Recently I have been running from one marketing project to a public relations and promotional effort, then bouncing between fall sports practices, volunteer commitments, making necessary visits to major appliance stores, frequently communicating with contractors, then back to writing a strategic marketing plan and following up with the media to meet yet another deadline. In summary, early fall is an insanely busy time to be a full-time working parent… and I don’t know if my broken refrigerator is a blessing (no cooking, lots of take out) or a curse (large amounts of food thrown out and money wasted, plus the unexpected expense of new refrigerator.)
A common situation?
So of course I am not alone in this autumnal lunacy. (I am desperately trying to delude myself that this is just a “Fall-Back-to-School-Busy-Time-at-Work phase”… not a permanent life condition.) We’re all busy and loaded with responsibilities. But I’m wondering if I’m alone in my need to watch television as a treatment to my over-committed-short-on-time disease. I swear, at the end of the day I need to watch TV. (And yes, my husband insists I don’t know the difference between a need and a want… but that’s another blog post (book?) entirely.)
Anyone with me on this?
I’m very curious to find out if there are other people on this planet who want to join me in my defense of television. It seems we are bombarded by researchers, concerned parent groups, academic institutions, outdoor enthusiasts, medical professionals, and librarians informing us of all the evils of television. (Interestingly enough, all of these experts and anti-television-istas appear, ah-hem, on TV…) So it’s not that I am about debunking or disputing all of these findings on how television has ruined our brains; I am genuinely interested to see if there is anyone out there willing to enumerate why TV is good.
And so I looked to that other medium, the relatively new kid on the block, our savior — the Internet. And yes, Virginia, there is a patron saint of TV — and it’s Norman Lear. I should have known. When The Norman Lear Center celebrated its tenth anniversary, it released the following statement:
“At the Norman Lear Center we’ve made it our business to study entertainment — televised and otherwise — and believe that whatever its downsides, TV also has much to contribute to a healthy, connected and well-informed society.”
Why television is good for you
One blogger did a wonderful summary of the Center’s list of “The 10 Reasons Why TV is Good For You”. I agree with everything on this list! Ha! TV — and enjoying it — is not immoral! It’s helping shape policy, making me smarter and better informed. So — ha!
All the same, none of these findings have explained my need for TV. But I don’t need to dig too deep to find the reasons:
- The TV is available whenever my schedule allows — I control the TV!
- The TV makes absolutely no demands of me. (The cable company does, but I am willing to pay that price.) I don’t have to drive the TV anywhere. I don’t ever have to take the TV for a haircut or a trip to the mall.
- I don’t have to dress up to watch TV.
- There are no deadlines issued by TV.
- I can mute the TV — it will fall silent at my command.
- Fall is a busy season. It is also time to discover new TV shows, and see some returning favorites.
There is one other reason I need the TV (probably the only one that is legitimate in my family’s eyes) and that is in small part, my career and livelihood is derived from advertising… and TV and advertising certainly go hand in hand. So there, now I’ve justified my need for uninterrupted, quality time with my television set.
