Jump to content
An Old School Catholic Message Board

Television


Sojourner

What's the status of television in your home?  

42 members have voted

You do not have permission to vote in this poll, or see the poll results. Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Recommended Posts

OK. My television viewing habits have changed over the years. I've gone from hardly ever watching it to the current watching something like an hour a day. I've gone from having no cable to having basic cable to now having full cable with HBO.

While I currently have more cable than I have had in the past, and I watch it, my addendum is that if I didn't have a housemate who considers TV a "necessary luxury item" I would not have it. But such are the compromises we make.

My close friends range from having no cable to basic cable to deluxe cable like mine, and their views on television are just as varied. I have a handful of shows I enjoy watching if I'm home and not doing anything and they're on -- Law & Order re-runs, House, Desperate Housewives, The Daily Show, the Colbert Report, Injustice. I also watch movies on a fairly regular basis.

I view television as pure entertainment. I typically don't look to it for news, although I do watch the news from time to time. I don't look to it for religious education. It's mind candy ... things that make me laugh or are interesting stories.

I've been interested to see so many people recently posting about how they're getting rid of their TVs or contemplating doing so ... particularly people who've said they think it could be a sin to pay for cable. So let's discuss this ... is television inherently immoral?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TV is bad for adults and absolute poison for children. Parents who allow their children unfettered access to TV are bad parents (This is the Debate Table :) ).

We ditched TV about 5 years ago and quite frankly I don't know where we ever found the time to watch it. I miss EWTN but nothing else. I go to my dad's house every year to watch the Superbowl, that is the only 'show' that I still watch.

We have a single TV in our house, the family room, and we watch movies on it. We also watch TV shows on DVD, Little House on the Prairie and Star Trek being our favorites.

No, TV is not inherently immoral but it is inherently a big waste of time and not at all safe for children with remote controls in their hands.

Edited by OLAM Dad
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't watch a whole lot of TV... but I love House and I used to be obsessed with Law and Order (there are so many law and orders its insane!) and I would watch EWTN more if my cable provider carried it when I was awake. If I were to enter contemplative life I think I would have withdrawals from missing EWTN. Especially Life on the Rock. I dunno what I'd do. But maybe it will just become more real for me.

Edited by zunshynn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='zunshynn' date='Mar 14 2006, 11:56 AM']I don't watch a whole lot of TV... but I love House and I used to be obsessed with Law and Order (there are so many law and orders its insane!) and I would watch EWTN more if my cable provider carried it when I was awake. If I were to enter contemplative life I think I would have withdrawals from missing EWTN. Especially Life on the Rock. I dunno what I'd do. But maybe it will just become more real for me.
[right][snapback]911414[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
Sr. Lauren didn't watch EWTN for years so she doesn't miss it. Besides, now she gets to watch Mother Angelica Live...live.

Edited by OLAM Dad
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think it's inherantly evil at all...my family doesn't have cable, so we don't watch much anyway. Masterpeice Theater tends to be really good. And we occasionally watch Lost. Never more than 2 hours a week though. Sure there are too many people who watch way too much television, but that's just an abuse of an innocent form of entertainment. Just as getting drunk is an abuse of wine, and so forth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Other.

I don't currently receive any broadcast TV -- no antenna connected, no cable or dish.

I have a set, with various inputs connected. I use the PS2 for games, and I use the DVD player for shows I've purchased, and movies. Mostly anime. Probably about 2 hours a day.

But, that's largely my husband's preference. I wouldn't have it in the house at all, myself. :idontknow:

I don't have anything against TV in particular. I will happily watch any stupid thing. I didn't have a TV growing up, and I don't really know how to fit it into my lifestyle. If it's there, I'll sit all day and watch carp, and then feel icky afterward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I have free time I'll turn it on, like loads of free time that I don't know what to do with... but that is very rare (though this week on spring break but didn't go anywhere and everyone out of town= lots of free time)

Although when the olympics were on... even when I had class.. dang I was GLUED to the TV. I looovee the olympics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cmotherofpirl

I don't have cable so I watch mostly PBS. Also [i]7th Heaven, Supernanny[/i], and [i]House[/i] when I can find it also Nascar, skating, and dog shows were they are on main networks. I miss the SCI-FI channel, and [color=blue]Star Trek.[/color]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

gah what is with all the Star Trek fans on here!?

I don't get it... I was very opposed to Star Trek growing up, I saw it as the rival to Star Wars which is way better... for me it was mutually exlusive, it was not possible to like Darth Vadar and those klingon thingys...

And it carried over through my life.

:starwars:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brother Adam

[quote name='OLAM Dad' date='Mar 14 2006, 11:52 AM']TV is bad for adults and absolute poison for children.  Parents who allow their children unfettered access to TV are bad parents (This is the Debate Table :) ).

We ditched TV about 5 years ago and quite frankly I don't know where we ever found the time to watch it.  I miss EWTN but nothing else.  I go to my dad's house every year to watch the Superbowl, that is the only 'show' that I still watch.

We have a single TV in our house, the family room, and we watch movies on it.  We also watch TV shows on DVD, Little House on the Prairie and Star Trek being our favorites.

No, TV is not inherently immoral but it is inherently a big waste of time and not at all safe for children with remote controls in their hands.
[right][snapback]911410[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

You are my hero. :mellow: :D:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i gave up TV for lent :saint:

actually not that hard because i would just use it as a silence filler in the evenings sometimes. and since sundays are really the only day i watch actual "shows".... ;) (although i did decide that would be cheating and gave up Desparate Housewives and stupid idiotic yet addicitvely bad Grey's Anatomy)

and i dream for, hope for, long for the day when i can afford EWTN and Spike (ST TNG Reruns :nerd:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it varies between a little over 10 hours a week and a little under.

kateri, i am also addicted to Grey's Anatomy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Desert Walker

[quote name='rkwright' date='Mar 14 2006, 12:41 PM']gah what is with all the Star Trek fans on here!?

I don't get it... I was very opposed to Star Trek growing up, I saw it as the rival to Star Wars which is way better... for me it was mutually exlusive, it was not possible to like Darth Vadar and those klingon thingys...

And it carried over through my life. 

:starwars:
[right][snapback]911529[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

Kindred spirits we are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lil red, nooooooooooooooooo fight it!

lol my husband (who hates it, like, it makes him angry he hates it so much! :lol:) and make fun of it THE whole time and the music. its really this bizarre love-hate relationship, like a car accident. i can't beleive how bad it really is, so i have to watch it to comprehend the insanity :P:



i know, i'm nutz :wacko: :crazy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...