How many of you watch T.V still?

Prior to the digital conversion, I'd sometimes use it as a sleeping pill, and when I did watch, it was mostly PBS or something educational or interesting. Now I don't even own a TV, and when I did, ended up canceling cable because I got tired of paying to watch commercials. Funny how when cable first came out, some of the over the air networks would air commercials warning us how someday we might have to pay for all TV, and to defend free TV. I laughed then, but this is exactly what it's come to, at least for anything worth watching.
Most TV is a mind numbing, worthless waste of time.

Quit cold turkey about a year ago, and haven't looked back since.

I think its called the idiot box for a reason.

The government for some reason or another, pays certain TV programs to ad in certain things. I'm sure if you search you can find out more about it. But that in my opinion is brainwashing.

I would say I am 98% TV free. I only use it when I can't sleep. :\

When I watch TV in the day I feel like I'm wasting my life.

I turned in my cable box last year. Most of you ATSers know it is pure propaganda and watch less than a few hours per week, so WHY are you still feeding the nwo beast?

Turn in your cable box and you do your part in turning your support away from all things new world order. If you still pay for TV, other than the Internet through cable, you are paying to be brainwashed! How stupid is that?

peace

I have an HDTV, but no cable. Haven't had cable in 8+ years. I watch some broadcast TV, mostly stuff like Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Kitchen Nightmares, that kind of stuff. I like Kitchen Nightmares, but I could do without Ramsay's potty mouth, even when it's bleeped.

There are some shows that should not even be on the air, and are prime examples of how the media is deliberately dumbing down and exposing children to adult themes. For example, Two and a Half Men. This piece of garbage is nothing but dick jokes and sex talk for the entire duration of the show, and it is on in prime time when kids are watching. For example, I was channel surfing through my 7 broadcast channels, and I landed on that show. At that moment, that druggie Charlie Sheen's character points a finger at the effeminate character that Jon Cryer plays, and says "You are a vagina". I then switched the channel. As I was surfing a little while later, I landed on it again, when Charlie Sheen says to Cryer, "Yes, I love the man, now go to your room and masturbate". Or something like that. Is that really quality TV? Do those writers just sit around late at night high as a kite and write that crap down? It's insulting and not the least bit entertaining.

When I was a kid... hell, even in high school, I never heard the words 'vagina' or 'masturbate' on TV. Not even late night. The closest they ever got was the SNL sketch during the Belushi days in the "Bad News Bees" sketch when they were giving one of the bees crap because he was "buzzing off". That was LATE night.

Things have gone downhill since. Imagine what will be broadcast 5 years from now. There are hardly any standards left.

By the way, I have a young daughter, and that means that I will NEVER be getting cable or satellite service.


edit for typos

[edit on 29-4-2010 by AwakeinNM]

Good thread!! I stopped watching tv when I moved to a new apt in November.. It is one of the best things that has ever happened to me... at first it was that I could not afford it.. then I was like.. I enjoy not having tv.. not having to watch the negative news.. not having to watch medical commercials that remind you of all the bad things you can get.. I would rather worry about that when it happens to me and enjoy the time I have left to be healthy... What a negative emotion spouting tool.. I watch movies.. movies are usually more well thought out and less negative.. people spend time writing them.. I do miss the Discovery and History Channels though.

I got rid of my tv 2 years ago and have not missed it. One night I noticed my reflection on the screen and how I "sat there staring like a zombie," with the flickering light bouncing off my face. I did not like what I saw, plus I CAN NOT STAND commercials!!!!
It is true also when abandoning TV, the proverbial " now I get more done, reading books, calling friends/family, starting some creative projects" kicked in and I realized how much wasted time I had spent in front of the boob tube, all of these years. Now when I am visiting someone and there tv is on, it kinda bugs me out. I still enjoy a few shows, Daily Show, House, Sons Of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, and Documentaries, which you can watch online at hulu or casttv. But I have cut my viewing time from 50 hours a week to around 10-15. Admittedly I do spend more time online now, but that is more interactive and educational. Anyway if there is anyone who doubts the value of no tv, take a 30 day test without one, and see what ya think.
Peace.....

