The Idiot Box

Wiktionary has this entry for the phrase "idiot box" - "An allusion to the supposed mind-reducing nature of television programming or its lack of educational value." Television has also been referred to as the "boob tube". Both slang terms are pejorative in that they see TV as a device catering to idiots or fools. The two terms were first used in the 1950s, television's first decade.  Though no longer popularly used, the terms may be as relevant and truthful today as they are then. Unfortunately.

When asked if I have cable subscription, I usually reply " Do I look like I can afford cable?" Therefore it's still "free TV" for me and my family. Free TV in the Philippines means roughly nine channels to choose from. Free TV also means we only get to actually choose from three networks. Our weekday TV schedule starts at 7:00 pm when my youngest son is done using the monitor for computing (Yes, we use the same monitor for TV and PC)  or when his dad could convince him to let us watch the news. I do not care so much for primetime news as I get my news feed from Twitter. Primetime news in this country is tabloid reporting anyway with the anchors eternally confused about their job description- are they to just read the news or do their public expect them to opine on events and persons? This is a problem especially when anchors are also radio commentators, former politicians or simply personalities who are so full of themselves. Teleserye fare is what the two big networks offer after the tabloid newscasts. I skipped the 8:00 pm slot this past season because I am not into mermaids/men who spoke with a twang. So I wait patiently for 8:30 or 8:45 depending on the commercial load of the preceding programs.

Twitter and this blog have been my fora for how I feel towards Ikaw Lamang and so I do not need to repeat myself on this post. The last slot for teleserye, I rarely watch. I do support Bea Alonzo et al. in Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon but I can't stay up late every night because my son will have to go back to his homework with the PC. I remember that the only time, I religiously watched the 9:15 timeslot was also for Bea and John Lloyd's A Beautiful Affair, which I stopped watching at one point because of script gone awry with kultos and lotto winnings. I think that was the time the leading man had problems with reporting to work or so I heard.

Anyway, PBB and A&A , I really don't care about. I just don't like them. Obviously, I don't bother to check the other channels. The other big network has had problems with creative ideas lately while the fledgling one is yet to make an impact on me. Rarely on weekdays though it was a happy discovery that  every now and then News Cafe over at Channel 9 could provide an intelligent alternative at 7 pm. Perhaps it is obvious at this point that only I watch TV in the family. The other members are pretty preoccupied and hypnotized by their respective smart phones and tablet. So to the rest of the brood, TV can disappear but not wi-fi.

On weekends, we enjoy watching but wouldn't suffer if we don't get to watch the likes of ASAP, MMK, The Voice, GGV. All again on Channel 2. My son has a cartoon fare on weekends and holidays and the shows are usually on Channels 5 or 7. Still to him, TV plays second only to PC.

I read somewhere that only the classes C, D and E watch TV regularly with the A and B crowd very much into the Internet. Is this the reason TV programming has not improved much judging from the stories and formats they offer day in day out? Is this also the reason why despite efforts to call attention to the many lapses TV programming is manifesting, the producers don't seem to budge?

I try to discuss plotlines and characters and I get mistaken for a hater. I try to express my opinion on a show or a personality and I risk getting blocked. It seems that people aren't ready to hear dissenting opinion on anything much less on their favorite show, character, story or personality. That is why I truly appreciate the ones who join in the conversation by RTing or favoriting or better yet by sharing their own take on the matter. As viewers who happen to watch and tweet about the same show, we owe it to ourselves that we keep the level up in terms of our definition of entertainment (free or subscribed to) and appreciation of the efforts and artistry( if any) involved in the making of the shows we follow.

There is a reason why the phrases "idiot box" and "boob tube" are no longer in popular use. TV has improved. I really hope so here, in our corner of the earth.