Ohh, the ironies of life.......

[Gray_Area]

From the Terminator wiki page:

Cameron was dubious about casting Schwarzenegger as Reese as he felt he would need someone even bigger to play the Terminator. The studio had suggested O. J. Simpson for the role of the Terminator, but Cameron did not feel that Simpson would be believable as a killer

[SNAAKE]

 

[shmokes]

Not so ironic. Later on his jury came to the same conclusion.   

[shmokes]

I almost can't watch documentaries. My list of TV and movies that I want to see but haven't is SOOOOO long, and it grows at a much faster rate than I watch TV. If I'm gonna sit in front of the TV for any length I'm not there to learn. I'm there to be entertained. I own at least half a dozen documentaries I really want to see. But they just sit there, month after month. Year after year. There's always ten things in front of them in line.

[Gray_Area]

I almost can't watch documentaries. My list of TV and movies that I want to see but haven't is SOOOOO long, and it grows at a much faster rate than I watch TV. If I'm gonna sit in front of the TV for any length I'm not there to learn. I'm there to be entertained. I own at least half a dozen documentaries I really want to see. But they just sit there, month after month. Year after year. There's always ten things in front of them in line.

I'm a little the other way, in the last few years. I have a movie cue that has hardly changed in three years. But if I catch something of novelty/nostaliga, or something showing me something really new, I perk up.

[Le Chuck]

I haven't watched television in years.  If there is a series that gets recommended I'll check it out and start buying seasons if I like it but haven't casually watched since 2007.  So to avoid socially akward situations I fake watching tv.  I've found that if I tell people I don't watch television they get upset and start defending themselves and pretty much think I'm an intellectual snob... so I straight up lie to their faces.  Terribly duplicitous and aken to what all of our wives do to us in the bedroom I know but just today somebody started talking to me about that zombie related TV show and I was able to hold up my polite end of the conversation with what I've gleened from the "Recent Posts" on this forum. 

[Le Chuck]

Hasn't watched TV in years.... except for all those DVDs he's bought....

 

TV as in standard network programing.  Like if you turn on my tv it just gets static unless you play a movie.  There wasn't a hair there to split jimbo. 

And who buys dvds?  That's dead tech. 

[fallacy]

The definition of TV watching needs to change. I don’t watch TV either except streaming Hulu, Netflix, and Youtube; Downloaded every new movie and anime that comes out. By not watching TV means there are better ways then paying $60 a month to flip channels and see nothing but commercials.

[Le Chuck]

Hrm, okay.  I don't watch Hulu, Netflix, or Youtube (no cc'd content and no netflix subscription).  I'll catch linked content from youtube but don't go seaking anything to watch.  My movie downloading has dwindled in the last months, if something really catches my eye I'll get it but I don't watch a lot of movies either.  I have a WD media box and a TB HD hooked up to the TV and have my movies on there but mostly the kids use it as I have a lot of content for them.  Wife and I might sit down together infront of the tv once every two to three weeks but we usually don't finish a movie.  Last time I went to a theatre was in 2005, before that was 2001.  Recently my wife was able to start going as we convinced Carmike Cinemas to start showing select films with Open Captioning (we're a hearing impaired household).  She took our eldest to see Chipwrecked and he really enjoyed that.  Hopefully we'll get Lorax with subs showing so we can all go see that as a family. 

So when I fake watching TV for watercooler conversation I think that my limited viewing qualifies as ironic.             

[knave]

The definition of TV watching needs to change...

I tend to say, "I don't have Cable." I watch an increasing amount of TV...Sad but true, now that I can pick what I want to watch.

My sister doesn't own a TV...but she watches shows on her computer...I still call that "watching TV" even though Technically it's not on a Television. I tend to think of any televised content as TV nowadays regardless of the medium it's displated on.

[Le Chuck]

Makes sense to me.  Better choice of words for sure, and avoids that eye brow raise. 

[Green Giant]

Hrm, okay.  I don't watch Hulu, Netflix, or Youtube (no cc'd content and no netflix subscription).  I'll catch linked content from youtube but don't go seaking anything to watch.  My movie downloading has dwindled in the last months, if something really catches my eye I'll get it but I don't watch a lot of movies either.  I have a WD media box and a TB HD hooked up to the TV and have my movies on there but mostly the kids use it as I have a lot of content for them.  Wife and I might sit down together infront of the tv once every two to three weeks but we usually don't finish a movie.  Last time I went to a theatre was in 2005, before that was 2001.  Recently my wife was able to start going as we convinced Carmike Cinemas to start showing select films with Open Captioning (we're a hearing impaired household).  She took our eldest to see Chipwrecked and he really enjoyed that.  Hopefully we'll get Lorax with subs showing so we can all go see that as a family. 

