Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Where the TV Should Go

In five months I will leave the uni I am at behind and so with it the student house I now occupy. This means that at the moment our landlord keeps showing triplets of little students around.

So today as I was chopping vegetables in the kitchen I heard a voice from the other room:

"That is where the TV should go"

Amazing! The student didn't say "that is where a TV COULD go", it was definitely "that is where the TV SHOULD go". As if there was a TV shaped hole in the universe that quite obviously needed filling, that the idea of it not being filled was something that could not be comprehended. The universe would be right again when the TV was properly instated.

Wow!

In the words of Einstein: "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?"

Anyway, walking back up to my room, soup simmering nicely, it occurred to me I could do a little product placement in my own house, see if I could influence the subconscious of all the visitors! I put some extra herbs on top of my soup so the house smelled nicely of herbs and good food cooking, rearranged my organic veg box so the name and the 'organic' showed, positioned some good books so the titles could be seen, had some of my camping equipment partially on show so it would give the impression of activeness, had the title of my blog up on my laptop. If I had had more time I could have made posters with subtle subconscious cues in them, hey I could even have had music playing with very subtle background words. Ah but I must resist the dark side!

But after all it wouldn't work - we have no TV! All I would do would be clouded by that aberration of nature!
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8 comments:

  1. szerintem27 January 2009 at 15:15

    my parents have just bought a new tv... that's what happens when you don't say out loud what you want! subconscious clues are never enough! :P but it's better than putting up a poster which says "No tv in this house!", that would be too negative ;)) keep up the good work, set a good example for a life without tv!

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  2. Mark J27 January 2009 at 15:36

    Yeah lol :-) but then maybe you just need the right subconcious cues...

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-EYcoepbrEY
    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=THGmXATdN7Y&feature=related
    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HImJbRrs9kY&NR=1

    (from what looks like a cool documentary called programming the nation)

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  3. Anonymous27 January 2009 at 16:31

    I hear ya Mark! Got rid of my tv in September and dammmmn life is so sweet, peaceful and productive! x

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  4. Mark J27 January 2009 at 16:45

    Woo yeah! join the club! :-)

    It really is great, I found myself taking up new interests and doing new things when I kicked the habit! And I reckon it helps you be able to think more independently too.

    And yeah so peaceful not having the evil box sucking at your brain!

    Hey, do you get them TV licencing letters? Do they realise they sound like disgruntled drug dealers?

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  5. Anonymous28 January 2009 at 19:35

    I lived for years without television, and then I got a roommate! Oh well, I am able to watch a few things I find acceptable, and move on...I am no stranger to the disappointment of failed subtle hints. I tried for years at my old place of employment to emphasize the importance of conservation, recycling…you name it. Finally as I got to know my coworkers a little better, and my infamous lack of sensitivity and talent for uber blunt remarks lead me to speaking my mind…I wasn’t ostracized, but I wasn’t understood either! Oh well! I love my current job, working with like minded people. Good luck to you!

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  6. Mark J29 January 2009 at 09:11

    I am lucky to have only ever lived with people amenable to the idea of no TV - I don't seem to have any immunity to TVs otherwise, I didn't grow up with one so all the moving pictures, sounds and bright colours draw me in and I can't look away! I find that well annoying, especially the adverts - I have been known to growl at a TV before now!

    I am happy for you having found like-minded people to work with! It is such a good feeling! It is strangely difficult trying to convince people not to trash the world they live in, maybe it is because they don't have a good connection to it?

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  7. Unknown5 February 2009 at 11:25

    Remember what Roald Dahl had to say about Television:

    The most important thing we've learned,
    So far as children are concerned,
    Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
    Them near your television set --
    Or better still, just don't install
    The idiotic thing at all.

    The rest is here:
    http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/television/

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  8. Mark J5 February 2009 at 11:37

    Thanks for that Sam!

    Apparently it is hearing a story told (without watching it) that can help a child develop empathy - because they have to imagine what is going on rather than having it spoon-fed

    ReplyDelete

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