I proudly welcome you among our ranks. Here, have some expensive wine 
Hearing people puff and pride up about not watching TV seems snobby to me. However, I’m embarrased to admit to most people that I don’t watch TV because I can’t sit still long enough to watch anything (unless it’s some kind of documentary on someone living with a certain disease, challenge, mental illness - those are fascinating. PBS had a special on for a while called “This Emotional Life” and I was transfixed by it). Sitting down to watch TV is like caging a hyena in a birdcage for me. I chalk it up to undiagnosed Adult ADHD 
Seriously, I hear about moms and their favorite shows and their connectedness over these shows and I’m always baffled. How do they do it!!!
That being said, if I find out someone watches reality shows and frequently makes references to them, my opinion of them is drastically reduced.
A computer + pirate bay = what you want to watch, when you want to watch it.
If you mean removing all show/movie viewing from your daily life then that’ a different matter.
Yes, it is a prideful thing because in today’s world it takes some discipline.
Don’t knock others for being happy about their healthier lifestyle!
I see that a lot with people whom do not drink alcohol. They never talk about it, unless asked a direct question and even then they’re reserved. They certainly do not talk badly about others who do drink. Yet somehow they’re viewed as too upscale, posh, snobby or ‘weird.’
That sounds more to me like guilt on the drinkers’ part.
What I find interesting here, having just quickly reviewed the thread as I was archiving it, is that those who are defending TV-watching (I’m using that as a loose description, so don’t take it as anything but) seem to consider any statement to the contrary as “snobbism” or some other deliberately insulting act. The problem is that it’s usually said in response to a leading comment about TV:
TV fan: “Wow, Tim Olyphant was just a killer in *Justified *last night.”
TV-less: “Sorry, I don’t watch TV.”
TV fan (stomping away): “Fuckin’ snob!”
Not only does this note run all through this thread, but I’ve experienced it in real life, among people I would have thought to be more… sensible. I don’t understand the underlying assumption that everyone of course watches TV, and only misfits lookin’ for a fight say they don’t. If you politely say something more diffuse, like, “Sorry, I didn’t see *Justified *last night” the conversation often proceeds as if you are utterly ashamed and bereft at your lack, and they have to “fill you in” and assure you that you must run right home and catch it on replay. You either spend considerable time making polite noises about something you have no interest in, or compound the confusion by trying to explain that you don’t watch TV. You would have an easier time, in many such cases, explaining that you don’t breathe.
There doesn’t seem to be a way to communicate to people that you simply don’t watch TV - it’s as if the very concept that there is someone who doesn’t watch offends them and needs either “correction” (“Oh, but you MUST watch ____, right?” or “Oh, but you have no idea how good ____ is!”) or, as in most of this thread, dismissal as being some kind of one-upping pseudo-intellectual just too too good to be talking to us TV-watchin’ trash. It must have been the same as being a non-drinker in the Mad Men days - by god, they were going to get you a drink no matter what you said, unless you were just out to be an asshole about it.
Some of us just don’t watch TV. Some of those might feel compelled to explain why, especially if they’re pressed as in the above ways. Since, like vegetarianism or teetotaling or not driving a car, not-watching TV is often from a considered ethical or intellectual viewpoint, it’s not surprising that TV watchers take such a position as “superior” or “snobby.” I see it as their problem - if they can take “I don’t drink” or “I don’t eat meat” or “I don’t drive” without being offended or needing to press their viewpoint on the matter, then they should be able to take “I don’t watch TV” in the same way, without taking it as a challenge to their intellectual capacity or social relevance. If my saying “I don’t drink” makes you reflect on your fifth-a-day habit, I’m not the source of your discomfort.
I suggest that each and every one of you now read from the Book of Ray [Bradbury], specifically Chapter XVII - “The Pedestrian.” No, I don’t think there’s a video version.
Yeah, there’s a strong sense of that sort of insecurity here. “Oh, so you think you’re better than me, that’s it?” The infrequent tv watcher gets it coming and going, ime. One friend gives me flack for not owning a tv; another gives me flack for being able to quote **Buffy The Vampire Slayer **or Archer. Being highbrow is hard, bro.
