TV Turnoff week (19th − 25th April)

It’s that time of year again. Slashdot has a story on it at The National TV Turn Off Week. The main site’s at TV Turnoff Network and is a spinoff of Adbusters. It’s a good idea and I’ve got just the challenge I need this week: the second season of 24 is playing 2 or 3 hours per week on a local German channel. I’ve watched the first 14 hours or so over the last 5 or 6 weeks. I don’t watch a lot of TV anyway — I’m debating what the significance of skipping 24 this week would be. I’m sure everybody’s got a similar thing, but this is kind of like deliberately going to dinner in the middle of a movie.

A comment, Oldmanmurray said it best (Slashdot) reminded of that late, great website, which is still running an archive and has the original article, Bi-weekly roundup (Old Man Murray). Their take on people who don’t watch TV is probably indeed the best:

“People who don’t watch TV love to mention it and never fail to pair that statement with the fact that they read books too. But as long as they’re patting themselves on the back for simply not doing something, it seems to me that there are lots of worse things you could be taking credit for not doing. For instance, next time someone decides to lord over you the fact that he doesn’t watch TV, go ahead and tell him “Good for you!” Then while everyone around you is reflecting on his massive intellect, up the awful-things-you-don’t-do ante by mentioning that you don’t rape people and then add that you watch lots of television instead. Not only does that make you a better person − after all what kind of psychotic jerkoff wastes his time not watching TV when he could be busy not commiting violent sex crimes? − but it gives you sort of an air of barely suppressed operatic rage, which makes you more like Batman.”

Area man constantly mentioning he doesn’t own a television (The Onion) did something similar, but not rude enough to quote.