An Explanation of Pop Culture Ignorance
I always knew I was a little out of it in the pop culture arena. Sometimes even I am rather stunned by my gaps. I grew up in a home where television was severely limited. Not what we saw but how much we saw and when we saw it. Our viewing habits were a little out of the norm. There was no television in the daytime except if you were home sick and then you had your choice between Mr. Dressup or The Friendly Giant. Mr. Dressup for me! I once made a paper plate hat that he showed how to do. Loved that hat. Kept it for years. We always had to have our meals together at the kitchen table. The only time I ever got to eat in front of the television was on the rare occasion my parents went out for dinner, then my brother and I got to have our dinner on the t.v. trays in front of the television. A rare but treasured treat! Those nights were always great fun. Saturday cartoons? The only time I saw Saturday cartoons was at sleepovers.
We were allowed 1 hour a week of our choice. My choice in high school was police story. Has anyone out there seen that show? It's extremely violent. Kind of ironic that I was allowed to watch that but not cartoons. News was not considered being lazy and doing nothing so we were allowed to watch the news. In our house that meant the news on the CBC with my father constantly giving a play by play analysis of the coverage. This yelling at the news seems to be an inherited trait that was passed on to all us kids. We all do it. When my whole family gets together watching the news can be real entertaining. My brother's sons have even joined the league of annoying opinionated news watchers.
The rules were relaxed during Christmas holidays. That wasn't all that great because it seemed they were always airing stupid movies and the same stupid movies year after year. Summers were spent at the cabin where we didn't even have a television. Ours was a real cabin with a very scary outhouse but absolutely the best place in the world to spend summers.
When I graduated from high school I went off to university and I certainly didn't have a television there. I realize nowadays most kids have their own t.v. but not when I went. I was finally given a used television at some point by a friend but when it gave up the ghost I just never bothered to replace it. When I started university here (I have three separate degrees so when I talk university it gets a little confusing. Hey, if your first degree was a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Piano Performance you too would have had to eventually go and get a different degree. Well, I guess not if you actually were able to make money performing then I'm completely green with envy and I don't want to talk to you!) my parents gave me a television for Christmas. Everybody was shocked by that gift! My father actually said, "We think you're working too hard and need a little down time!" I think retirement makes parents soft!
So when I got the television it took me forever to get cable. Then it took me two years before I even knew I had Much Music. I had no idea my cable went up so high! Now sadly, I cannot believe how much television I am able to consume and just how low I am willing to go for some television viewing. I think I reached an all time low when I watched an entire program about stupid things Paris Hilton had done. Sheepishly, I must admit I quite enjoyed it. Sad and scary but true.
I have my moments when I think I should cancel my cable and get back to reading more. But, I am now hooked and cancelling would cause severe withdrawal symptoms.
Side note: This Christmas my parents said they remember visiting relatives in Iowa where they stayed glued to the McCarthy Trials. For my parents it was the first time they had ever seen a television so between a watching an actual television and the dramatic trials it made for a memorable trip.
15 comments:
We are not actually all that different in our tv history, you know. We did not have a tv until I was in grade 2, and then it was also severely limited. Back in my day (100 years ago) Sunday night was the big one, when we were allowed to watch Ed Sullivan and Bonanza. Eventually things slackened a bit and we added shows like Star Trek on Thursdays.
When my dad went away on maneuvres, more tv watching was permitted.
I didn't have a tv in university either - I used to listen to CBC radio as my link to the world. But eventually I got roommates who had tv and then it all went to hell. And then of course I got married ...
Barbara, my brother was adamant that his kids would also have their television limited. He also wanted nothing to do with nintendo or computer games but once the kids hit 10 they were never home. When they asked why they found out it was because their friends had all the techno gadgets so he relented and gave in. They're so glad they did because now the boys have made their home the place to hang out.
As a kid, we only had Radio-Canada (CBC), but were allowed to watch more than you. I remember waking up on Saturdays and watching the Canadian Anthem (I'm not 100% sure about the song) with the drawings of Canada.
Later, my grandfather gave us a satellite dish but someone stole it, but i did not like it(living outside the city means no cable!) When I was younger, I did not like tv, I wanted to play outside...
and in Grade 7 my parents bought another satellite dish... I could finally understand what my friends were talking about. But even if we have a lot of channels, Radio-Canda, RDI, CBC are out favourite ones (plus TSN for Basketball, and Global for some english tv shows).
Evelyne, that was really interesting because I think we just assume that nowadays everyone has television and lots of television stations. I tend to forget about the rural areas.
I honestly don't remember TV being much of a factor in our home either. When I was a kid, we'd spend our entire days outdoors - from dusk till dawn. I do remember that it was a big deal when Mom won $1,000 in Bingo...it was like we'd won a lottery and we then went and bought a console, color TV. But I don't even think we watched it...it had a nice doily on the top with a fake flower arrangement and was more of a piece of furniture to us.
