TV While Recuperating

Being laid up after knee surgery has thrust me into the world of television far more than I want to enter into it. But what is one to do after the eye blur from too much reading and the ear ringing from music and talk radio. I have been watching way too much TV, a good thing though in that it motivates me to get well sooner to escape the trap of the idiot box. Unfortunately for you, as always, I never just sit and passively watch anything. I observe. Here are some random observations of mine about what I have been seeing on TV these days.

*The news- I like to watch TV news and sports. Those two programs are the least contrived and least anti intellectual of the programming. TV is at its best when reporting rather than creating, because when creating it ultimately dumbs down the content to fit the low level of the audience who watches. I have watched many news programs lately and am puzzled by a few things. Why do the news anchors and reporters keep thanking each other? "Thanks for the report, Fred", says the anchor to the field reporter. Is it necessary to thank someone for doing what is part of the normal job description?

Also, those news shows are filled with opinions and slants. It matters not what your perspective is, conservative or liberal. Most newscasts are more like editorials, at times overtly and at others covertly. They assume, imply, preach... " As we know global warming is changing the environment", is one refrain I heard quite often when watching newscasts this week. I not only don't know that global warming is changing the environment, I don't believe it. Why do they assume it is accepted as fact? This implies the audience is not smart enough to think for itself, that it needs to be given premises.

I also observe that most news casts love murders, tragedies, terrorism, any affliction of the human condition that it can report. And they keep reporting it over and over until the viewer surrenders and changes the channel. I suppose it is a ratings earner and that people like to see that.

* TV series- Except for the awful idiotic reality TV shows, TV series are the worst of TV. If one needed verification that TV is a vast wasteland, he or she need only watch a few TV series. It is said that most TV shows target the 13 year old intellect. But the majority of TV series never reach that high of a level. I must confess to not having watched more than a minute or so of each TV series I saw when injured. I just couldn't take any more of any of them than that. That they are stupid is bad enough. But those TV series in no way resemble any aspect of real life. This implies that there is money to be made by anyone who can write an intelligent absorbing TV series. Oh wait..I forgot. Most TV viewers are too dumb to watch that kind of show.

* Movies- These are the lifeblood of TV ratings today. There seem to be many TV channels that show nothing but movies. On the whole it is a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. With so many offering movies I think there is better chance of finding an entertaining show if one sticks to movie channels. I also see that a person must pay extra to watch some movies on TV. Why is it the idiotic TV series are free to watch but movies require use of the credit card?

* Commercials- I like the humorous ones. They are perhaps the most creative part of TV programming. But the informational commercials are more often condescending or bold faced lies. No wonder so many politicans put campaign ads on TV.

* Selectivity- There are channels and programs for everyone on TV. They come in many languages, interests, for many age groups, a wide range of perspectives, free channels and paid for channels, local and national, satellite TV in the languages of far away countries, etc.... It's a great idea, but why are the programs always so dull and dumbed down? The format is good. The content embarrassing. Kind of sad, I think.

I hope I get well soon so that I can escape the TV world. In no way would I want to become a character shown in it, or even a person who actually finds value in watching. TV surely does promotes staying healthy