A quick Thursday thought...To read or not to read and watch tv

So, I was just reading my sister's blog and she mentioned not being able to see her tv shows, then made a side note about her friends and family not "watching tv". It really reminded me how much I can't stand when you are telling someone about a great show on tv and they wait patiently and pretend to not be interested then say, "oh, i really don't watch tv. we usually are so busy or we read." Well excuse me! I read books, too, but I certaintly am not too good for television. For every horribly trashy show there are two good ones that make up for it. And for you freaks who think admitting to like tv makes you less intellectual there are many educational and intellectual shows on (i.e. CNN, Discovery Health, Discovery, TLC, etc). I could spend an entire day LEARNING by watching tv (I guess this requires cable, however, or a dvd player). I could also spend an entire evening escaping imaginatively into a great show. Ever heard of cinema therapy? hello! And for those of you still not convinced (or I should say, still not ready to admit to watching tv), tv allows those of us who are even smarter than you "books only" type folk to multi task and hear/watch a great story or learn something new. That's right! When I watch tv my hands are not confined to holding a book and turning page after page. I don't have to sit where there is light. I am able to sew, eat, do a crossword, READ, catch up on my manis and pedis, work out, pet my coopy dog, and the list goes on. Sometimes I can do more than one of those things while I watch a fabulous show. Of course there are nights where nothing good is on or I feel the need to do absolutely nothing and then I know it is a good reading night.

I love it when you catch someone who says they don't watch much tv (with that subtle feel of "i'm smarter and better than you") engaging in tv talk. Of course they usually follow it up with, "but i really don't get to see it much...usually too busy or I read." And if you are really too busy to watch tv I feel sorry for you. It's a nice break from the real world. And if you really do just prefer to read that's fine, too. I get it. But please don't judge those of us tv enthusiasts.

So to all you tv haters out there, I'm going to go ahead and speak for the rest of us that are smart enough to realize a great thing we've got going on with tv and say, "It's ok to watch tv! It can be a learning experience and can allow you to get other things done at the same time. Plus it's very enjoyable!"

It's like those people who insist on natural childbirth. WHY!? We have come a long way and they have these great things called epidurals! They make delivery much smoother and you can ENJOY the process...and your babies come out the same either way! THere's no trophy at the end, but hey, if you want to do it just cause you think it makes you a "smarter" mommy then go for it! (ok, off on a tangent). Sorry to all you natural CB lovers. I just don't get it. But who am I to judge? I watch tv, for God's sake!

Well, I guess that's all. Maybe I'll go read.

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I find television very education. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.

Groucho Marx (1890 - 1977) [A vocal tv hater---wait, wasn't he ON tv? buh!]

Sex on television can't hurt you unless you fall off.

~Author Unknown (hee hee!)

Television has done much for psychiatry by spreading information about it, as well as contributing to the need for it.

~Alfred Hitchcock (how true!)

I'm not saying tv is perfect, I'm just saying it's a hell of a lot of fun!

Melissa Receveur (right on, sista!)

It's the menace that everyone loves to hate but can't seem to live without. ~Paddy Chayevsky

(I agree with Paddy)