Thursday 2 December 2010

There are times when I feel completely outside

the inner circle. I was sitting there minding my own business yesterday while everyone around me was talking about a television programme they had seen. It was some apparently popular show on commercial television.
Eventually the inevitable happened.
"What did you think of it Cat?"
"I didn't see it."
"You didn't see it? Oh you had to go out did you?"
"No, I just didn't see it."
"You mean you were watching something else?"
"No, I was doing some work."
"At that time?"
"Yes but I would not have watched it anyway. We don't watch much television."
"What do you do if you don't watch television?"
"Work, read, write, knit..."
"Oh, for goodness' sake Cat chill out a bit sometimes."
The group resumed the very earnest conversation about someone doing something and someone else's reaction. This is all apparently as important to them as it would be in real life. I am bored by it. There is no depth to the characters and their actions are predictable.
If an author approached a reputable agent with this they would be rejected. If an agent approached a publisher then word would go out that their judgment was questionable. According to the people I was sitting with the programme is "just like real life". I hope real life is not the way they were describing it. If it is then I live somewhere else altogether.
I do wonder about television however. A lot of it does seem trite and superficial to me. It irritates me. I cannot be bothered. I am thankful for the 'mute' button so that I do not have to listen to the advertisements on SBS. So far the ABC (Australian) has minimal advertising - of their own products. I suppose advertising will come as a way of paying for the service.
I like reading books. I like writing. I like knitting. My working life is frustrating but often rewarding. There are other things I enjoy.
I do not need television so why does it does leave me outside the conversation?

7 comments:

Katherine Langrish said...

Could it be because you are the cat who walks by herself...?

Anonymous said...

Katherine is possibly quite right!

I think I prefer to be an outsider during conversations about most TV programs and ALL gossip!

Judy B

catdownunder said...

Purrhaps Katherine!

Rachel Fenton said...

I guess, on the plus side for the group you mention, talking about people on tv stops them talking about real people! I'm not in the loop either - recently got told I was "a freak in this day and age" and it was cruel for my kids to not have tv - but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rachel Fenton said...

And - talking only about tv is BORING - and as rude as leaving the tv on when you have guests...just being my usual opinionated self...

catdownunder said...

I love you being your opinionated self Rachel... :-)

Anonymous said...

I don't want those people in my living room! They can stay in the switched-off tv.

The tv characters ARE real to a lot of people. There was a real petition to the real PM when one of them was put in (tv) prison.

There also seems to be a lot of negativity and bullying (critising people's dinner parties, Ann Robinson). I don't want unending Pollyanna but some optimism, fun, and humour would be nice.

Though we have the Time Team which, when it finds nothing at trench A, moves enthusiastically on to Trench B, in someone else's garden... And then trench C... That always cheers me up.

LMcC