Netflix Saves
Netflix is like the mafia, you pay ’em 20 bucks a month and they keep you safe. Protection money. For the last 6 months the only stuff I’ve watched on TV has been DVD’s via Netflix and commercial free LOST via i-tunes. On occasion I’ve been in hotels and watched the news. I’ve missed nothing. I listen to NPR a couple times a week, friends forward me important news stories – despite all that’s happening in the world it’s bizarre how little reporting is happening and how little of that is newsworthy. I used to watch the 10 o’clock almost everynight, probably 4 hours of worthless news a week, 16 hours a month, that’s 162 hours of TV I haven’t watched in the last 9 months. A month of full time work. And I don’t even want to think about the obscene number of commercials I haven’t viewed by not watching conventional TV. I have watched a ton of great movies, topping the list, Elling, Saint Ralph, and Everything is Illuminated. A couple bombs, Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny (probably been funnier not watching it alone) and Borat (too much build up, too little pay off). And two great TV series of mind numbing fun, Boston Legal and The Office.
This is why it’s on my mind. I was reading a blog about someone who doesn’t have a TV, so their kids are safe from the evils therein. And I started thinking about it and I realized that its a real social thing. I didn’t watch TV growing up in Africa and when we’d come to the states I came off as a total moron (some thing’s never change). I’m not advocating peer pressure, but i’m realizing that what I don’t like about TV is all the marketing and consuming that comes with it. But you strip that away with Tivo or netflix and it’s really great. Sure beats talking about the weather. (Did you ever hear that song TV’s and SUV’s? what a load of crap) Of course not in excess, and I know kids under 2 aren’t supposed to be around it, but would you want to hang around kids that never watched cartoons? Those are the kids who go the park in skirts and button up shirts. we’ve got a word for them. home schooled. (i was one of those too) (maybe this is all stuff that would’ve come out with a therapist years ago if i weren’t too cheap to go to one) (and yes, I realize home schooled is two words)
So I guess what I’m saying is you can be the culture and be the counter-culture at the same time. Screw the consumer side and eagerly consume the non-consumer side.
Be the culture you want to counter. -Gandhi