Turning Off TV

mesmer · Joined: 10 Dec 2005 Posts: 1 Location: London, UK

Hello everyone!

No doubt you are all to busy having full and meaning full lives to respond but I though I would ask anyway.

I dont know how much of a minority we are (maybe 1 in 100?) but it makes dating a girl who likes her TV (99 in 100) very difficult. Having given it up I couldnt live with someone who has one in the house. Ergo, im single!

Anyone else found the same?
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"If you would laugh when others laugh and weep when others weep then you must be prepared to die as they die and live as they live." Henry Miller, Tropic of Capricorn

justinwood · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:35 am Post subject:

haha, it is true: change the question por favor
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Justin Wood
Pomona, California

mad_vicar · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 3 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Hello All,

It's actually lots easier if you already are a couple and find TV crap. This way, you don't have to worry about what's happening in "AussieEndersSideStreet Soap" this week, just so you can break the ice at parties.

There again, you could ask what books they like to read.

Pip! Pip!

Brad "No, Really, I Only LOOK LIKE Clare Rayner" Jackson
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LYRICS TO "WHY DON'T YOU" THEME TUNE (BBC, School Holidays Schedules, 1970s):

Whyyy don't you, Whyyy don't you, Whyyy don't you - just switch off your television set and go and do something less boring instead....

justin wood · Guest

I believe it moreso coincides with a lot of Things.

If your date, significant other, is not interested in television, chances are there are much more things they are interested in to respond to this, and they probably have a more specific personality than otherwise. A person who doesn't watch television is more observant of people delegating "BS" and probably wont take that kind of things on other sources of media, in the newspaper, on the radio, on advertisement campaigns, perhaps even people they speak with. They probably, in general, have a higher radar of observing techniques and responses than those who do watch television. In the end, watching television is simply one sign of many that a specific person can exhibit.

Shakedown1980 · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 60 Location: Helsinki,Finland

Just thought i'd add some thoughts about this important subject.

Woulden't you agree that finding a date is more or less difficult? finding an partner is even more so,and then when you're trying to find a partner who does not watch tv is the extremely difficult thing.

unfortunatly the majority watches television some 3 some 6 and some 12 hours a day,so when you meet a person like this on a date,what should you do?

try to persuade her to watch less or stop watching alltogether,or just move on and try find someone else?

last date that i was on i said i had trashed my tv,and she just looked me in a quite shocked way,and coulden't keep from repeating it "you trashed your tv?" and wondering about it almost during the whole date.

I did not see her again.
_________________
It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes.
Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live
And let’s change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do
What we gotta do, to survive.

mad_vicar · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 3 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Ahh Shakedown, I think I see the problem. In just bluntly saying "I trashed my TV", you have presented (in the lady's mind) the image of Keith Moon-esque room-destroying antics. Perhaps a gentler meander towards the subject might be in order. Something like: "Do you think that the media is trying to warp the minds of the people?" Then your next sentence could be: "I believe such challenging problems demand a radical solution. As an artistic protest against this terrible situation I destroyed my television set!"

Then you come across as a concerned yet artistically-minded individual. So very hip, so very cool.

Brad "Beatnik, Baby" Jackson Wink

_________________
LYRICS TO "WHY DON'T YOU" THEME TUNE (BBC, School Holidays Schedules, 1970s):

Whyyy don't you, Whyyy don't you, Whyyy don't you - just switch off your television set and go and do something less boring instead....

Shakedown1980 · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 60 Location: Helsinki,Finland

Vicar,

Laugh! you're right,I think I should have a more subtle approach the next time,so it woulden't be such a shock.

Still I wish it would be easier to find women who don't watch tv.It feels like i'm the only one 25 year old who does not watch tv in Helsinki??? Shocked

and i definetly don't want a girl who rather spends time in front of the screen than talking and being with me.
_________________
It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes.
Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live
And let’s change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do
What we gotta do, to survive.

bfermanich2 · Guest

Shakedown1980... hold on to your standards buddy. You've set the bar pretty high, which is a good thing. God willing, one day you'll meet a good girl who believes in your values, like I did. Don't lose hope!

-Brad
Marietta, GA

Shakedown1980 · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 60 Location: Helsinki,Finland

Guest · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:40 am Post subject: Pulling as a non-tv watcher

Hello Shakedown,

Just a thought:

Rather than the 'I've trashed my tv' approach, you might try telling your next date that you got rid of your TV because it interferes with human relationships. You might emphasise that you prefer spending time enjoying your partner's company and doing social things than staring at a box. You might then really rub it in by saying that you think that any woman you go out with, as well as your family and friends, deserves your time much more than the strangers on TV. In other words, turn the anti-TV thing into a selling point. Any woman with half a brain would surely see that it could make a relationship with a non-TV person rather interesting and perhaps more rewarding, compared with those she's had before.

Good luck,

Jim

Shakedown1980 · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 60 Location: Helsinki,Finland

Jim,

Thank you! Smile

very fine and usefull thoughts!
_________________
It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes.
Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live
And let’s change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do
What we gotta do, to survive.

Guest · Guest

Some interesting postings. Maybe someone could get a website going like they have for Vegetarian Singles or Catholic Singles etc. It could appeal to TV Free Singles. Just a thought.

Well, the whole idea of dating someone who likes a lot of television scares me because I think that I could so easily get pulled back into the habit. I am only recently TV Free and am a bit shaky about it. I guess if I was following a 12 Step program of recovery like they do in AA then I would have to go for my first shaky year of recovery without forming any new romantic relationships to get stronger. In AA people in their first year of being alcohol free are advised to avoid new relationships because all of the emotions that they bring up can cause a person to slip and to drink again. I kind of feel that way about television right now but there is no support group for me to go to to get some help as I am withdrawing. Plus, I spent a lot of my "relationship-building" time watching television so there is a big empty space in my life right now and it would be easy to try to get into a relationship now to fill up the empty time. But the likelihood of finding someone who does not watch television is not great as it is such a part of our culture.

I live in a place with thin walls and as a result I can hear the neighbours and I have noticed that one of the neighbours has recently gotten into a relationship and sure enough, they spend a lot of time watching television because I hear the televison and now that I do not have one it really bothers me.

So, nothing great I can say about this topic, I am just glad that it was started because it really is something to consider. I would like a relationship with someone who does not watch television too, but in this society that might be a real challenge, not to mention the other challenges I have in finding a date!!!

TerryS · Joined: 16 Oct 2006 Posts: 140 Location: California

Hi Guest

My own feeling is that since there are so few
people who have given up TV completely that it
would be next to impossible to find someone you
were compatible with AND who also didn't watch
any TV. Instead I would look for someone with a
hobby or two who didn't watch a whole lot of TV.

You make an Interesting point about alcoholics
staying out of relationships for a year after
gettig on the wagon. I did not know that, but
it sounds like a wise idea.

To fill up your previous TV-time, I would try
a bunch of different things until you found
what you really enjoyed.

A few suggestions would be:

reading
hiking
volunteering
contra dancing
line dancing
square dancing
art classes
tennis
etc...

Probably in trying out a bunch of different
things, you would just naturally meet someone
else who is interested in doing instead of viewing!

hemlock · Guest

You'll be lucky to find a man/woman who doesn't like t.v. My husband peruaded me to give it up thankfully but i wouldn't have been amenable to the idea when i was single (sadly - all that time wasted)