I enjoyed glancing through your anti-television web site. I've been a zealous anti-TV person ever since -- years ago -- reading Jerry Mander's extraordinary book "Four Arguments..." Since then, I've just found more and more reasons to fear the tube. Too bad there isn't a serious, powerful and scary US terrorist group dedicated to the violent overthrow of TV. There seem to be so many stupid groups with, for the most part, trivial goals... It would be interesting for a terrorist group to come up with a culture/structure goal like eliminating TV that would actually cause a profound change in the day to day life of the average American (as opposed to the current goals of activists who seem simply to be interested in attracing funding dollars or lip service from couch potatoes...)
Keep up the good work.
Mark Warrian, Chicago
Nice set of pages on a subject where I wholeheartedly agree with you. Since we ditched our TV about 5 years ago, our quality of life has dramatically risen. My three children read voraciously and love it. In fact my 8 year old in her 3rd grade generalized assessment tests scored perfect on her reading comprehension, multiple word meanings and vocabulary. She would never have gotten there watching the lowest common denominator pabulum on the tube. I too have created a site http://www.xvt.com/users/don/KillTV.htm on the subject which, although not nearly as comprehensive as yours, gives a personalized view on the subject. I get a fair number of emails (as I am sure you do) from like-minded people. I find it interesting that most people cannot even imagine a life without television. Most of America gets its information from television, which means the main medium for effecting change is the least likely to pull the plug. Maybe the Web will have a long term effect since you have full control over what you want to see.
Don Harrington
From: Tim Sharrett
T.V. kicks [deleted profanity]. You must have no life to complain about t.v.. It's the media not t.v. newspapers could also be a bad thing but you don't see people [deleted profanity] about that. Maybe u should pay more atention to your kids insted of complaining about t.v.
You have no life.
[editor's note: I seem to get a lot of pro-TV e-mails with much more profanity than this one. I usually don't post them, but I found this one to be quite entertaining.]
To: kaufman@netreach.net
Dear Sir,
For some children under some conditions, some television is harmful. For other children under the same conditions, or for the same children under other conditions, it may be beneficial. For most children, under most conditions, most television is probably neither particularly harmful nor particularly beneficial.
I believe strongly that television is neither a distinct advantage nor a severe handicap; it's influence may be overpowering ONLY if we are willing to act on the basis of what we see and not on the basis of our own choice. If the entire population can be so senseless to fall under that control, then there is nothing wrong with television, there's something wrong with us.
Sincerely, Shayan Khan
When I lived in the eastern sierra, it was at a location where cable was unavailable. If a household wanted to be able to watch television, they had to install a satellite dish.
Not having the cash to swing it, I did without regular television, and instead rented videos a couple of times a week. I was fortunate in that there was plenty to do: fishing, hiking, biking, soaking at a nearby natural hot spring known only to the locals. I skiied in the wintertime. I read books, listened to bubbling nearby creeks or shortwave and the NPR radio station coming down from Reno, good music on CD's or just the beautiful sound of the wind in the trees. I watched the sun rise or set over the mountains, stayed up and watched the milky way, and I did a lot of thinking.
I confess I have turned on the News from time to time, but it IS getting easier to keep the Tube off. To those who are having difficulty quitting, You're not alone, but it is doable and there are resources to make it easier. Keep trying. We can reclaim our true creativity and culture and "de-program" ourselves from the pseudo-cult of celebrity and media.
Lily in Sebastopol, California
This showed me how my mind is riddled with TV and how much social pressure there is to watch it. I stopped watching soon there after and have not watched for several years now. I am proudly ignorant of all the flotsam that would now be in my mind now had I continued. Instead I have time to read and learn and experience and aspire and introspect: I've read Melville, Dostoevsky, Iris Murdoch, Hemingway, Jerry Mander. I've been certified in a couple of computer areas and am thus making more money. I'm starting exercise more.
I think a good anti-television demonstration would be to purchase 1 minute of TV time on all channels in a major metropolitan area during prime time and ,w/o any advance PR, have only the fading white dot of a TV being turned off in the middle of the screen. Perhaps for the last second of the minute "Kill your TV" could appear on the screen. The more time the better but I think a minute would be the minimum time needed to make people panic, detox, and maybe think about their relationship with the box.
John Sunderman
"It's not a religion, it's just a TV."
Anyway, keep up the good work. Francis Zera
I appreciated your criticism and review of Mander's Four Arguments. That was the very first anti-TV book that I heard about when I became interested and concerned with the negative and disastrous effects of TV. Once I read it, I was convinced: I needed to live TV-free. Since reading his book back in 1993, I have re-read it twice. Although I disagree with some of his arguments in terms of detail, I think his message that TV manipulates its viewers is clear. To be sure, I hold his book in the highest regard.
