What's here? The portrait of a blinking idiot - William Shakespeare
To say "Television is my life," would be an insult to my real life. I have a wonderful wife, strong family bonds and even a friend or two. That's obviously what life is about. What I will say is that I believe strongly in the power of the remote control. I admit freely that I watch what any sane person would deem as entirely too much television. I know most would say that the TV is a fool's device used to push product on the already overspending consumer, and they'd be right. Others would claim that it's a mind numbing contraption that takes away from a family's quality time together. Other than adding that so are cell phones, video game consoles and the internet, I'd have to concede that they're right again. But much like the aforementioned internet, I believe TV can do (and has done for yours truly) plenty of good. If it's done right, the things you see on television can not only entertain, but can educate, inform, inspire and in some ways, change you. It can form bonds and create discussion. To me, there is nothing more important than education and communication.
As a devoted reader since childhood, a part of me loathes Hollywood for putting books on the Entertainment Endangered Species List. Don’t get me wrong, I adore all of the 21st Century bells and whistles. I proudly own a smart phone (although not an iPhone, I rage against them) and my house consists of a desktop, laptop and iPad that my wife even lets me touch on occasion. However, there is an old school part of me that loves the simple things I grew up with. I owned an iPod for just a small moment in time (don’t ask me where it is) and I am one of the shrinking number of bookworms that does not possess an eReader. I triumphantly/stubbornly tote around a giant CD book and still flip through the blessedly tangible pages of a paperback when I get the time.
The youthful part of me still remembers how exciting it was to find out one of your favorite artists was coming out with a new CD, rushing to the store to purchase it and thumbing through the CD booklet to learn the lyrics and see who the band was thanking. I just don’t get the same joy with the digital download, not to mention the one-of-a-kind scent of freshly printed cardstock. It saddens me that the current generation is missing out on that experience.
Not to give an unwanted history lesson, but the age of the book readers started dying out with the popularization of television. Book clubs gave way to the proverbial coworkers gathered around the water cooler discussing last night’s episode of [insert popular show at the time here]. With the exception of the occasional Da Vinci Code (meh), Twilight (groan) or Millenium Trilogy (hmm), it is not often that a book will work its way into the lexicon of the American worker.
Now that we’re in (cue dramatic organ music) The Digital Age where opinions flow freely from the fingertips of anyone with internet access and the ability to form sentences, the water cooler has mostly given way to blogs, reviews and recaps. Many popular TV shows have entire websites and discussion forums dedicated specifically to dissecting the events of the program. This has been both a blessing and a curse, of course. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cutting edge writers out there with spectacularly brilliant takes on things. Conversely, you also get the person who wants to make a name for his or herself by just being outrageous. I suppose the same argument could be made for the internet as for those who support the right to bear arms (an issue on which I am not speaking out. This will not be a political blog): in the proper hands, a gun can be a completely safe, often life saving tool. Well, in the proper hands a blog can be an entertaining, useful tool also. Unfortunately for those of us who stumble upon the ridiculous ones, there is no Brady Bill for starting a blog.
Having said all of that, I’m throwing my hat into the ring. To be candid, I'm not yet certain what this blog will be for me, or ultimately for you the reader. This excites me. There will obviously be plenty of television palaver, in case the preceding text didn't clue you in on that. I watch a ton of television and quite often have strong thoughts on what I see. Some may find it silly, but I have expectations of the shows I watch. I don’t think it’s too much to ask, but I expect the shows to stick to what I think of as their Virtual Mission Statement (VMS), meaning I don’t need every show I watch to provide me with the same quality or experience, only that they keep to the standards that they themselves have set. For example, I don’t expect to get the same level of mystery, intrigue and supernatural out of Chuck (a show I adore) as I expected out of LOST (a show I have great passion for, blog posts to come). I do however expect Chuck to remain consistent in the level of humor, playfulness and quirk it has set for itself.
Like many things in life, I watch different shows for different reasons. Sometimes you feel like macaroni and cheese (The Office), at times you want a complex roasted poblano corn chowder (The Walking Dead), and who doesn’t love a thick, juicy steak with mashed potatoes (the late, mostly great 24) every now and then? When a show I enjoy veers off course, I’m not afraid to say it. If that show redeems itself, I’ll gladly point it out. This won’t be a blog about bashing shows I detest, although you will get an informed opinion of why I don’t care for certain shows.
“If you’ve come this far, maybe you’re willing to come a little further.” – Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption
Having said all of that, I'm sure you will get some food talk along the way as well. Cooking is another passion of mine, to which anyone who knows me will attest. At the time of this publication my wife and I are a week into a one month vegetarian trial. We're doing this for health reasons, not ethical ones. I'll gladly share with you my experience at a restaurant that inspires me to write about it, good or bad. Perhaps a recipe or two will make its way here in the future as well. You'll also get some musical thoughts on here at some point I'm sure. Sadly, I'm not as up on new music as I once was, but I'm always up to hear something new, and if it piques my interest, I'll be sure to share with the class. I imagine there will also be some sports talk and pop culture thrown in here and there.
I suppose it’s time to give you my mission statement for this blog. Typically a mission statement comes first, but I thought it was appropriate to tell you a bit about myself before making any grand declarations. My mission is this: To give you my thoughts, theories, observations, gripes, praise, emotions and hopefully a chuckle or two about what I see both on the television and in the world, and to present it in a way that informs, entertains and provokes thought. Perhaps you already watch some of the same programs, or maybe it will get you interested in watching them. If you have anything you think I should be watching, listening to, eating etc., by all means let me know.
If you choose to follow along, I thank you in advance. I hope we have fun together going down the rabbit hole. Until then….
No comments:
Post a Comment