I remember hearing the HNIC theme, hearing Dad watch Stampede wrestling and watched The Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner hour (talk about violence). And, a huge TV memory for me was watching "The Wizard of Oz". I think times are much different and we were lucky to have grown up in a time where TV wasn't very significant.
and I laughed at your family's interaction with the news hour....my Dad was like that with hockey/football games - still is to this day. He closes his eyes (I guess that's from his "radio" days) and shouts at the TV!
I watched a lot of television as a child, a lot. But I also read heaps, and heaps so I think it balanced itself out. Plus, now I'm able to look at tv and film much differently while studying it in the academic sense and I think it gives me the extra advantage having watched it growing up.
Since coming to uni, my tv watching has dropped. Since this summer, almost now non existant. I don't know why I even have cable, but now I figure I have three more months, might as well wait it out. I find myself not missing television in the slightest, and for a girl who was 'in the loop' I had friends come make me dinner last night and they were asking me about the golden globes, and I was like huh? To which they replied, 'Al, there on tomorrow'...I don't even know who's nominated!!
I think its hard to find a balance sometimes. But I'm enjoying my time spent listening to the BBC radio, and tuning into newsworld when I get the chance. Wow, long comment, sorry...now actually off to work. I think it would be better if I cancelled internet, not cable!! :)
I grew up the opposite. I watched a lot of TV. I'm so addicted, but I think it is just having it. When I lived by myself, I would turn it on just so I wouldn't feel so alone. I managed to do an entire math degree in front of the TV, so I think I manage my time well with it. It's like the radio to me, but with pictures. I look up once in a while when I'm working away. But when I didn't have one! That's when I'd go nutty. If it was on and I was at someone's house, I was glued to it.
We didnt have tv during the summer either. As soon as we were out of school, the tv got unplugged, and we were booted outside :O) We had CBC and sort of got the Lethbridge station CFCN, which had some US programming. At some point, our town, Moyie applied for a grant for a community sattelite dish, for "educational reasons" We went through HBO, then The Movie Channel, and so on. Sometimes the adults who loved close by the tuner thingie would get drunk, and decide to watch pornos. Gee, what an education that was! *G* I loved your post. Especailly the descriptions of your family yelling at teh news!
loved close by *laughing my head off* that should be lived close by, but maybe the type - o is appropriate there? haha
Deb, that's how we would spend our days. You and I grew up in the time when the prevailing theory was that it was healthy for kids to be outdoors in any kind of weather. I can remember in Sasaktchewan in the middle of winter and we had to go outside. I swear all the parents were in cahoots because all us kids along the block would end up outside at the same time.
Allison, they need to invent a special computer for you. You need one that makes you scan your finished homework and if it passes muster then and only then will the internet turn on! :) I think finding a balance is always difficult.
Small town teacher, I swear I would not have graduated if it was not for doing my math in front of Hockey Night in Canada. I used to do my math in front the games with candles lit and near the end a glass of wine. I figured if I had to spend my Saturday night studying then it was going to be fun! Working fulltime meant I had no choice but to give up part of my weekend for studying. The rest of the time I studied to music. I would have hated school if I had to study in quiet.
Oh, Mellowlee I had to reread your first comment to get the second. That's pretty funny when you think about it in those terms! I think Small town teacher is living with something similar to what your town had. She's teaching in a small town and the band has a dish that everyone can connect with.
I'm addicted. I have regular shows I need to watch every night of the week.
When I was a kid, it was play outside; very little TV.
High school I think I watched alot.
College and rest of my 20's? Hardly any TV. Out somewhere, anywhere every night of the week. I don't even remember man landing on the moon. Seriously.
I think the shows are so good now, it's easy to get hooked. BTW, did you watch 24 last night? Ha. Good blog.
Busterp, you missed the landing on the moon? I totally remember the moment. I was at a swim meet and the pool set up a television in the foyer and they actually stopped running events so everyone could see it live.
I didn't have a television when O.J. Simpson was arrested and during that whole debacle. I remember first reading about it on something like page 5 of the Globe and Mail and I told my sister O.J. had just been arrested for murder. She just looked at me incredulous and said, "Where the hell have you been?"
Maybe I didn't miss it but I can't remember what I was doing. ??? O.J. though was crazy. Clint and I watched the white bronco for about 2 hours. Surreal. I even taped it. (wish I hadn't taped over it. Damn.)
Busterp, that's pretty funny about taping the chase in the white bronco. I remember seeing a picture of the chase on the front page of the newspaper and I thought wow he lead them on a chase. Then I read it and found out most of the chase he was driving really slow and that people were watching it on t.v. and would have time enough to run outside and hold up signs! Crazy!
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