It may not be edifying, or socially acceptable, but I loove TV. I love the cheap entertainment; I love watching something everyone else is seeing, the feeling that I'm taking part in pop culture, that I have something in common with other Americans. I sometimes feel a bit at odds with my own interests: French Lit and Gray's Anatomy, feminism and Desperate Housewives, a total lack of personal drama and, uh, 90210, knitting podcasts and Entertainment Weekly. I know all that patriotism/pop culture love sound ridiculously pretentious, but I also just love the mindless quiet time for my knitting; the escape it provides while snuggling with the Hub and kittens.
My must-watch list has cycles. I tend to get really into a show, watch (rather, gorge on) all of the past seasons and then move on. In the last 2 years I TiVod all old episodes of Sex & The City, The Sopranos, Alias, ER (up until Season 5), Gilmore Girls, Dharma & Greg and currently, Star Trek: The Next Generation. Not all at once, mind you, but one at a time.
I credit this over-the-top TV consumption to a childhood totally devoid of TV or movies. We didn't have cable until my mom remarried when I was 14 and then my step-dad only watched sports and "adult" movies. Living in the middle of corn fields meant we only got 2 or 3 network channels, and most of the shows were deemed "filth". When feeling rebellious, I'd watch Seinfeld on the sly. Going to the movies invovled a long permission-seeking process, in which I provided my mom with a synopsis of the plot, reviews, the rating, etc, ad nauseum. Mom's favorite movie until last year (when she finally saw Sleepless in Seattle? )Homeward Bound. The only show I have memories of watching was The Cosby Show, at Grams' and renting episode after episode of I Love Lucy from the library.
I've more than made up for it. Since moving this summer (and having no friends and nothing social to do) my list of weekly watching has grown exponentially:
Heroes, Studio 60, Gilmore Girls (which is sadly lacking since losing the Palladino's as the NYT so clearly states here), Veronica Mars (we rented the first season this summer from the library and both Hub and I are smitten), My Name is Earl, The Office (yes, we rented all parts of the British version, which I loved, but the joy of this show is how they've Americanized it and it feels like every office I've ever worked in), Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives (but if they even hint at the pedophiliac neighbor again, I'm never tuning in again), and Brothers & Sisters (not because it's all that good, but b/c I like to relax on Sunday nights).
Whew, and I didn't think I had a blog post in me tonight!
A few words on my favorite shows....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Wait! So THAT'S why I love TV so much! I didn't have cable until I was 16 either! AhHAH!!!
I love TV too. I could have it on all day. T. on the other hand would never turn it on unless a bike race was on.
I love tv!! LOVE IT!! I too didn't have "real" tv till I was 16. When the antenna fell of the roof and my parents bought a HUGE satellite dish. What a happy day that was ; )
did you watch gray's last week? I cried and cried!
I had TV in my house, way back when, but my mother has this Thing.
She only reads books which she finds to be spiritually or intellectually enlightening. She only listens to music which Speaks to Her. She only watches television that she deems worthy. So I spent a long time feeling like anytime I was watching anything that wasn't on her very very short list of acceptable shows, I was not meeting her standards, even though she never said so.
I'm over it. Bring on the Grey's!
I have to agree with you on the Gilmores, but I was already so hooked before this season that I continue to tune in every week .. Thus far, there have only been two truly good episodes, the one where Lane talks about her one and only time having sex, and last night's, where Zack thinks they're having Siamese twins ... I'm hoping the definitely doomed Lorelai-Chris marriage will bring the show back a much needed spark
Post a Comment