, for pete’s sake. But, hey — my kid can be in the room! I try to balance it with a weekly House snarkfest (writers strike permitting, of course).
Some of my all-time fave shows, I’ve been turned on to because I suddenly had afternoons alone at the house, as you mentioned. Star Trek: TNG comes to mind. I think it was already in syndication before I’d seen a single episode! Yay syndication.
CPA Mom
said,
February 19, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Dude, you just proved a point of mine. We were allowed 2 hours a week of TV. two. Which meant I did as you and became a TV-oholic once on my own. I became a slave to the T.V. Also? During H.S.? I’d go to a friends house every.single.day to watch the soap opera Santa Barbara. I could not get enough. It took having kids to wean me from the T.V. and get me back to reading. Of course now, I have a new addiction, blogging.
But still - I think limiting T.V. consumption works the opposite in the long run. So I let my kids watch T.V. (Noggin) and DVDs and don’t worry about it.
lindsay
said,
February 20, 2008 at 2:06 am
Is it weird that I think it’s adorable that you call it a “convenient” store instead of a convenience store? Yes, I’m fairly certain it is.
So never mind.
And on an actually related-to-your-post note, just yesterday I told my mom I felt bad for her because she didn’t watch Lost. heh.
Isabel: Maybe it’s a “Utah thing”, because it was always called a “convenient store” where I’m from. But in truth, it was a gas station.
HollowSquirrel
said,
February 20, 2008 at 3:03 am
I forgot what you posted about as soon as I saw my Matthew. But what’s with the bloated boobies? I’ll chalk that up to too much sodium as usually his pecs are more tight and taut and yummers.
Ha, I just read Lindsay’s comment… I’ve never heard of it called a “convenient” store. That’s a riot. I heart you, Isabel!
Loralee
said,
February 20, 2008 at 5:54 am
Oh, thank goodness. I was hoping that this post wasn’t going to be anti-TV because I freaking love it with all my heart.
I always seem like such a lame person when I profess it to the world.
Jenn Bo
said,
February 20, 2008 at 6:42 am
Isabel, you make me feel absolutely normal! We had the one-hour a day rule, but did not have the weekly schedule. I love that idea! In addition, my family did not have network/cable television after the age of about 10. The town converted to cable only and my parents chose not to subscribe. But, we could watch movies. My mother had a affinity for black & white movies or Disney features that ended up on VHS. Does anyone besides me remember Nicole Kidman in the Five Mile Creek series? I loved that series!
My step-father would love to have cable, but my mother refuses. For several years, I have sent him the latest 24 season as a father’s day gift. I’m at a loss for what to do this year!
The similarities keep going. In college, who has time for TV! I think it was survivor & gilmore girls that finally got me hooked. Now, my husband teases me that I have a tv scheduling hobby and there is so much tivo that I will never get around to watching it all.
Another weird thing is that I can become totally fixated with the television. If someone comes into the tv room with a random comment, I will not notice unless thay have captured my attention first.
Holly
said,
February 20, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Oh my gosh, same thing happened to us! Long before I was born, my oldest brother knocked over a glass of water down the back of the TV. They chose not to replace it. Some friends took pity on us kids and we got a small TV/VCR combo when I was in middle school, but it was only for watching movies, no TV. My parents have a huge TV these days, but it still gets NO channels. It’s just for DVDs and videos. Needless to say, I am now a TV junky.
super des
said,
February 20, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I don’t watch that much tv. In fact, this is the first time in several years that I’ve even had cable. I do like to have it on in the background while I’m beading, but otherwise during the day when I’m home alone, it remains off.
I still haven’t seen many of the shows that people reference in their daily lives, and I’m ok with that. The people at my old job couldn’t find a way to relate to me because *all* they talked about was tv. Somehow my friends and I manage to have conversations about other things.
ok, disconnected rant over.
Christar
said,
February 20, 2008 at 8:26 pm
My family watched WAY too much TV while I was growing up. I hate to admit it, but it’s true. They always had the TV on and it always revolve what we did at home.
I love my fair share of TV, but I also have loves of having the TV off and doing something else. Luckily, my family has found life beyond TV and occassionally turn it off to read books or clean, or listen to the radio.
amieable
said,
February 20, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I feel the same way. I love my TV shows but sometimes I wish I watched less and spent my time in more creative ways. I at least try to be mindful of what NEW shows I let into my life.
Long live Sayid! I voted for him on Mrs. Squirrel’s site, and I stand by my choice.
Melain
said,
February 21, 2008 at 1:58 am
I am very prone to addiction and I know TV is no exception. So I choose the life your parents had, and we don’t have it. Well… I’m not quite as hard core as we do have a television and DVD player, but we do not get any TV reception; not even basic cable. Sometimes I wish I had it so I could host Academy Award parties, American Idol parties, Superbowl parties…etc,etc… But it’s not worth the risk. I know myself too well! I would become the Blossom Reruns Junkee and I would hate myself for it. It looks like my poor kids are doomed to have TV addictions when they leave home. *sigh*
Lisa B
said,
February 21, 2008 at 3:54 am
You know, lots of people where I grow up say “convenient store” too. “Convenient store”, “convenience store.” Never noticed it was different.
Our one couch has a permanent ass groove from my hubby watching so much tv. He can easily watch 6 movies in one weekend. Or a movie a night and then some, while playing online Party Poker. That’s why we don’t have cable. If we did, he’d be unemployed. I’d have to scrape him off the couch from time to time. So it sounds like you use your tv time to unwind and reconnect. That sound pretty good.
I could chuck ours out the window but the boy and the hubby would have withdrawals.