Just like the bighorn sheep of North America who shed their wool in the summer, I’m about to do a bit of shedding of my own. I’ll be lightening the load, taking out the garbage, so to speak.
Does anyone else think there’s a whole lot of crapola on TV these days? Seriously – what do people watch all damn day long? I have to be sick as a dog in bed to even think of putting the TV on during the day.
I know some people love to watch their game shows and others are hooked on the news. That’s fine. They can have it! I can’t take more than 30 seconds of that Mike Lindell guy screaming about his freaking awesome pillows or the endless stream of bobble heads on 24/7 news yelling at each other nonstop. They’re literally sitting two feet away from each other; why all the yelling?
And that’s just daytime TV; prime time is even worse, especially if you have to put up with commercials. Why is it everyone on TV ads has “moderate to severe plaque psoriasis” or “suffers from the embarrassment of IBS”?
By now you’ve probably figured out I don’t watch much TV; I’d rather write stories, listen to music or work on my plants than sit in front of the TV while my brain cells shrivel up and die.
Now I’m not talking about ball games or movies; they are the exception to the rule. I enjoy kicking back to a good move and will watch just about any baseball game that happens to be on but in my opinion everything else is garbagio.
I know nothing about Game of Thrones, The Good Doctor or La Brea. And what the hell is the point of Naked and Afraid? Why do the people have to be naked AND afraid? Can’t they just be afraid? I know I am!
I’ve never seen one minute of any reality show such as The Karadashians (gag me with a spoon!) or The Bachelorette (kill me now!). I watched about ten minutes of Jeopardy! with the new host whose name I can’t pronounce … you know, the one who loves to tell anyone who will listen that she has a doctorate in neuroscience. Who gives a rat’s ass? I’d rather watch Naked and Afraid.
Let me give you a rundown of the shows I watch:
- Days of Our Lives (which Bill and I record and watch in the evening)
- General Hospital (which Bill and I record and watch in the evening)
- America’s Got Talent (I like talent shows despite the over-the-top Terry Crews)
- Grantchester (a fantastic BBC show)
- All Creatures Great and Small (another fantastic BBC show)
- Outlander (yet another fantastic show from the UK with lots of men in kilts as a bonus)
NB – Quality shows like 4-6 usually take two years or more between seasons; why it takes that long to film 10 episodes is beyond me but we patiently wait for their return because they are bloody amazing shows. They’re also commercial free; gotta hand it to the Brits!
That’s all folks! Pretty short list, I know.
So, what did I mean about taking out the garbage? After way too many years of watching the mind-numbing Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, I have cut the “soap on a rope”. Why? Because they are stupid, insipid, a huge waste of time and an insult to my intelligence. My 13-year-old granddaughter could write better storylines. And you know what else? I won’t even miss them.
GOOD RIDDANCE!
One thing’s for sure: in the world of soaps very little changes. If I decide to tune in to either of those soaps five or six years from now, Lulu will still be in a coma and somebody in Salem will be possessed … again. Oy! Now that’s just stupid!
NAR © 2022
The Elephant's Trunk 
I’M WITH YOU Nancy! Although i LOVE the good dr as it’s magical insight of the intuition is how I work. Now everyone here loves noise but me!
Kardashians.. oh ugh. 💖
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Thanks, Cindy. Bill liked The Good Dr too but that’s been cancelled! Well I found out my problems commenting on your blog have something to do with my Mac’s browser because I have no trouble commenting using my iPhone. I have the same problem with 2 other people. Go figure!! Hopefully WP can get to the bottom of this without causing more problems! 🤞🏼
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I’m pleasantly surprised that in America too, people are fed up with TV shows. Thank you, Nancy for sharing your frank opinion. Earlier I used to watch news only, but now only headlines. I think it’s sheer wastage of time. It’s better to watch Netflix or Amazon prime.
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I’m with you 100%, KK. Now that I have eliminated the two silly soap operas and the three shows from the UK are on hiatus, there’s nothing left to watch except America’s Got Talent and the occasional movie. In truth I am so busy with my grandchildren and writing, by the time evening rolls around I’m too tired to even bother turning on the TV!
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So true, Nancy. It’s better to watch TV when you are tired, but the TV shows make you more tired. So it’s better not to watch. Thank you.
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Nancy, I gave up TV over nine years ago. I haven’t missed it. The best part, I have no wasted money on streaming subscriptions or satellite services. When I want to watch a movie I rent it or check out a DVD from the public library. This has been so much better for my brain.
After giving it up I became aware how much of my “watching” was merely out of habit. With streaming services, I easily got hooked on binge-watching things I liked. Now, I prefer to listen to good music, an audiobook, or a podcast if I want something in the background while doing activities that don’t require much mental focus.
