Generally my attention span does not exceed 45 minutes, and television almost guarantees that there won't be annoying kids or loud eaters sitting right behind you.
Of course it depends what's on! Given, however, that my current station selections are 3, 5 and 8 (i.e., no BBC or Comedy Central or HGTV), I am thinking bring on the films! But another time, another place ... hmmm. Okay, TV, final answer. It's available in the comfort of my own home and there's no "going" required.
This one's a real moving target, considering how the boundaries of what it means to "watch TV" are shifting every year with DVRs and YouTube. Still, there's a meaningful answer to this one, and I don't think technology is changing it anytime soon.
TV makes me slowly stupid. Movies make me quickly poor. Neither is desirable. Where does this leave us?
TV is convenient and comfortable, and the best writing is admittedly good. But good movies still set the standard for artistry and presentation. The genius and the life-changing experiences are still in the theater, by and large.
For me it's an easy choice: the more fulfilling use of my time is watching 2 hours of cinema. If that can be on Netflix, in my pajamas, all the better. But even with today's specific dilemma, going to the movies (with candy in your pockets) almost always a superior experience.
This one is easy. TV. Not only do movies cost an arm and a leg, they are generally not of the best quality in this day in age.
Pros of Movies:
Bigger picture, sound system.
Cons: Cost, Quality of Movies, cost of food compared to what you can make at home, Gas usage to drive to the movies, and the biggest con of them all...Having to watch a movie with other people; You know, the cougher, the muncher, the talker, and in Carla and I's case the fat snorer.
TV for sure. Not only can you watch movies on your TV, TV offers news programing, insightful programs on animals and why they choose to mate, and great sports programing to name a few. TV is even eclipsing the movies in the technological world with the ability to pause the show you're watching and start it up to your convenience. Maybe you guys have heard of this futuristic technology called Tivo?
Carl, tv can only make you stupider if you were stupid enough already to choose to watch bad programming. You should be as selective with what you watch on tv as you are with what movies you rent/go out to see. Given that, quality abounds and the main distinguishing factors become all the cons that Rollo listed for movies.
Ok, now I'm pretty sure that I hate Russell. And maybe Carla (if she had any part in naming the poor soul, who no doubt suffers from sleep apnea [which is a very serious disease -- that also tortured such historical heavyweights as WH Taft and Jabba the Hut (or at least I'm pretty certain given his expanding waistline, heavy breathing and clear exhaustion)] as the "fat snorer")
Having said that, I agree with those I may or may not hate...TV
Hugh...I hate to do this to you but I need to expose your lack of knowledge. Sleep Apnea is a condition in which a person will stop breathing for brief periods during sleep. A person with this condition would not have any problem not falling asleep in a packed movie theater. I think the condition that you are thinking of is actually called narcolepsy. This condition would also have no baring on the persons weight and or the amount that he snores.
I love the fatties, I just don't like a person that snores at a decibel level that is louder than the movie.
Off topic but Carla and I have come up with a new name for JB.
It's P.B.M.
AKA- Professional Baby Maker.
I saw how beautiful he is and heard how well everything went and couldn't resist. I can't wait to meet Auggie? Yes that's my first attempt at a nick name and it should be quickly disregarded.
I say everyone build themselves a fort in their living rooms, complete with blankets, pillows and buckets of ice cream, and stay in there forever. Talk about being anti-social...
My vote- Going to the movies. Sure, it may be annoying to see a movie with 'a muncher' (love that word), but it's totally worth it to see a movie the way it was SUPPOSED to be seen- not on my measily 19 inch screen. When i get a 70 inch plasma like Dad's, then maybe my answer will change.
I had planned a harsh retort to JB's ridicule, but then she went and had a baby (a well timed ploy to garner sympathy and quell public criticism?) and I felt it needed a few days before a response.
As usual, some valid points on her part. But I think anyone who believes that "quality abounds" in either medium would be well advised to examine their own cultural standards. No one here, I hope, would argue that quality is the rule and not the exception when it comes to TV and movies.