Nice job. It went from “A single hour of television is less worthwhile than taking a nap” to “There’s good programming out there, but I think people watch too much TV in general.”
I’m Ok with people not watching TV. I agree some people aren’t.
But I don’t see how it’s necessary for you to judge those of us that do. How is that different than you being judged for not watching?
I, too, get annoyed when people ask me if I have watched shows I consider stupid. I hate American Idol and I hate all awards shows. And I can pretty much be guaranteed to not have watched whatever everyone else watched last night.
But I manage to smile politely and say no and bow out of the conversation, and no one ever thinks I am judging them.
I agree with the idea of another poster, who expressed that you’ll find snobs, anywhere, in any form. That said, yes, people will sometimes brag and be snobby about it, but that behavior typically extends beyond television.
Personally, I won’t actively seek out and watch most television programs, but I’ll certainly watch if someone suggests something, or if I’m at another person’s house. If it counts, I will watch movies on Netflix, via computer, tablet, or TV, but I’m assuming you’re talking about specific television network programs.
I’ve gotten into a few, but in most casual conversations where they come up, I’m usually the one listening during the discussion, as opposed to actively talking about an episode of “x” which aired, last night. I’m a much bigger computer/web user, for news, media, or most anything else.
Missed the point again, but I have ceased to be surprised in your case.
If it were an infrequent thing, smiling politely and bowing out would be a fine option. The problem is that TV is a huge proportion of social chatter these days, so it’s like being offered a drink or a hamburger over and over again. The options seem to be pretend to participate via polite noises, smile and bow out, or be considered a hairy asshole for making an issue out of the point that you haven’t seen five minutes of a Superbowl since Jerry Rice’s catch.
It would be nice if TV fans could accept at face value that TV’s not a very interesting subject to us, and having had their turn, allow the conversation to go elsewhere. Otherwise we end up bowing out of nearly every convo group in the room and considering the evening a waste of time. And, of course, we’re just snobs who are deliberately shooting ourselves in the foot for doing so.
But there’s lots of stuff people talk about I am not remotely interested in. TV is not really more than any other. I find people talk about TV shows in two instances: either two people watch the same show, or they genuinely don’t have another topic and are just nattering. If I really want to be part of the conversation I have no problem waiting until the TV natter winds down and introducing another.
I get you, I really do. I hate when people go on and on about Downtown Abby or whatever the show is. But there are people who go on and on about their interests no matter what. These are the socially clueless. I too would appreciate people talking less about their shows, but I have no problem not talking to them. I guess I’m just a misanthrope. Someone who dominates every conversation with a TV show isn’t worth my time in the first place!
Nitropress, I don’t watch TV at all either but I also don’t find myself surrounded by folks that drone on and on about ‘their’ shows. Admittedly, I have a fairly unique occupation and can avoid THE water cooler chatter per se but when I do interact socially, no one talks about last night’s episode of well, anything. So where do you find these swarms of mind numbed TV addicts that dominate the conversation so throughly?
I don’t have time to watch the Idiot Box, I’m too busy horsewhipping the servants.
Yah, I know you think you made some brilliant, subtle, nuanced point that was hard to grasp, but everybody gets it. Not everyone agrees, however, because it’s silly.
I think it’s more than that - yes, there’s always some bore who won’t let go of his or her pet topic, perpetually pulling the “…as I was saying…” gambit, but I think that perfectly polite, socially-graceful people tend to lock onto television in conversation. Part of this is because it is a common social ground and most people in a group don’t want to get into Deep Subjects, so chattering about that common interest tends to rise to the surface.
What’s peculiar about it is that it resists deflection. You can say, “Oh, I don’t follow football/baseball/NASCAR” and the group will gracefully move on. You can even say, “I prefer not to discuss religion/politics” and get something like acceptance. But saying any form of “I really don’t watch TV” seems to provoke people - either they take you as a “snob” and cut the conversation short, or they feel they have to “help” you by examining your lack and prescribing a “cure” - some program that is just so excellent that it’s sure to appeal to you. I can’t bring to mind a single time when TV came up, I demurred as a non-watcher, and the person or group was willing to move on as in the other cases.
