Katie Demetriades Assignment 5: For the Love and Hate of Television

TV has slowly made less of a presence in my life. When I was younger, I was always glued to the television screen. My two favorite channels, of course, were Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. But that's not unique or revolutionary in any way. I'm sure at least one of you, if not all of you, loved Hannah Montana more than you loved yourself. My brother was the one that would introduce me to new shows. He was obsessed with anything on television, and since I didn't know how to be my own person, I followed in his foot steps and watched these shows with him. It went downhill from there. When he outgrew those shows, I was still watching and discovering my own shows to watch. That went on until I was about 11 or 12. Since then, television has died down in my life. For the most part, if I have the television on, it's just for background noise. I am rarely ever actually watching what's playing on the screen. Whenever I see previews for a show I may like, I tell myself I'll watch it every week, but it never pans out that way. By the third or fourth week, I've completely lost interest and stop watching. So, I always end up right back where I started: "watching" Full House reruns. I think my lack of interest in television comes from the other technological distractions that now exist that didn't when I was a kid. By that, I mean, I now have a smart phone that can do practically anything, things that television can't. Think about it: which would you rather have? A TV that can only entertain you for 30 minutes at a time (WITH ADS) or a phone that can entertain you for hours on end without a single ad?

Our interest in entertainment awards shows, such as the Emmys, or the VMAs or the Billboard Music Awards or the Oscars, shows where our interests lie. So many people obsess over their favorite TV show or their favorite musical artist that these award shows give them the chance to see even more of them. It shows that other people recognize their success and hard work, just as you do. We appreciate that. We like knowing our favorite is everyone else's favorite, too. When they beat the nominee you can't stand, your feeling of pride intensifies. The same can't be said for the Nobel Peace Price. As impressive as it is to win the Nobel Peace Price, nobody follows up and obsesses over who is going to win it. It's so much easier to learn about and access information on a TV show or a band than it is on an obscure scientist you've never heard of. Yes, these scientists work hard, even harder than your favorite actress, but their jobs and their lives are not nearly as glamorous. We aspire to have the same glam seen in Hollywood. So are instant attraction is towards movie stars and famous singers. It's not bad, it's not good, it's appropriate for our society. It's what has been expected for several decades. If you want society to think differently, stop giving Hollywood that kind of attention. But until that happens, don't expect to see that change.