JB is right in the sense that both TV and movies are only as good as what you choose to watch. That said, I still firmly believe that the best of the silver screen beats the best TV has to offer. I'm not a film snob by any stretch, but anyone who thinks J.J. Abrams defines the best in moving pictures is beyond the powers of my persuasion.
For that matter, isn't the renaissance of quality TV dramas and cable series in fact attributable to newer shows becoming more like movies, with more sophisticated characters, better writing, and better production values?
Bottom line: With a great TV and sound system, a DVR, a cable package, and a stock of microwave popcorn, you may be able to reduce the duds and have a reliably entertaining stream of TV to watch every night. But if you spent the same money at the movies every week or two instead, I believe your thrills -- and admittedly your disappointments -- would be much greater.
Carla, that's a fair point. It makes me ask myself again why I prefer film over TV.
Maybe it has something to do with lifespan; Because movies are shorter, there's less chance for them to jump the shark, which even my favorite TV shows all seem to do at some point.
That may be why my favorite show of all time remains the original British version of the Office -- they had the restraint not to quit while they were ahead, after just 2 seasons. Watch the American version, and you'll see that the same basic show has become infested with major product placements in every episode, and promises to continue until the life and viewership of the show are all but gone.
Hollywood does plenty of this too, of course, but a good movie still feels less like "product" to me than good TV does -- less of a supply-and-demand equation. Every now and then you can still go see a truly independent (often foreign) movie that gives you faith in the artistic potential of movies. I don't recall any TV that's given me that sense in a long time.
I dunno -- maybe my reasons on this one have less to do with logic and more to do with principle and sentimentality.
I went to visit the decider to see if I could gain any inside wisdom into his methods to this dilemma. After my long journey to the beacon of wisdom I had learned two things.
1: The decider will literally give you a couch if you ask for one.
2: The decider has bought he and his lady a very pretty looking HUGE FLAT SCREEN. If that doesn't say TV, then I've lost faith in the system.
I suggest going to the point of wisdom if ever you need more points in this game. The decider didn't know what hit him. I came in there looking for answers, not for the couch, but he was fooled. I came away with not only the answer, but a free couch!
Another tough one - I love going to the movies, but it has become a rare thing for me. Moreover, I agree with most that the experience has suffered greatly recently.
Still, I love the movies too much to disavow them here: Going to the Movies.
Oh man. Russell. So many things to say...probably too late to respond...and yet I will.
You are accurate in your limited, wikipedia-based understanding of sleep apnea...however...as a sufferer, I know that those brief windows of time where I stop breathing during sleep also break up all REM cycles and lead to sleep without rest. The great (in size and status) William Howard Taft was known to fall asleep in cabinet meetings as a result of the restless sleep and apnea caused exhaustion. I can attest to the same effect. Additionally, because of the 'apnea' episodes, the 'snoring' is louder as the body overcomes those breaks in 'breathing'. Addition to the additionally, Evan and Alex (as well as a host of ex-girlfriends and overnight guests) can attest that the violence of the snoring is directly related to the weight of the snorer.
I would bet big dollars that your fellow movie goer was simply at the point of exhaustion and the decibel level you experienced was a result of his attempts to restart his breathing.
He was trying to BREATHE!
Still think TV...still think that Russell is a meanie.
I love my TV. I love sitting on my couch and watching The Hunt for Red October over a bag of popcorn. I love being able to pause my DVR to take a piss. And I LOVE watching a good show on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Sadly, my TV has been hijacked by Blue's Clues and Thomas the Tank Engine.
The answer: Going to the movies. This is the only way to escape from reality these days. Although a successful movie outing is rare, when it happens it's magical.
23 comments:
TV.
Generally my attention span does not exceed 45 minutes, and television almost guarantees that there won't be annoying kids or loud eaters sitting right behind you.
Of course it depends what's on! Given, however, that my current station selections are 3, 5 and 8 (i.e., no BBC or Comedy Central or HGTV), I am thinking bring on the films! But another time, another place ... hmmm. Okay, TV, final answer. It's available in the comfort of my own home and there's no "going" required.
Movies just aren't what they used to be. It's all in the editing these days, which is sad. What happened to acting? What happened to reacting?
