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The essay struck me as being more condescending than helpful (and I despise TV). If you were a regular TV watcher who had no intention of quitting, would that

The essay struck me as being more condescending than helpful (and I despise TV). If you were a regular TV watcher who had no intention of quitting, would that essay do anything other than encourage you to watch more out of spite?

m0nty 18y ago
Maybe I could ask you a question here. I'm in a demographic which is probably less than 2% of the UK population. Not watching TV is not something I brag about because (generally speaking) people here seem to think it's a bit weird and different not to watch it, rather than a particular virtue. But some of the comments in the article seem to suggest there's a section of American society which would see it as brag-worthy, and they clearly get on people's nerves. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28694 http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28694 So, when you suggest the article might encourage you "to watch more out of spite", I wonder if there's a cultural thing going on here, so maybe you could confirm or deny that (assuming you're in the US). Just curious is all...
- tom_rath 18y ago
  I'm in Canada (and have lived for a spell in the U.S.) and not watching television in both nations does strike many people as 'odd'. For the idea of doing more of something "out of spite" in reaction to a preacher's recommendation that you avoid an activity to be 'better' in their eyes, check out this commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhS65wyWnA8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhS65wyWnA8 It's apparently running in the U.S. and seems to do little to deter smokers from continuing in their habit (the YouTube comments seem to bear that out). As the commercials are funded by U.S. tobacco companies as part of a legal settlement, that may have been the intended result. In a similar fashion, I doubt the linked essay will do anything to positively change the behaviour of those who watch television shows to excess.
  - m0nty 18y ago
    'For the idea of doing more of something "out of spite" in reaction to a preacher's recommendation' I mostly get that bit, I was just curious about why the linked article was being interpreted as "preachy" when I personally didn't see it as such. (You're right about the ad you linked: truly awful. I clicked away.) I live in a country where the government has banned smoking in public, wants to tax "unhealthy" food, and is subservient to an EU which is making noises about banning alcohol as well, so we're well versed in ignoring moral messages from on high.

m0nty 18y ago

Maybe I could ask you a question here. I'm in a demographic which is probably less than 2% of the UK population. Not watching TV is not something I brag about because (generally speaking) people here seem to think it's a bit weird and different not to watch it, rather than a particular virtue. But some of the comments in the article seem to suggest there's a section of American society which would see it as brag-worthy, and they clearly get on people's nerves. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28694 http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28694 So, when you suggest the article might encourage you "to watch more out of spite", I wonder if there's a cultural thing going on here, so maybe you could confirm or deny that (assuming you're in the US). Just curious is all...

tom_rath 18y ago
I'm in Canada (and have lived for a spell in the U.S.) and not watching television in both nations does strike many people as 'odd'. For the idea of doing more of something "out of spite" in reaction to a preacher's recommendation that you avoid an activity to be 'better' in their eyes, check out this commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhS65wyWnA8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhS65wyWnA8 It's apparently running in the U.S. and seems to do little to deter smokers from continuing in their habit (the YouTube comments seem to bear that out). As the commercials are funded by U.S. tobacco companies as part of a legal settlement, that may have been the intended result. In a similar fashion, I doubt the linked essay will do anything to positively change the behaviour of those who watch television shows to excess.
- m0nty 18y ago
  'For the idea of doing more of something "out of spite" in reaction to a preacher's recommendation' I mostly get that bit, I was just curious about why the linked article was being interpreted as "preachy" when I personally didn't see it as such. (You're right about the ad you linked: truly awful. I clicked away.) I live in a country where the government has banned smoking in public, wants to tax "unhealthy" food, and is subservient to an EU which is making noises about banning alcohol as well, so we're well versed in ignoring moral messages from on high.