So when I fake watching TV for watercooler conversation I think that my limited viewing qualifies as ironic.             

Your situation is clearly different from the standard "I don't own a TV crowd".

Although I do understand the defensive stance people give when you say that.  I have seen it plenty and almost find myself doing it.  I guess my only complaint is when people say there is only mindless drivel when in fact there is mostly mindless drivel, there is also some very good educational stuff.

You could always say you don't watch tv shows, you play video games.

[Howard_Casto]

Well I think the problem people have with it is that it's such an obsurd statement. 

Saying "I don't watch tv" is like saying "I don't listen to music" or "I don't read books" or in our case "I don't play video games." 

By making such a statement you are declaring proudly to the world self-imposed isolation from an entire form of media and therefore self imposed ignorance.  As GG said, just because a lot of it is junk doesn't mean that all of it is junk.  Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  I hate to burst intellectuals' bubbles, but 90% of books, film and virtually every other media is crap as well.  The only way for some stuff to stand out as outstanding is for it to be surrounded by a sea of mediocraty.

I"m not judging someone's decision to not pay for cable/tv I'm just saying that you watch tv... even if you don't think that you watch tv.  And if you truely don't watch tv... then you might have a problem. 

[Dawgz Rule]

I don't know...I kind of go with the straight up approach.  I can see where "I don't watch TV" can be taken as an in the face kind of statement.  My friends, family, and coworkers know that I watch very little TV and when I do, it is usually History Channel, HGTV, or something similar.  When asked why, I simply tell people that I am a big time gamer.  I would rather game because most games I play require thought, strategy, etc.

Honesty is everything and people tend to know when you are faking your way through a conversation....

[shmokes]

It's all in the wording. "I don't watch TV," sounds like principle. Like, "I don't drink alcohol." The problem is two-fold. First, it probably isn't true. Second, if it is true it's very likely a sort of idiotic position for the reasons Howard listed. It's not like you have only two choices, watch no TV or spend all day watching Real Housewives and American Idol and The Bachelor.

The thing is, everyone knows this, and they thus know that the person who says, "I don't watch TV," is probably being pretentious and is also probably lying. You can solve this problem easily with a slight change in wording. "I hate reality TV," or, "I don't watch the news," (both of which ought to be true statements for largely the same reasons). Even simply, "I don't watch much TV," is a far better option. You could add a bit of information right up front to take care of the baggage that goes along with, "I don't watch TV." Just say, "I love videogames, so pretty much any time I sit down in front of the TV I'm playing." then you say what you really mean without coming of as puritanical about it.

[Dawgz Rule]

Le Chuck, I will say you are a more patient man than I.  I simply couldn't endure a conversation about zombies on tv.

[Le Chuck]

Le Chuck, I will say you are a more patient man than I.  I simply couldn't endure a conversation about zombies on tv.

It's the banal conversations that cement those great working relationships.  I couldn't give a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- about 90% of what other people want to talk about casually but I make an effort to be engaging and interesting because it's the social thing to do.  Everybody does this to a certain extent. 

I agree with all of the above, it is odd to say it and it didn't take me long to figure that out.  I also avoid conversations detailing how much people watch (this thread aside) because I do end up on a somewhat polarized end of the spectrum.  I own a few handheld systems but I don't have any consoles anymore either.  I find that having two children under 5 really fills the hours. 

[Dawgz Rule]

Mine are all away in college.  Lovin' it.......The being away part, that is.   Don't mind when they visit on breaks but it is definitely a different life now that they are gone.  Last time my oldest was visiting, she got to play the arcade cab for the first time.  Funny thing was that she loves Gauntlet Legends and didn't realize that the earlier versions existed.  She actually liked the first two much better but suggested that they were much harder.  Goes to show that graphics aren't everything.

[Gray_Area]

Wow did this thread go off a bit. But I'll go along with it.....

  I hate to burst intellectuals' bubbles, but 90% of books, film and virtually every other media is crap as well. 

I agree. That's why I don't do about 99% of it.

The only way for some stuff to stand out as outstanding is for it to be surrounded by a sea of mediocraty.

I disagree with this. It's just that lots of people are used to sex rather than love-making.....wait....oh, thanks Chuck!

[Howard_Casto]

Le Chuck, I will say you are a more patient man than I.  I simply couldn't endure a conversation about zombies on tv.

I wasn't going to touch this, but the Walking Dead is NOT about zombies.  There are simply zombies in it.  The title actually refers to the survivors... they are the walking dead, not the zombies. 

In terms of fictional scifi/horror drama, it is probably the best one on tv atm.

It's all about subtlety....  if you think it's about zombies then you are far too superficial to be able to enjoy it anyway. 

[Dawgz Rule]

The point wasn't about zombies as much as having to engage in superficial conversations just to be polite or engaging.  It's all about subtlety......