Also, movie going is waaaay overpriced and the experience is all too often tainted by a crowded, too-small theater or poorly behaved adults.
Watching TV is my answer. Reasons: Lost, House, The Office, and 30 Rock--all guarantees. Also, I have an awesome tv now.
This one's a real moving target, considering how the boundaries of what it means to "watch TV" are shifting every year with DVRs and YouTube. Still, there's a meaningful answer to this one, and I don't think technology is changing it anytime soon.
TV makes me slowly stupid. Movies make me quickly poor. Neither is desirable. Where does this leave us?
TV is convenient and comfortable, and the best writing is admittedly good. But good movies still set the standard for artistry and presentation. The genius and the life-changing experiences are still in the theater, by and large.
For me it's an easy choice: the more fulfilling use of my time is watching 2 hours of cinema. If that can be on Netflix, in my pajamas, all the better. But even with today's specific dilemma, going to the movies (with candy in your pockets) almost always a superior experience.
Plus, the popcorn is better there.
This one is easy. TV. Not only do movies cost an arm and a leg, they are generally not of the best quality in this day in age.
Pros of Movies:
Bigger picture, sound system.
Cons: Cost, Quality of Movies, cost of food compared to what you can make at home, Gas usage to drive to the movies, and the biggest con of them all...Having to watch a movie with other people; You know, the cougher, the muncher, the talker, and in Carla and I's case the fat snorer.
TV for sure. Not only can you watch movies on your TV, TV offers news programing, insightful programs on animals and why they choose to mate, and great sports programing to name a few. TV is even eclipsing the movies in the technological world with the ability to pause the show you're watching and start it up to your convenience. Maybe you guys have heard of this futuristic technology called Tivo?
Beautiful.
Carl, tv can only make you stupider if you were stupid enough already to choose to watch bad programming. You should be as selective with what you watch on tv as you are with what movies you rent/go out to see. Given that, quality abounds and the main distinguishing factors become all the cons that Rollo listed for movies.
Ok, now I'm pretty sure that I hate Russell. And maybe Carla (if she had any part in naming the poor soul, who no doubt suffers from sleep apnea [which is a very serious disease -- that also tortured such historical heavyweights as WH Taft and Jabba the Hut (or at least I'm pretty certain given his expanding waistline, heavy breathing and clear exhaustion)] as the "fat snorer")
Having said that, I agree with those I may or may not hate...TV
Hugh...I hate to do this to you but I need to expose your lack of knowledge. Sleep Apnea is a condition in which a person will stop breathing for brief periods during sleep. A person with this condition would not have any problem not falling asleep in a packed movie theater. I think the condition that you are thinking of is actually called narcolepsy. This condition would also have no baring on the persons weight and or the amount that he snores.
I love the fatties, I just don't like a person that snores at a decibel level that is louder than the movie.
TV
Off topic but Carla and I have come up with a new name for JB.
It's P.B.M.
AKA- Professional Baby Maker.
I saw how beautiful he is and heard how well everything went and couldn't resist. I can't wait to meet Auggie? Yes that's my first attempt at a nick name and it should be quickly disregarded.
Apparently Carla used my computer and logged in to Blogger without me knowing so I accidentaly posted with her name.
OPPS...
for the record hugh, this was something that actually happened to us.
I say everyone build themselves a fort in their living rooms, complete with blankets, pillows and buckets of ice cream, and stay in there forever. Talk about being anti-social...
My vote- Going to the movies. Sure, it may be annoying to see a movie with 'a muncher' (love that word), but it's totally worth it to see a movie the way it was SUPPOSED to be seen- not on my measily 19 inch screen. When i get a 70 inch plasma like Dad's, then maybe my answer will change.
I had planned a harsh retort to JB's ridicule, but then she went and had a baby (a well timed ploy to garner sympathy and quell public criticism?) and I felt it needed a few days before a response.
As usual, some valid points on her part. But I think anyone who believes that "quality abounds" in either medium would be well advised to examine their own cultural standards. No one here, I hope, would argue that quality is the rule and not the exception when it comes to TV and movies.