Sincerely, Daniel Considine, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Philosophy, Baltimore, MD
Subject: Poor arguments
Those who that claim that T.V. should be destroyed alltogether, as well as those who believe it is the greatest thing ever created are clearly missing the "big picture." Television itself is indeed one of the best invented mediums of communication. It has the ability to reach any audience of any race and age in any part of the world. It is ridiculous to throw away such a powerful tool, simply because you cannot control your impulses to abuse it. The problem that I believe most of you have with television is that it eats up too much time. There's a solution for this. It's called self-control.
- Adam Brickman
Georgette Hobbi
To: kaufman@netreach.net
Hi, I am a 16 yr old girl, and to me, television is pointless. I am writing a speech for my academic decathlon competition, and I enjoyed your website since it helped me a great deal and I would like to tell u that this site is cool. I hope that my speech on anti-television turns out well. Once again, cool site, thank you,
Gladys
I do agree with a lot of those comments regarding the problems caused by watching Television but I think many people like to blame Television instead of blaming advertisers, networks, producers, etc. I mean PEOPLE who use television seeking their personal benefit without caring for others.
I have seen some of the benefits that Television can give. For example, at work we use television to broadcast classes to remote locations where our teachers can´t go, and by doing this we make education available to many people, and I think this is good, isn´t it? It may have a lot of limitations but we can use TV to do some good things instead of keep complaining about the negatives.
We are not going to stop the use of television but we can try to encourage a better use of it, the real challenge is to improve the quality of the people using this television as a tool from promoting their products...
Chito-Man, Chihuahua, Mexico
Wow, your page is very good and informative. Thank you for the intelligent and sophisticated commentary!
-Paul Hembree
Subject: The TV Debate
Personally, I watch entirely too much television primarily out of habit. I certainly think there are some valuable and educational programs available, but they are certainly overshadowed by the mindless drivel on most channels.
The question I've pondered is what brought us to this point. I don't believe that television programming has achieved mass hypnosis of the US population. My assumption is that supply and demand holds true in the case of television programming. Is the poor programming just visual anesthesia for people to tune into instead of having original thoughts and living a real life 24 hours a day? Television fills the brain cavity and requires no emotions, causes no stress, and generally any unhappiness is resolved within an hour.
What would life be like if television didn't exist. Would we lead simpler lives because corporate america wouldn't be able to show us what we should want? Would we have created more luxuries with all the free time?
I would still contend that this "TV Nation" that we live in is still the greatest country in the world with the highest standard of living.
Ultimately each person should choose for his/her self.
Steve
Subject: in brief
Well, you inspired me. I got rid of my TV July 4 1998. Funny thing is, I do not miss it a bit--like waking from a bad dream you forget.
Keep up the struggle.
Joseph Miranda
Subject: KYTV
I very much enjoyed your web site.I have come to realize that the TV keeps my family from communicating with me. But they are the ones that scream the loudest when I want to eliminate tv even in the slightest degree.Tell me it's not a drug with serious withdrawals! A concerned American
Hi, I am a 13 yr old girl and I don't see much wrong with the tv there are certain programs that are not very nice but no one is obliged to watch them and what you do watch is your decision and you can turn the tv off any time you want.
I think that the computer could be worse because on the tv you have tv guides/radio times that tell you what will be on the tv and what time etc so if there is anything disturbing to you then you just make a memo not to watch it whereas on the computer most of the disturbing websites are just stumbled upon by innocent users as to my knowledge there are no guides!
Anyway I suppose I am being a bit of a hypocrite because I enjoy both the tv and computer and I'm about to get a computer at home!! I do think that too much of our time is spent watching the tv but that may depend on how much self control people have from a friend.
From: ryokan
Iwishicouldblowitupbutthisistheonlywayonecanstayincontactwithanytranscendenceoflobotomiztioncommercialforceslikebecauseittweakssales....
Namaste. (from Sanskrit - Honor to the light within you.)
I was busy looking at TV-related Web sites and came across your site. Most interesting! Well done!
I don't own a TV set either (and never have, come to think of it...), and fully agree that your site (and others like it), if anything, may help people reconsider and perhaps "drastically cut down on the amount of time spent in a vegetable-like state in front of the tube." Great, now to briefly explain the purpose of my mail and a possible novel way of disseminating that viewpoint..... Explore at-Bristol is an exciting new science centre opening on Bristol's (UK) developing Waterfront this summer (please visit us electronically at www.at-bristol.org.uk )
Thank you. Yours sincerely,
Mario Di Maggio, Scientific Development Officer, At-Bristol, Bristol, UK
To: kaufman@netreach.net
Subject: thank you
your site says it all, thank you