May you be blessed with more bandwidth for creativity as you venture forward.
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Wow! Good for you! I really liked your line about watching a lot of things on TV out of habit. I can’t begin to tell you how many time we fall asleep with the TV on and have no recollection of what happened. I cut the rope on Friday and it was wonderful! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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I grew up loving TV and would watch literally anything that was on (we’d watch the test patterns for I don’t know how long waiting for the cartoons). Now all I really care about is Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, and could live easily without them. I can enjoy a ballgame just as much over the radio (I grew up listening to White Sox games in a house full of Cub fans). If there’s a movie I want to see, I can rent it through Prime Video, although most of the movies since 2000 are utter garbage…
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I’m pretty much with you, John, especially listening to a ballgame on the radio. I can remember sitting on the front stoop with a bunch of neighbors listening to the Yankee games on the radio. We used our imaginations, our brains, to envision what was going on in the stadium. The games were exciting back then. These days they seem to drag on forever but I like having one on in the background.
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A friend put me on to Outlander. She didn’t think I would like it as we referred to it as a bodice-ripper, but both my husband and I got into several seasons. I noticed the guy playing Jamie got buffer every season. I guess he figured if he was going to have to take his shirt off every episode, then he better keep up the gym work.
When we were in the States a few years back, it seemed a continual stream of medical advertisements no matter the channel. That was odd to us, because here in Oz you can’t push medicine to that level. And certainly doctors et al, can’t advertise themselves. Over the counter treatments do get a run though, especially in cold and flu season.
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Bodice-ripper! That’s a new one to me. As you’ve seen, there is some of that but it’s not a dime store romance novel. The storylines are riveting, especially the early ones when Jamie was being held prisoner by Black Jack Randall; that was difficult to watch at times. Excellent acting. Nothing like a good period piece – even when the periods keep changing! Careful not to lean on any large stones!
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I too do not watch TV, but I do enjoy America’s Got Talent and crime shows like NCIS or hospital drama like Chicago Med. 😀
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I’m with you on this! Most of what we watch is on PBS or Britbox, mysteries and period pieces (love Grantchester, but I loved the books more and wished the story lines had followed them) we seldom miss Masterpiece, Downton Abbey was a favorite, and we enjoy The Midwife. Can’t wait for the final season of Doc Martin which has been quite a few years in coming. I think I’ve forgotten most of it!
It is amazing to me how there could be so many channels and absolutely nothing on.
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You’re so right about the number of channels and nothing to watch. It’s mind-boggling. I really do not understand how people can watch those reality shows – stupidity and entitlement at their highest!
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The only reality shows I watch are Top Chef and Project Runway. Not sure why I watch the latter, Vermont is hardly the fashion capitol of the world, but it is entertaining. Never watched people humiliate themselves on Bachelor-type programs, Isn’t a Kardashian from a Star Trek planet?
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Haha!! So close … the Cardassians were on Star Trek; the Kardashians (Kim, et al) are just aliens lol!! Now that you mention it, I used to watch Chopped but I haven’t seen it in ages. That was a fun show; I wonder if it’s still on. Your Project Runway secret is safe with me! 🤐
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Thanks Nancy. If word got out, I might have to turn in my Birks!
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I watch the weather sometimes, it’s actually over 50% right these days. I’m quite close to using the TV for hooking to the computer only. Unhooking is the best blood pressure medicine I know of.
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Great answer, Gary! I got a chuckle out of that one. 😂
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I think you will find many people in the writing community feel the same way Nancy. If there is something on the news I catch a write up on Washington Post or Huffington on my computer. We haven’t watched TV for twenty years. I also agree about British series and movies, they know how to put out some great shows. We watch Netflix. No commercials and I too love Highlander. You are not alone believe me. Sending big hugs and lots of love. 🦋❤️🦋Joni
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Oh yes, Joni, the best shows are the British series. I know there are a lot of other ones besides the three I mentioned. In fact, Grantchester just ended their latest season and All Creatures Great and Small won’t be back on until mid-January so it may be time to look for another BBC show to hold me over. Big hugs right back atcha! 💕🌹💕
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Nancy if you haven’t seen “Go Call The Midwife,” it is a beautifully written and directed show. One of the reasons I like British movies and series is that the people look like real people. I also think for the most part the acting is better as well. Maybe because people that look like folks you see in real life, not just in Beverly Hills, or more believable. sending you lots of hugs and love, Joni
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Thanks, Joni. That’s one on my list. I watched another one … the name escapes me at the moment … about a small English town where all the men had gone off to war and only the women were left in charge. That was a great one! I’ll check out Call the Midwife now that the latest season of Grantchester has ended. Hugs to you too, Joni 🌹
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