October 12, 2005

She Watches Channel Zero


Paying for cable is an expense that I lived without for several years, and didn't miss, until I moved a few years ago, and during a point of duress, decided why not treat ourselves, and hunkered down and got Us Some Cable TeeVee.

It was awesome for the first month or so, then I stopped caring. I care more about the cable internet connection that I get a barely noticible discount on, but for all intents and purposes, I don't watch TV anymore. Let me rephrase that - I'm not a TV guy. I used to be, when I was younger. I'm sure most people in their 30's-40's grew up in front of the TV when there were only 3 channels and a smattering of UHF. That's when the world was a little closer, in an odd way - because if say, The Motown 20th Anniversary Special came on CBS, EVERYBODY was watching Michael Jackson moonwalk across the stage and make the world lose their freaking minds. Now, there's 500 channels of nothing on, and a social disconnect that TV didn't have before now. TV WAS what brought America together.

Before I go onto a rant about what I think about the world and how everybody thinks they deserve to be famous, let me get to the point of the post - I pay too much for cable, and I don't even watch the damned thing.

That's pretty much it. I have a TV in my studio, but I'm not hard-wired for watching/creating - it destroys my mindflow. I'm a music, background noise person. If I put a movie on in the studio, I'm just gonna watch the movie. I can't do those two things together, but music is where it's at for me. So here's my conundrum. I feel since I pay so much for this crap, I force myself to watch cable television. I come in to the workspace, turn on AMC and watch Karate Kid and Young Guns for the 900th time, just so I feel like I'm getting something from this necessary purchase to keep my household happy. I think if I get a DVR box and tape stuff I'd actually watch but not hunt for, I'd be happier. Like maybe Battlestar Galactica 2.0, Adult Swim, RAW, etc. Right now, I think the guys who set up Philadelphias schedule tree were on crack. Let's see - 14 HBO stations? Let's put them ALL OVER THE FREAKING MAP, not right behind each other so that you can find them. Cheese and Crackers, dood... but then again... when would I sit down and watch all the taped stuff? Man.

Anyway, I just wanted to share. Continue on.

1 comment:

Marc Manley said...

Like Dr. Smith, "Oh, the pain, the pain." I hate T.V. I haven't owned one in my adult life. And I don't really see a reason to. Stuff that I liked to watch like old syndications of Star Trek (Shatner & Nemoy, Stewart & Frakes or Avery Brooks), Lost In Space, the Thunder Cats or whatever, I can buy on DVD and watch it on my computer. It's a sink whole of time. Shit, probably one of the reasons kids don't read comics no more - too much T.V. (that and the fact that they can't read period!). So rant, my son, rant!