Turn This Off, Pallie

I don't watch a lot of TV.

I even get a little snooty about it sometimes; other than the occasional Simpsons rerun, a couple epis of Veronica Mars a month, and the rare late-night exhaustion-induced bout of Family Guy, Most Extreme Elimination Challenge or Blind Date, there's really not a lot that interests me on the tube.

And if I'm out in public, I'd generally much rather talk with people than watch TV; sports bars generally leave me cold (unless the Bears are in the running or the Twins are in a pennant chase, and even then it wears thin fast), and generally if I go to a bar to watch rather than talk, it's for a band.

But if I see one of

these pinheads, I'll still haul off.

TS Eliot once said that "television is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome". He is not the only one who thinks so.

From today, a group of anti-TV guerrillas, as scathing as the poet about the influence of the small screen on society, plans to liberate people from its irresistible grip. They will be using a recently launched gizmo called TV-B-Gone to take direct action against television sets in public places.

The glorified remote control, about the size of a key ring, will switch off most television sets within a 45ft radius within 60 seconds.

Here's an interesting question; where do you suppose the little self-appointed guardians of the world's intellect fall on issues of "choice" in other areas? Abortion, civilian firearms, gay marriage and smoking in public jump to mind...

The device will form the focus of TV-Turnoff Week, an annual protest against television's all-pervasive influence, which began in the US 11 years ago. Organised by the TV-Turnoff Network, White Dot and anti-consumerism group AdBusters, the protest has steadily spread to other countries including Canada and the UK.

The protesters plan to identify restaurants, pubs, bars and other public places they believe are ruined by the presence of a television.

They will then pay each one a visit and forcibly turn off their sets, leaving behind spoof menus and posters protesting about how the background hum of the television has replaced the art of conversation.

I'd pay money to see them try this in a Packer bar.

I'd pay even more money to see them forced to sit in a Packer bar with the TV off and converse with Packer fans.

(ducking)

"Television companies are facing a real problem. You go to these conferences and they're terrified about losing 'eyeballs'. The language is actually of 'capturing eyeballs'. We're offering people the chance of liberation," he says.

No, you're forcing your views on them, and on the business that's using the TV as an amenity for their customers.

Posted by Mitch at April 26, 2005 12:22 PM | TrackBack