Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Television Is Evil (Apparently)

After writing quite an innocuous blog entry last week about wanting to work less and spend more time with my family – All Work And No Play - I’ve found myself inexplicably attacked by Mr Anonymous (the Mr Man that Roger Hargreaves couldn’t be bothered to write about) who, after presumably skimming through a few of my other blog entries, jumped to the huge conclusion that the reason I don’t have enough time with my family is because I watch far too much television. For those of you who are interested, you can read his sanctimonious outpourings by clicking on the Comments link at the bottom of the entry in question.

Now my first reaction was one of immense anger and I still feel hugely offended. You’ll see from my replies that I generally watch no more than 2 hours of television a day. Hardly a massive family-quality-time sapping amount is it? Mr Anonymous however, undoubtedly with his nose in the air, countered with the argument that 2 hours a day soon adds up if you total it up over a year.

I find such statistics deeply irritating. They’re the usual recourse of the unimaginatively smug. Ah yes – you might only pick your nose for 2 minutes day but added up over a lifetime that equals 912 hours! 912 hours when you could be doing something far more worthy and important! So what are you supposed to do? Never pick your nose again and write a Nobel Peace Prize winning novel with the extra time that you’ve gained?

What rubbish. It’s unrealistic as well as being impractical and stupid.

Such statistics are utterly meaningless.

My biggest gripe, however, is the fact that Mr Anonymous has read a handful of my Blog entries and has just assumed that I choose to watch television rather than spend time with my family. That’s deeply offensive: (a) because nobody has the right to make judgements about me, my life and the intimate workings of my family life based upon a few flimsy blog entries and (b) I generally watch television WITH my family. And it’s not a passive viewing pastime either – Karen and I debate and discuss constantly the issues that are presented towards us. The television is far from being an “idiot box” in our house.

But even if it was who the hell has the right to tell me – or indeed you – that you have no right to relax in whatever way you see fit? I work effing hard. So does my wife. If we want to relax by watching TV, taking up Pilates, tying ourselves in knots with yoga or knitting voluminous sweaters out of spaghetti then so be it. Nobody has the right to say we can’t or intimate that our choice of relaxation is harming our relationship!

Mr Anonymous how dare you!

You obviously spend far too much time in front of the computer reading other people’s blogs and making ill-informed judgements about the owners based upon what you read. I could easily argue that such a pastime is bad for you and your own relationships. Why aren’t you spending that time with your family – if indeed you have one? Why don’t you count up how many hours you spend being sanctimonious over a year and try and decide whether it’s a worthy use of your time?

Personally, as far as I’m concerned, you can do what the effing hell you like with your life.

Just kindly butt out of mine.

Related Blog: A Blog On The Spectrum.

6 comments:

MOTHER OF MANY said...

Every summer when Big Brother returns you always get the 'SELF-RIGHTEOUS
PSEUDO-ACADEMICS' who scurry out and condemn any one who has the nerve to watch reality(or any)TV. Well bully for them for not watching TV,my girls and I love watching TV together and enjoy commenting(well bitching really!)on it.YES I WATCH TV and I do housework,exercise, cook, write, read, paint, crochet,sew, care for a disabled child,do the school run, shop, study for a masters degree etc,etc,etc all in the space of a hectic day.AND I feel that anyone who wants to watch TV as a relaxation can without being bollocked for it.Allegedly we still live in a democracy and allegedly that still gives us the free agency to turn on the TV and watch it if we want to.

Steve said...

Superbly put. Thank you!

-eve- said...

Hmmm.. I never thought you watched too much TV... Most people probably watch 2 hours a day too; they just don't know how to review the shows ;-)

Steve said...

He he he! Thanks -eve-

Old Cheeser said...

I read your previous post and the anonymous person's comments and can totally understand how it p*ssed you off! Yes, what right do they have to start passing judgement on your life and what you do?! Plus they clearly misinterpreted things you said too e.g. the stuff about your family.

I think people do somehow assume that if you watch BB or other reality TV shows that you either have no brain or are a TV addict. Far be that from the case. Speaking from my own perspective BB is a bit of undemanding viewing at the end of the working day. And most reality shows are only on approximately one hour per day. Which hardly constitutes one's whole existence, does it? Admittedly CBB is good fodder for blogging and discussion, as we both know, but again it doesn't exactly take up the whole of my life.

I think it's just unfortunate that this person happened to stumble upon your blog. He/she is probably some kind of blogging evangelist, reading and denouncing as many blogs as they can!!

Oh my God!! Does this mean I'm next for a visit from Mr/Mrs Anonymous?? Heaven protect me!!

I'd hate to get on the wrong side of you though Steve - I can see you are a force to be reckoned with! (lol)

One suggestion (in case you weren't already aware) - you can turn off the function that allows anonymous bloggers to leave comments. That way you won't get pestered by such varmits again.

Steve said...

As always thank you for the support! And for your advice... anonymous commenting now disabled.