JB is right in the sense that both TV and movies are only as good as what you choose to watch. That said, I still firmly believe that the best of the silver screen beats the best TV has to offer. I'm not a film snob by any stretch, but anyone who thinks J.J. Abrams defines the best in moving pictures is beyond the powers of my persuasion.
For that matter, isn't the renaissance of quality TV dramas and cable series in fact attributable to newer shows becoming more like movies, with more sophisticated characters, better writing, and better production values?
Bottom line: With a great TV and sound system, a DVR, a cable package, and a stock of microwave popcorn, you may be able to reduce the duds and have a reliably entertaining stream of TV to watch every night. But if you spent the same money at the movies every week or two instead, I believe your thrills -- and admittedly your disappointments -- would be much greater.
For me, that's the better deal.
But Carl, if TV is becoming more like movies, then the great qualities in movies that you love are also present in Television, and it lasts longer.
Many TV shows these days are like really long movies and if they happen to be great, then it prolongs the great experience!
Carla, that's a fair point. It makes me ask myself again why I prefer film over TV.
Maybe it has something to do with lifespan; Because movies are shorter, there's less chance for them to jump the shark, which even my favorite TV shows all seem to do at some point.
That may be why my favorite show of all time remains the original British version of the Office -- they had the restraint not to quit while they were ahead, after just 2 seasons. Watch the American version, and you'll see that the same basic show has become infested with major product placements in every episode, and promises to continue until the life and viewership of the show are all but gone.
Hollywood does plenty of this too, of course, but a good movie still feels less like "product" to me than good TV does -- less of a supply-and-demand equation. Every now and then you can still go see a truly independent (often foreign) movie that gives you faith in the artistic potential of movies. I don't recall any TV that's given me that sense in a long time.
I dunno -- maybe my reasons on this one have less to do with logic and more to do with principle and sentimentality.
I went to visit the decider to see if I could gain any inside wisdom into his methods to this dilemma. After my long journey to the beacon of wisdom I had learned two things.
1: The decider will literally give you a couch if you ask for one.
2: The decider has bought he and his lady a very pretty looking HUGE FLAT SCREEN. If that doesn't say TV, then I've lost faith in the system.
I suggest going to the point of wisdom if ever you need more points in this game. The decider didn't know what hit him. I came in there looking for answers, not for the couch, but he was fooled. I came away with not only the answer, but a free couch!
Ninja Flex Points!
and now the Decider will change the answer just to fool Russell.
shame on russell, he had it in the bag!
Another tough one - I love going to the movies, but it has become a rare thing for me. Moreover, I agree with most that the experience has suffered greatly recently.
Still, I love the movies too much to disavow them here: Going to the Movies.
Oh man. Russell. So many things to say...probably too late to respond...and yet I will.
You are accurate in your limited, wikipedia-based understanding of sleep apnea...however...as a sufferer, I know that those brief windows of time where I stop breathing during sleep also break up all REM cycles and lead to sleep without rest. The great (in size and status) William Howard Taft was known to fall asleep in cabinet meetings as a result of the restless sleep and apnea caused exhaustion. I can attest to the same effect. Additionally, because of the 'apnea' episodes, the 'snoring' is louder as the body overcomes those breaks in 'breathing'. Addition to the additionally, Evan and Alex (as well as a host of ex-girlfriends and overnight guests) can attest that the violence of the snoring is directly related to the weight of the snorer.
I would bet big dollars that your fellow movie goer was simply at the point of exhaustion and the decibel level you experienced was a result of his attempts to restart his breathing.
He was trying to BREATHE!
Still think TV...still think that Russell is a meanie.
TV.
Another reason I say TV: it's there when you need it. Acquiring/going to the right movie at the right time is a rare occurence.
Given my current situation, tv has been able to satisfy time and time again in ways that movies cannot.
I love my TV. I love sitting on my couch and watching The Hunt for Red October over a bag of popcorn. I love being able to pause my DVR to take a piss. And I LOVE watching a good show on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Sadly, my TV has been hijacked by Blue's Clues and Thomas the Tank Engine.
The answer: Going to the movies. This is the only way to escape from reality these days. Although a successful movie outing is rare, when it happens it's magical.
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