The assumption that everyone watches TV, except for the Leonard Meads of the world who obviously need help, is almost universal, even among people who should be more perceptive.
Well, snark aside, it does not tend to be people I interact with regularly; coworkers and things like committee members do slowly learn what their compatriots’s interests are and aren’t. It’s mostly the case in more generally social settings, where people are either strangers or only lightly acquainted.
We do have a couple of pockets of family who are outstanding examples of what I’m talking about - we see them often enough that they know we don’t watch TV, but persist in trying to converse about it in the “you really must” and “this will cure you” mode.
See, there is one person who does this to me. You see, my kids don’t have a lot of time to watch TV. They get at most an hour on weekdays and usually two movies on the weekends.
This person is always saying, ‘you don’t know who <random tv character> is?’ Even though I have explained to him tens of times that the kids just don’t watch that much TV he acts like I am somehow depriving the children of being included in our culture.
But, the reality is, that this guy is the stupidest (literally) person I know. He doesn’t get thing at all and I assure you this is just the tip of his idiocy iceberg. I have never had anyone who had an IQ above room temperature get weird about my kids’ lack of TV exposure.
My point is that chances are the people who think you are being snobbish/get offended are not quality people to hang out with.
Also, when someone is talking about their favourite show and says, ’ you really should watch it.’ They really believe that you are missing out on something you would enjoy. It is supposed to be a nice thing for them to say. Take it that way.
You realize that it is possible to just say “I’ve never seen that show” instead of putting oneself out of the entire picture? No one watches everything, after all. And there are certainly people who don’t just say they don’t watch tv, but say that it is all worthless - as we’ve seen in this thread.
There are plenty of reasons why people don’t watch TV - no service, can’t afford it, no time. But it is cutting oneself off from a large chunk of American culture. I think that a lot of “I never watch TV” strongly implies that it is because one is superior to all TV.
And before recent times, it cut you off even more. I’m sure glad that I had access to a TV in July 1969. Cutting oneself off from that event seems dumb.
Funnily enough, when people talk about what happened on some show I don’t watch, I just say I don’t watch that show and we’re usually done. If the person keeps bringing up shows, I just end it with “I don’t really watch a lot of TV,” and the person pretty much always says “Oh,” and that’s the end of it. Maybe twice someone has said “Really? So do you, like, not watch any at all?” and I go, “I mean, a little, but I only watch like two or three shows,” then they drop it. Never been accused of snobbery just by saying I’m not really one for television. I wonder why the two of us get such disparate reactions. strokes imaginary beard
Good point about simply saying you don’t watch specific programs. Volunteering why is undoubtedly what puts people off. For example, my entire family are teetotalers. Occasionally they’ll go to functions where drinking is the norm. If asked to have a beer, they just politely decline and go on about their business. They don’t have to divulge, upon every request, that they do not ever drink alcohol.
And this:
Exactly. I’m almost 45 and I’ve known some hardcore TV addicts over the years, yet I’ve never met any that continue on about watching shows when it’s obvious the other participants don’t and I’ve never seen them get upset with those that don’t partake. 
Trust me. Most of the folks I know are certainly capable of such boorish behavior and if even they can refrain, I’d like to know where these social misfits hang out at. They truly skew the data, in my opinion.
ETA: Hell, even among my friends that watch some if the same programs as I do, we hardly ever discuss it. TV in general just isn’t much of a long-term sustaining topic.
Here’s the deal, in the spirit of MeanOldLady’s post.
I have several coworkers. Once the topic of books came up. None of them read for pleasure, but the responses were different.
One of my coworkers proclaimed loudly “I DON’T READ”.
The rest of them said “I really don’t have time to read a lot,” or “Reading’s not really my thing,” or other such excuses.
Quick - which of these responses is rude and which one is not?