I think we agree on most of these points. Another reason I like TVs is because I'm mostly a wall flower at parties. Smalltalk irritates me and I only talk to people after a given party passes through that phase transition where it ratchets down a bit and allows more intimate conversations amongst small groups. Until that happens, I need ways to entertain myself. It's for that reason I like to play old movies or "mix videos" on the TV during parties, usually with the sound muted. Nosferatu and Fearless Vampire Killers are favorites. But I also have a good set of videos from Spot Draves:
http://scottdraves.com/ This is especially useful because I like death, speed, and heavy metal music. And I usually like to turn that up loud enough to prevent conversation. So, the TV is an integral part of any parties I throw ... not for broadcast stations. That means that we have an ambiguity or equivocation in the term "TV". I used to use a LCD projector for some of this stuff. But with the cheap LED-LCD TVs, the picture is so much better and the access to various TV "apps" on network enabled TVs makes me think no digital swamp is complete without a big screen TV. On 05/08/2013 09:36 AM, Steve Smith wrote: > Thanks for the perspective. You may remember I insisted on referring to > my own version of Owen's "Digital Ecology" as a "Digital Swamp". My > point to that, which I hope parallels your perspective, is that no > matter how much we want it all to be a nice, orderly, well understood > environment, it is a complex, seething mass with unexpected/unintended > consequences. > > I'm afraid I'm a compulsive dead-horse beater. > > I also understand your reaction to those of us who might sanctimoniously > try to "hold ourselves above". I don't necessarily have any judgement > against those who are able to frolic in the cesspool (your word) of pop > culture and thrive in it's fecundity. I use the term "pop" dismissively > and have to acknowledge that in some sense all culture is "pop". I'm > not speaking from an elitist position that suggests Wagnerian Opera is > better than Sing Along with Homer Simpson, as Television Characters go I > kinda like Homer and don't care so much for Opera. One may be more > rarified or expensive than the other but in some sense it is all part of > a collective experience that both reflects who we are and perhaps > establishes who we become. You may not believe the paradigm of "bread > and circuses", I tend to. > > What I think I'm reporting is that having grown up (childhood and > adulthood) somewhat *naturally* separated from the more obvious sources > of popular culture (television, urban centers and suburban consumer > culture) I am not inclined to seek it out in large doses (excepting > those all night motel binges with the remote now and then). I'm also > reporting that I think the "push" nature of TV in particular is > insidious. Yes, the TV has an "off" button, but it is easy to forget > to use it. If I'm reading a newspaper (online or in print) and I get a > little disturbed by what I'm reading my failsafe position is to put it > down and read/do something else. I guess I feel that TV is an > "attractive nuisance". > > Having watched most of my television as an adult (in passing) in the > mute state, I feel that I have a unique perspective on it. I think TV > "reads" differently without sound, especially if it is a rarity rather > than a constant companion. And TV sound "reads" differently than Radio > sound. Having been a DJ in a border town in the 70's I listened to my > share of Mexican Radio. Though I understood Spanish well enough and was > not unfamiliar with Mexican culture, I was always taken aback by all the > *selling by yelling*. TV sounds a lot like that to me, whether it is > news or advertisements. > > And I share your concern (for myself in this case) about isolating > myself any more than I already am. But somehow I don't think my lack > of TV is what isolates me. Though there may be a correlation. -- glen =><= Hail Eris! ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
