What Does Your T.V. Say About You?

[Peg Herring]

I don't know why this came to mind, but it seems to me that what we watch on television says something about us as individuals.

Of course, there are plenty of factors that enter into the equation. People with little to do, such as the elderly or the unemployed, often watch shows they really don't like very well, just for something to do. I visited someone in a nursing home recently who was watching one of those Disney Channel teeny-bopper shows about junior high school angst. I know she didn't really care, but it was bright and lively, the opposite of the real world around her. And time is a factor, too. Those who work miss a chunk of the TV day, though I've known women who tape their "stories" so they don't miss a minute of soap opera action. I've also known people who hurry out of a meeting or other event so they don't miss the beginning of some show like BURN NOTICE or AMERICAN IDOL. I can't say that I've ever cared that much about anyone else's adventures, real or unreal.

Then there are the people who turn up their noses and say, "I don't watch T.V." Maybe they don't; I would never call them liars. It just seems like as the conversation proceeds, they know a lot about what's on and who is who.

Think about what you watch when you have the time, the inclination, and the power or choice (when your S.O. isn't holding the remote). What do you choose to watch, and what does that say about you? No answers here, but I really like the question.

[Benjamin Sobieck]

My TV says, "Why do you watch all those infomercials if you never buy anything?"

To which I say, "They're the most entertaining thing on TV. Have you seen the Magic Bullet infomercials? There's actually an unintentional storyline between episodes. You keep dibs on Mick and Mimi's crazy ass family."

To which I think to myself, "Self, why are you holding a conversation with the TV?"