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National TV Turn Off Week
beforewisdom writes "Next week (April 19th - 25th 2004) is National TV Turn Off Week in the USA. Among the many benefits claimed by tvturnoff.org is that 90% of the people who participate in a TV Turnoff Week successfully reduce the amount of television they watch permanently."
As I have mentioned before, my favorite part of TV is that the government has mandated (with our tax dollars) HDTV to be used. Forcing it to be placed into sets in the future so that we can all double pay for it. Now they realize that we are all fat because we sit on our dead, dying, asses and watch TV. So get out and do something but make sure you pay more taxes to support better TV signals!
The government has not mandated HDTV, just digital. The switch to digital will free up spectrum, which the government can then sell for significant amounts of money. The government will probably make a profit on it, not use your tax dollars. TVs may become more expensive, but that price will only be paid by those who benefit from the change.
Why is reading more enriching than TV? I can sit down and read complete crap for 5 hours a day just like I can watch crap for 5 hours a day. It really bugs me when people say "TV rots your brain, you should read" because there is more crap to read than to watch. If I read People magazine, am I enriched? What about EGM? Or Sports Illustrated? What is the difference between reading these and watching ET, G4, or a sports game on TV?
TV is no better or worse a medium than reading. There is a majority of crap in both mediums, you just have to find the stuff that is good.
"Information wants to be expensive" - Stewart Brand, the same guy who said "Information wants to be free"
HBO's Sopranos and Deadwood - Drama for grown ups. Both explore the dark side of the American myth with intelligence and wit.
HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm - Larry David is the funniest misanthrope alive. Reminiscent of, but better than, Seinfeld.
Comedy Central's Daily Show - The Onion on TV. The pinnacle of televised satire in the US. So good it could drive SNL's writers to suicide.
News World International - Sick of corporate US news produced by and for good little robots? For $5 extra per month, get your TV news from Europe and Canada instead; their journalists are allowed to think. (Hurry: this gem is up for sale thanks to the Vivendi meltdown. Expect it to be bought and ruined some time this year.)
PBS' NOW with Bill Moyers - Catch the remaining appearances by this cultural icon, who, better late than never, has developed a passionately critical outlook on society and government. Watch Moyers make up for lost time spent serving the establishment.
G4 - Guilty pleasure time: Rediscover your misspent youth watching video footage of arcade classics. Ah, you were going to be young forever, weren't you... ;-)