First of all, Mary, thank you for taking the time to mull over this issue and write so comprehensively about it. Other than the people who mindlessly zone out and watch hours on end of brainless content, including the nightly news, I imagine many of us fret about the inherent dangers of the talking box.
"I went to bed thinking about the power of story, how it can move and shape us. I thought about the medium, the stories available through it, and the four arguments that Mander so eloquently lays out… and felt conflicted." This jumped out at me when I read your piece today.
I'm not an actor or a screenwriter or a filmmaker, but I am an artist. And, strangely, later in life, a writer. I love telling stories. These days, the only outlet for my stories is here on Substack. Another type of screen. There are so many creative people out in the world whose outlet is on television or the big screen. Do we have to throw the baby out with the bathwater because there is brainwashing and manipulation via the "tell-a-vision?"
I do have an old tv in my house. No cable. It's not "Smart." I have a DVD player and a 1st generation Apple TV which of course the TV lords want me to upgrade. I have always loved movies like I love a good book. I'm very careful about what I let into my brain. And my heart. It's another device, like this computer I'm typing on and my cell phone that I am constantly in watchful limit-mode. I treat them like any other possible addiction - potato chips and ice cream come to mind. :)
I'll be 70 this year so I remember what life was like without tv or computers or cell phones. Honestly, I'd be fine if they all imploded tomorrow. I guess I just feel that it doesn't have to be all or nothing.
Thank you for recommending Slowdown Farmstead. I feel blessed that I raised my children with limited tv. "Go outside and play!" was our mantra back then. I think it served them well. xo
What a “Blockbuster” of a series, Mary! Dare I use that word which is so often associated with TV and other screen series?? Actually what you’ve written about here deserves to be “witnessed”, “internalized”
and" hashed over" at length by droves of people just the way they flock to the theaters, or to Netflix, or Amazon to see the latest Hollywood production. I will be contemplating your content for, well, probably the rest of my life, I guess, because now every time I’m faced with a choice of whether or not to watch something, this will rise up from deep down inside me. So I will, like you, be conflicted, but maybe that’s a good thing which will cause me to be all that much more selective than I think I already am. Thank you again, Mary, for ALL of this. I can’t imagine how you do it but know it is so very much appreciated. You have definitely found what is “yours to do”. Carry on, but hopefully your vacation is next on your agenda.
Hey, guess what? Next Sunday, 7-9-23 is “World Circle Dance Day” LOL. I don’t know why I keep coming across things like this, but I do. I had recently decided to learn how to do the circle dance, so it seemed like it was meant to be. I won’t make it on time this year because I’ve only learned the first 2 steps so far due to two left feet, but it’s fun and I can already feel it lifting me higher in spirit. I’m learning the Hebrew dance “Od Lo Ahavti Dai” which means “I haven’t Loved Enough”. Nice, uh? Better than watching TV, right? Hey, could you write a poem for the Circle Dance? Hahahaha! Blessings on you and yours. xox
First of all, Mary, thank you for taking the time to mull over this issue and write so comprehensively about it. Other than the people who mindlessly zone out and watch hours on end of brainless content, including the nightly news, I imagine many of us fret about the inherent dangers of the talking box.
"I went to bed thinking about the power of story, how it can move and shape us. I thought about the medium, the stories available through it, and the four arguments that Mander so eloquently lays out… and felt conflicted." This jumped out at me when I read your piece today.
I'm not an actor or a screenwriter or a filmmaker, but I am an artist. And, strangely, later in life, a writer. I love telling stories. These days, the only outlet for my stories is here on Substack. Another type of screen. There are so many creative people out in the world whose outlet is on television or the big screen. Do we have to throw the baby out with the bathwater because there is brainwashing and manipulation via the "tell-a-vision?"
I do have an old tv in my house. No cable. It's not "Smart." I have a DVD player and a 1st generation Apple TV which of course the TV lords want me to upgrade. I have always loved movies like I love a good book. I'm very careful about what I let into my brain. And my heart. It's another device, like this computer I'm typing on and my cell phone that I am constantly in watchful limit-mode. I treat them like any other possible addiction - potato chips and ice cream come to mind. :)
I'll be 70 this year so I remember what life was like without tv or computers or cell phones. Honestly, I'd be fine if they all imploded tomorrow. I guess I just feel that it doesn't have to be all or nothing.
Thank you for recommending Slowdown Farmstead. I feel blessed that I raised my children with limited tv. "Go outside and play!" was our mantra back then. I think it served them well. xo
.
“it’s our job to decide whom and what we believe.”. Yes, yes it is!
Can we get Tshirts made with some short statements like “Boycott the news”? I would wear it everywhere. :) Maybe I need to get on this.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=The+News+Benders+from+1968&mid=B97304AE30E70269DA45B97304AE30E70269DA45
I know this is a TV show and I understand the irony, given your essay’s purpose, but it’s sure worth a look. 1967 and mind-blowing.
What a “Blockbuster” of a series, Mary! Dare I use that word which is so often associated with TV and other screen series?? Actually what you’ve written about here deserves to be “witnessed”, “internalized”
and" hashed over" at length by droves of people just the way they flock to the theaters, or to Netflix, or Amazon to see the latest Hollywood production. I will be contemplating your content for, well, probably the rest of my life, I guess, because now every time I’m faced with a choice of whether or not to watch something, this will rise up from deep down inside me. So I will, like you, be conflicted, but maybe that’s a good thing which will cause me to be all that much more selective than I think I already am. Thank you again, Mary, for ALL of this. I can’t imagine how you do it but know it is so very much appreciated. You have definitely found what is “yours to do”. Carry on, but hopefully your vacation is next on your agenda.
Hey, guess what? Next Sunday, 7-9-23 is “World Circle Dance Day” LOL. I don’t know why I keep coming across things like this, but I do. I had recently decided to learn how to do the circle dance, so it seemed like it was meant to be. I won’t make it on time this year because I’ve only learned the first 2 steps so far due to two left feet, but it’s fun and I can already feel it lifting me higher in spirit. I’m learning the Hebrew dance “Od Lo Ahavti Dai” which means “I haven’t Loved Enough”. Nice, uh? Better than watching TV, right? Hey, could you write a poem for the Circle Dance? Hahahaha! Blessings on you and yours. xox