Thursday, September 25, 2008

Pop Culture is Passing Me By (and I don't really care)

I don't pay for TV. I'll give you a moment to recover from the shock before I go on. Nope. No cable. No Direct TV. No satellite. Do you need more time to mop up the beverage you were drinking? I get five channels pretty clearly, and one that looks like an avalanche.

Every once in a while I surf my five and a half channels to see what's on, and as I return to the first one again I think to myself, "Yep. Nothing's on." I figure I'm saving myself a lot of time. I've heard many a person after they've surfed their two hundred plus channels come to the same conclusion.

I grew up in a house where there was no cable TV. I watched some MTV at a friend's back in the day, but that was about the extent of it. So it never was a real inconvenience for me to be without it later.

Do I feel deprived? No. Not really.

The only thing really coming out of it is that pop culture is passing me by. Show me a picture of Usher, and you'd have to tell me who he is. Same with George Strait, Jonas Brothers, any contestant from American Idol, Nick Lahey, actors from CSI or Law and Order, and most of the cast of Sex And the City. (I'd recognize Sarah Jessica Parker from Square Pegs.) I could go on, but you get the idea.

There are some people that are so ubiquitous that they even penetrate my little cocoon. Even though I'd rather they didn't. For example, I know who Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Brittany Spears and Jessica Simpson are. And I have to say my life is no better for that knowledge. It may even be a little worse.

I've never seen an episode of Ghost Hunters, Rachel Ray or Sex and the City. Am I shocking you? Do you think I'm crazy? Could be, but as I live my life in ignorant bliss, just remember to speak slowly to me about anything dealing with pop culture. And ignore my confused stare.

I'll be okay. Honest.

5 comments:

Victoria said...

I'll say it again! YAY you're blogging!
You know, even though we have cable, I don't know who anyone is either (aside from the obvious ones you pointed out)! I never watch television, except for Supernatural and Ghost Hunters. I could be perfectly happy without cable as long as Supernatural and Ghost Hunters were available on the channels I did get.
Though I do feel bad for you on Thursday nights! :) LOL

Ava Quinn said...

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I don't feel so out of it, then!

Wouldn't you know the one channel Supernatural is on is the snowy one. It's such a tease. I can hear what's going on, but not really see it.
Natalie has taken pity on me since she's the one who got me hooked. She's going to tape them for me. I feel like such a crackhead. Gotta have my Supernatural fix. Where can we make the exchange? lol!

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

I have always had cable (well, since the first time we got it, anyway, and not counting when I was in college) but for the longest time didn't watch any TV. But that didn't stop me from getting pop culture. There are these paper things called "magazines" that keep me up to date on technology and the impact of Iron Man on our political perspective (pop culture is SO much more than Lohilton!) and who's in charge of the Fed now. Nowadays, though, I get most of my pop culture awareness from the Internet.

And I admire and respect you for not caving and getting paid TV. :)

You know, though, I'm ashamed of you for not confessing the Supernatural thing in your main post! LOL

Ava Quinn said...

I know. I hang my head in shame for not shouting to the world my newest addiction. Next time I'll lead off with that.

But re: movies as allegories to polisci, I'd rather read political commentary and first hand accounts of Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, than watch the new Batman movie to safely interpret war and terrorism in a darkened theater in the name of entertainment. (I do love Salvador Dali's allegorical paintings, that, when contemporary, probably fit in the realm of pop culture, too!) I also enjoy thinking about the "what ifs" that books and movies, etc, can bring to the fore on contemporary issues or broader themes.

I know that's only one example, but I'm more of a go to the source kinda gal.

Back page of Newsweek is where most of my limited pop culture info comes from. I actually saw John Mayer in the Borat mankini there. Can I tell you, I could've done without that!

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Next time I'll lead off with that.

That's all I ask! LOL

I'd rather read political commentary and first hand accounts of Iraq and Afghanistan

Ugh. Give me Jon Stewart over the "real" pundits any day. :)

I actually saw John Mayer in the Borat mankini there. Can I tell you, I could've done without that!

Yes, we could all have done without that thing's very existence! LOL

Share This

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...