[edit on 29-4-2010 by speculativeoptimist]

I haven't watched TV in about a year... and it's been great.
I can't stand it... all of it is rubbish. My mind is much more at ease.

Yes I watch.
Mostly for sporting events and informative documentaries and local news.
That's it.
Hardly for dumb down garbage..
Let's say...5 hours of ACTUAL PAYING ATTENTION. That includes the sporting events.

Text Black


I have a VCR hooked up with 50 movies . There all rated PG or PG 13. And there is no breaking news ever in my home. I do not like anyone to be sad . I let my family watch old VHS tapes over and over, and we are a happy bunch of kids

No tv for about 12 years. When I visit the folks, who always have it on, I feel that constant bombardment of nonsense. We do however rent quite a bit of movies and tv shows. I am now on season 7 of X-files...
We are about to have our first child, and we wonder if we need tv as a pacifier, or do we just buy the old stock of Sesame Streets?

Good post, nice to compare...

Me too. I watch one or two entertainment shows, but rarely find myself wanting to spend any time in front of the "indoctrination box" anymore.

Does this make me an Indigo child?

I quit television right after the Iraq war. I had never seen a more sickening hoorah session for killing people who hadn't done a single thing towards us. When the media chimes in to become a propaganda machine then that media is over and one must ask themselves what the television is really being used for.

I do watch professional football but that's it. Old childhood loves die hard.

Besides, satellite TV costs about $50 to $100 dollars a month. In Russia they pay about $50 dollars for a year's worth of satellite TV so you tell me whose getting ripped off in the end.

And what can you really do with television besides be a passive observer? The entertainment industry thinks that we all have the intelligence of idiots and offer their presentations accordingly.

I think most people who still watch sitcoms watch them to learn what fashions to wear in public and which new catch phrase to use amongst friends. So in that way it is a good teaching instrument for sheep. But I'm not in the herd so it don't do anything for me once again.

I'll take my alternative news sources these days and make TPTB work a little harder at deception than they're used to.

Tv is a tool used by our government,to dumb down the masses, and keep us intertained

reply to post by baddmove

do you watch T.V.

I occassionally watch children's shows. I like to know what they're showing kids, and I find that often they're quite clever.

Mondays I watch Nothing on

Tuesday is Lost and V

Wendsday is South park

Thursday Fringe i think?

Friday is Nothing on

Saturday Cops & Amw

Sunday Family Guy / or fox toon lineup anyway.

But for the most part T.V. is crap nightime soap operas. i have enough kids drama in my life too waste time watching another high paid idiot act their drama out too.

99% of the rest of my time the tv is on the history or discover and or educational programming.

reply to post by baddmove


I almost never watch TV - except "24"

I record movies once in a while on "My DVR" through Comcast but am thinking about canceling the whole thing and just getting movies off the internet.

[I didn't read the whole thread; just adding my 2 cents]

Haven't watched tv for over 11 years. I gave my tv away in 1999. Don't miss it at all.

Maybe watch a DVD on my laptop once a month.

I am 16 and since the age of 13 I do not watch more than 2 hours TV a week. The only things I watch are:

Britains Got Talent
Football matches
and Waterloo Road (or I watch it on iPlayer)

its just boring and anything on there is available on the internet

I like all the "holier than thou's" claiming they dont watch TV, and say they stick to the internet. In Theory its the EXACT SAME THING, (Starring at an electronic screen) or the 'No I dont watch TV, I watch movies';

that being said, it is literally my Job to watch TV. Im the operational manager of a TV Station in North Carolina.

I prefer Funny shows. Here is a list of EXCELLENT TV shows that anyone with a drip of class or taste, or a total lack of those two things, would enjoy:

The Wire, Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Development, Community, Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Curb your Enthusiasm, Modern Family, The Boondocks, and Entourage are all very well written and produced, and HILARIOUS to boot.