This is a lighter topic than my previous one. And somewhat rambling. And very late. Is this blog still going?
I have decided I am an advocate of television shows being available on the internet. I appreciate that the few shows that I follow (The Office, Lost) do not have to rule my life. Gone are the days when one would have reason to plan one’s activities around an airtime because the last episode ended on a cliffhanger. Not that I really remember ever doing that, but I think TV has evolved to the point where some really worthwhile shows (in my humble opinion, Lost, for example) are like a book – you can’t miss a chapter, or you’ll be lost (not trying to be cute here). Of course, T-VO solves this problem, too, but that is extra money for something that I would rarely use, anyway. Admittedly, the cost maybe worth it in avoiding godless advertising. But I digress. These options are opportunities to say, “TV (even good TV) is not my priority. My relationships with God, family, and friends, my duties, my personal development – are, and I have the choice not to have to choose between them, but to put first things first.” Going back to the book analogy, you could shirk your duties and just bury yourself in that good book, or you can relax with it when you’ve put first things first.
Waxing autobiographical, there was a time I was rabidly anti-TV. It was the result of suddenly having cable the summer when I was 12, cooped up in a rental house away from usual summertime country-side diversions. When the summer was over, I realized I had done almost nothing but watch TV. So the pendulum swung to years of shunning shows. In college I got to know folks who argued that TV/ film was an intrinsically harmful medium, and I saw a more intellectual basis for my decision. (This was the kind of college where most people cared to think about such things.) After a few more years of what I consider real education, and arguments with both sides, I ultimately decided … all things in moderation. TV/ film can be mindless time-wasting, but it doesn’t’ have to be (though much of it is). It can be a good story that makes you think more deeply about reality. Stories have the ability to teach us in a unique way, which is (one reason) why we love them and why Jesus used parables. The medium can drag you into passivity, but it doesn’t have to. It can be a starting point for ideas and discussions.
What shows do you think are truly worthwhile? Why?
Michelle,
A very thoughtful post. As you know, Laura and I are also great fans of Lost, and really anything done by J.J. Abrams (we also love Fringe).
I do agree with you that almost anything can be good in moderation. It is important to constantly question our motvations and ask ourselves why we are doing anything (including watching TV). However, I believe that simply writing off all TV as “evil” and “godless” is silly and narrow-minded.
I’m not ready to say that Lost has helped me to be a better Christian, but it certainly has given me a lot of good food for thought, while taking my mind off some of our daily stresses. I don’t see any harm in that.