What have you watched recently?

[Knifeboy]

Re: What have you watched recently?

I never read (fictional) books. Never as in, Haven't touched one in 10 years
So what?

[Trathena]

Re: What have you watched recently?

how come the last ten posts you've made have had something to do with sex?

Aww come on, that is simply not true. And not fair.

i mean, as a man naturally i dont care, but you talk about it an aweful lot. Possibly because your the only regular female poster?

You care enough to post about it. I don't think I talk about it an "awful lot." I think I'm as normal as any other sex positive girl around.

Maybe it's because I'm a girl that normal mention of sex seems like a lot? And anyway, I was responding to Auto's suggestion.

She's very in tune with her vagina.

As a womyn, everything I do is empowering. Everything.

call it passing judgment, but it is just concerns me when americans watch more TV than they read books, and that they even have to watch TV while they ride the bus. something is fundamentally wrong with our love affair with TV and it cannot possibly be good.

I do agree with every word of this. Listen, I'm the last person to defend Average American. And I agree that most parents these days allow TV and video games to rule their kids' lives. The last 20 years shows what regular TV viewing has done to our country.

I guess I just had a small annoyance that you painted all of us with this brush (and yes I took it personally). I have a strong reading foundation. My parents made sure of it. When they were watching television, if I'd come into the living room and plopped my butt down, they'd have looked at me like I was crazy. They weren't nazis about it; I was allowed to see movies and watch Sesame Street and the Electric Company, but not much else. I had to play in my room or go outside.

The idea of a TV in my or my siblings' bedrooms? lol. Never in a million years. Hell, most of our boardgames were educational (my dad was a teacher and got them at discount). This is why I'm brilliant today.

And this is why I can watch TV without worry that I'm turning my brain to mush. I was educated in the 60-70s (anyone who has studied our educational system at all knows why this statement is meaningful). I learned critical thinking long before I began watching television on a regular basis.

I know the difference between passive and active viewing.

And that's why the "[sniff] Television? I don't watch television," crowd annoys the crap out of me. Because I can watch an episode of Desperate Housewives and still wrap them around my finger intellectually.

Also? Every single anti-TV blowhard I know has a DVD player and plays video games. Hypocrites.

All of that being said, I know plenty of adults who did watch a lot of TV when they were young and they're also quite intelligent and love to read. Some of them are on this board.

I had sex last night.

[And we'll just put a happy little bush over here.]

Re: What have you watched recently?

you took it way too personally.

[Trathena]

Re: What have you watched recently?

I read a hell of alot of articles and short stories.

All reading is good. Don't sell yourself short.

you took it way too personally.

::shrug:: I wasn't angry. I just thought it would be an interesting conversation to have.

[And we'll just put a happy little bush over here.]

Re: What have you watched recently?

it was not directed at anyone on this board. it is my frustration with the world at large. trying to have an intelligent conversation with people who are more worried with who is left on america's next top model or the island. i think it is frightening.

::shrug:: I wasn't angry. I just thought it would be an interesting conversation to have.

your diction argues otherwise.

[Trathena]

Re: What have you watched recently?

It's just . . . I wouldn't dream of entering the "What are you playing" or the "Let's settle our differences" thread and say that it's lame to "waste time" playing these games for hours unless I wanted to have a discussion about it.

I thought that's what you were doing here.

[Knifeboy]

Re: What have you watched recently?

and plays video games. Hypocrites.

That's an unfair comment to make. Computer games can be just as mindexpanding as any good book can be*


*ok maybe not, but they're definitely up there

your diction argues otherwise.

I disagree.
You seem to have a habit of overestimating the amount of "anger" or "upsetness" (.. ok i doubt that's a real word) in Trathena's posts.

[Trathena]

Re: What have you watched recently?

your diction argues otherwise.

Then I'm sorry. Because I admit I was a little annoyed, but not so much at you as with the attitude you were putting forth. It seemed pretty generalized. I wasn't angry, just arguing another side.

But your point about how most people are more interested in reality shows or who's getting tortured on 24 is spot on. I agree. That more people vote for American Idol than our elections is horrid.

And, yes, it's frightening, but I've been scared of our country for decades. Parents letting their kids watch television isn't solely to blame, but it's up there.

That's an unfair comment to make. Computer games can be just as mindexpanding as any good book can be*

No, that wasn't my point. I was talking about those who look down on television viewing, but think nothing of spending hours playing video games.

[And we'll just put a happy little bush over here.]

Re: What have you watched recently?

It's just . . . I wouldn't dream of entering the "What are you playing" or the "Let's settle our differences" thread and say that it's lame to "waste time" playing these games for hours unless I wanted to have a discussion about it.

I thought that's what you were doing here.

the same can be levied in those threads. too much is a terrible thing.

[Trathena]

Re: What have you watched recently?

too much is a terrible thing.

Absolutely.

[And we'll just put a happy little bush over here.]

Re: What have you watched recently?

here is an example: i tutor at the undergraduate school of humanities at my institution. my student was asked to write a paper about the most pressing issues facing her life today. she wrote about scrubs being canceled. on the eve of her big test in history, she canceled our session to go watch some reality tv shows.

[Knifeboy]

Re: What have you watched recently?

that's pretty hilarious

[Trathena]

Re: What have you watched recently?

here is an example: . . . she wrote about scrubs being canceled. on the eve of her big test in history, she canceled our session to go watch some reality tv shows.

I taught rhetoric and composition at a community college for two semesters. On the first day of class, to gauge my students' abilities, I asked them to write a few paragraphs on the last book they'd read: describe it, discuss whether they enjoyed it or not, and if so: why?, and if not: why not?

Well over half the class hadn't read a book in years, not since they were kids. Some talked about books they'd read in elementary school. Or books they'd started to read in high school and never finished (they faked it). Others simply asked if they could discuss a movie or a tv show. These were not kids; they were college age young adults.

I quickly learned that college-level freshmen rhet/comp courses are nothing more than seventh grade grammar classes.

that's pretty hilarious

It's pretty frightening. It's infuriating. And it's the main reason why all of us just suffered through 8 years of George W. Bush.

It'd be one thing if just the willfully ignorant had to live with their own stupidity, but we all have to suffer the consequences.

What's depressing is watching the few exceptionally bright students get lost in the crowd.

[And we'll just put a happy little bush over here.]

Re: What have you watched recently?

so, because people do not read they are republican? or at least more likely to vote republican?

[Trathena]

Re: What have you watched recently?

No. Because people do not read, they don't vote within their or their country's or the world's best interest. They make uneducated, harmful choices.

Bush didn't receive votes from only Republicans.

Having said that, it's my observation that most non-readers are bigots and fundamentalists who do vote Republican, whether it makes their life (either financially or spiritually) better or not. But that's just my personal observation, and I'm not saying that's generally the way things are as a whole.