My father, a civil engineer, is a gadgets kind of guy. The home I grew up in featured all sorts of as-seen-on-tv inventions like the Bacon Wave and an automatic shampoo dispenser in the shower. Our home was the first on the block to have a dust-buster, a massive reel-to-reel player, a VCR and BETA player and a home computer by 1980. We were the first to get cable, all 36 channels--including the controversial MTV. My parents didn't believe in regulating our television watching. If there was violence or killing, I guess they just figured we'd adjust.
There were only two shows forbidden to me--"V" was banned because the aliens ate rats and my mother couldn't stomach this, and the night "Blue Lagoon" aired for the first time on television my mother decided I was too young to watch it, but let my two sisters enjoy the scantily clad Brooke Shields. Of course, I watched it from the hallway till I got too tired and bored and went to bed. (As a side note, I rented it and the sequel in college--and act of defiance I suppose, and completely enjoyed them both--in part because I felt so brazen watching these once forbidden films.)
In fact, TV was a regular feature of my after school life. If my sister's were home the TV was tuned to All My Children. I remember thinking that Tad was cute and was sad when his newlywed Jenny was killed in a terrible snowmobiling accident. At five Star Trek came on, and at 5:30 the $10,000 Pyramid glued my eyes to the screen.
Thursdays were special nights, because my whole family watched Family Ties (with the oh so sexy Alex P. Keaton and very stylish Mallory) and then moved on to The Cosby Show.
As a total side note, 10 years after Family Ties went off the air I went to my in-laws for the first time as the new-girlfriend of my future husband. Among other things I noticed, I was secretly very pleased to see that their house featured the same Juice serving glasses that Alex had used on almost every show.
Anyway, my shows went off the air, they were replaced by others--A stint with Beverly Hills 90210, A fondness for Newhart, a total obsession with all things Brady Bunch.
My current faves are a bit embarrassing to mention, but I'll go ahead since the only three people who read this will forgive me of this petty pastime.
I dig America's Next Top Model. I can't stand Tyra Banks, but I like seeing all the different get-ups the competitors are forced to model.
Amazing Race makes me think about all the places I've been, and the places I have yet to visit. It also makes me think that my dear husband and I wouldn't fair very well in the competition, but if my sister Heidi and brother Jason were teamed up I'm positive they would win.
Desperate Housewives just makes me happy. I especially like various characters for different reasons. Lynette because, excluding her career ambitions), I see her struggle as a mother and think she's feisty in all the right ways. I like Bree because secretly I want to be as posed and put-together as she. It doesn't hurt that she's a red-head and I actually like the prim way she dresses.
Then there's Lost. Yea, I'm a sucker. Since it was one of the only shows I could download in France I got totally into, and of course the doctor is totally hot. But I'm finding myself less interested in the third season.
Arrested Development was awesome, while it lasted.
The Simpsons still make me laugh after all these years.
The Bachelor, and others like it, make me love to hate the participants.
I like to flip back and forth between shows like Sell This House, House Hunters, and that one that compares home prices across the country (always a downer by the way with a strong message--move to the middle of nowhere and have a mansion for only $200,000.00 dollars).
But, my television watching has hit a road bump. I've lost the special remote control the cable company provided instant access to almost 1000 channels, 100 of which actually offer decent programing on occasion. So for the past couple of days I've been changing channels twice a day.
In the morning I put on cartoons so the girls can yell at the tv "Go Diego, GO!" and then in the evening I put it on whatever network doesn't have news but some family friendly programs like America's Funniest home Videos followed by Simpsons and Frasier reruns. I don't sit down and watch regularly, but I like having the noise on in the background. It makes me feel like I'm home, and after the months of silence we had in France, I'm up for a little inane background chatter.
1 comment:
I'm with you on the background chatter. Living alone requires some type of company even if it's artificial.
I also have an involved TV past. My current obsessions are The Amazing Race (which makes me want to travel soooo badly), Desperate Housewives (last week made me cry!), Heroes, Lost, & The Office.
I've had years when I had more programs I had to watch but it's been a long time!
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