So I’m trying to cut down on our TV consumption lately. At times I want to just get rid of it altogether; but not because of the kids, I’m the TV junkie in our house. And I see how much time I just literally waste in front of that thing.
Growing up, my dad had ultimate control of the telly. We could watch what he wanted to watch at night, and maybe Captain Kangaroo during the day. That was about it. So I grew up with a steady diet of Barney Miller, MASH, Archie Bunker and Dallas. I remember he wouldn’t let us watch the Cosby Show. Why I don’t know. I think it was all a control thing.
So when I got to be old enough to choose what I wanted to watch, I was glutenous. I watched anything and everything. Old sitcoms were my favorites. From Facts of Life to (you guessed it) the Cosby Show, I watched them all. Back when my husband and I were just living together I recall staying up late talking while watching Star Trek NG and Golden Girls and eating cheesecake. We are odd. Hell, I have even been known to watch Charles in Charge on Nick at Nite when I’m up nursing Mason. I mean, come on, Charles in Charge? Was there ever a show with fewer redeeming qualities than that show? Seriously. My name is Cheryl and I’m a TV-aholic.
So that leads me to now. Now I’m way into Scrubs, some West Wing and even the occasional The Osbournes. I watch just about anything. I do draw the line at reality TV. I think that smacks of the Running Man and it scares me. So now I’m thinking we need to cut way back. TV is a time sucker not to mention almost an opiate. I think it takes away from people thinking about what’s going on in the world, it makes people complacent and pacified. Nothing too serious gets through. And that’s sad. I don’t want my kids getting that message.
I do regulate their time in front of the tube, I think that’s responsible (especially in a house with an addict like myself.) I’m actually turning off the TV more these days. I don’t have any one show that I just have to see. I don’t plan my day around TV anymore. That’s always good. I’m taking it one step at a time until hopefully we can rid ourselves of the thing sometime in the future. Plus I can always get spoilers online. I’m such a loser.