It has to do with the tone of voice. That holier than thou, sneering “I don’t even own a TV” that comes across judgmental and snobbish. Also, the inclusion of derogatory adjectives, as scattered throughout this thread, so that even if the voice tone isn’t snobbish, the words themselves are, “when I last had a TV we called it the crapbox” (laughing). That smugness of superiority, “I drive a Prius,” “we only eat organic,” etc., which we’ve all heard from somebody, and found annoying.
It doesn’t have to be TV, but can be translated into any exchange that boils down to, “Here is a thing I think is cool.”
I was exaggerating a little bit. It’s not that we’re dictated to. It’s just that the shows I like to watch aren’t ones that are appropriate for a three year old. So if he’s around I don’t feel comfortable watching my shows. I have to wait until he’s either not around or asleep before I can watch my shows. But that never happens because when he’s not around I’m usually not around either – I’m at work. And when he’s asleep I’m usually asleep or I’m doing things around the house that MUST be done while he’s asleep, like maintainance tasks. So no time for entertainment.
My wife is lucky in that the shows she likes are cooking, home repair, and travel shows which we have no problem watching with my son around. She doesn’t like drama shows and is so-so about comedy.
I generally do take well-intended comments as just that, even when they’re way off the mark (e.g. someone saying “God bless you!” for a sneeze).
I’ve said pretty much all I have to say on this topic, and will simply note that the basis of most of my comments is puzzlement at the sheer amount of time people spend watching TV, and the peculiarly widespread assumption that everyone does, and how odd is the social difficulty of maintaining any other stance.
No, unless she/he tells everyone they meet “I don’t even own a TV” within 10 minutes of meting them, they probably are not snobbish about it.
Unless someone specifically asks about my viewing habits, I don’t tell them. “Did you see _________”? “No. I missed that one”. Is how I respond to that question. I do not launch a tirade about the quality of TV programming.
“Do you watch TV?” "No. MacNeil/Lehrer and Simpons. Not since. End of discussion.
I am not going to try to change anyone’s viewing habits, just as I, as an atheist, do not argue with the faithful.
So - yes, it is possible to be snobbish about anything.
If you have encountered 1 braggart non-watcher, you’ll know one.
How many non-watchers do you suppose you know who DON’T tell you about it?
There’s nothing wrong with being proud of myself. I am proud I quit watching television just like I’m proud I finally got off the junk food train and quit smoking. I consider the amount of television I used to watch unhealthy at around 1-3 hours a day. I wouldn’t let my child watch that much television even when we had one because I know it’s not good for her in any way at all. It’s fun. I can dig some fun. I’m the queen of fun. I just don’t want television at my house. Why must we like it? Why must we pretend we know the business of the Kardashians or whoever is big this season? People look at me like I’m a strange insect when I tell them I don’t watch television. It seems to make other people defensive, and I can assure you that is not my intent. But let them ask me if I watched whatever show they’re into. If I make the mistake of saying, “No, I don’t have a TV” I get the eyeball. And I suppose now I know why. They think I’m being a goddamned snob.
“you don’t have Netflix? My god, how do you get through the day?”
“You can stream so-and-so. What!? You don’t even own a computer? How do you function?”
I hear this from well-meaning people I meet all the time. It’s hard not to sound like a snob to those who do not know how to let it go and keep insisting.
So…you have to modify your response into a lie just to not be rude?
I don’t think you have to at all. It can be perfectly acceptable to say you don’t read, if you say it in the right tone. We might have an interesting conversation about why you don’t read.
When people say they don’t read I always find it very interesting. Why not? Maybe you’re dyslexic, maybe you don’t have time. People often tell me they find books slow. Do they like being read to? Hey, I’ll read you a book!
Why would you not tell people, if appropriate and in the right tone, what your reasons are? Same with tee-totalling. It’s interesting to me why you don’t drink. It’s human interaction: you have all these habits and quirks and opinions. I had a maths teacher who refused to eat peanut butter because his mother had never given it to him. Awesome! He’s not a snob, he’s a fascinating anomaly!
You don’t have to ask why I don’t watch tv. It’s not a particularly interesting thing about me. But I’m not going to pretend I do, that’s just silly.
I’m not a TV snob. I watch my Animation Domination on Sundays, and I’ll catch an intriguing PBS documentary occasionally. But otherwise, my TV is off.
Just a few years ago, I couldn’t say this. I was one of those people who would leave the TV on just for background noise. I had cable just so I could keep up one or two shows. But now background chitter-chatter bugs me really bad. I can watch those one or two good shows on my laptap or my Kindle…on my own time. I also don’t like being glued to one spot for very long. I even struggle in movie theaters now.
I only feel superior unless someone is complaining about never having a time. Back in my TV-watching days, I was one of those people who never seemed to have enough time. As soon as I stopped, it was like the evenings expanded by two hours. I can actually do things now (fun shit, not clean-up-the-house-and-do-another-load-of-laundry chores). If someone who always complains about time always seems to be a walking TV Guide, yeah, I’m going to feel a little good about myself. But I keep it to myself and try not be obnoxious.
I have never watched five minutes of Honey Boo Child, but I stay up on pop cultural references so that I don’t look like a complete ignoramous when conversations swing a certain direction. That’s the only thing Yahoo! News is good for.
I don’t think there’s anything that tragically wrong with being a TV snob. Maybe if there were more snobs, TV programming would actually be better than it is.
Over Christmas I had entire conversations about Downton Abbey. I think the most recent series had ended or something and I happily discussed it with several people in several different situations, getting into the ins and outs of the British class system, how this has been represented in various media in the past and whatnot. But here’s the kicker: I have never seen a single episode of Downton Abbey in my life.
I simply have social skills.
For those that don’t get how the “I don’t watch TV” reply/attitude is seen as snobbish, Voyager here has put it best. The polite answer to “did you see X” isn’t “I don’t watch television”, it is “I don’t watch X”. I’m sorry, but not understanding that is betraying a lack of social skills.
I don’t go araound proclaiming that I don’t watch t.v., but I don’t have the time for it and don’t care for most of what’s on. So if folks are talking about t.v. shows and asking my opinions I will eventually admit that other than Antiques Road Show (to which I am addicted, so obviously am no snob) I really have no idea what they’re talking about.
I do wonder if the perception that saying “I don’t watch t.v.” is smug and superior-sounding has to do with the hearer being a bit defense about his or her t.v. viewing habits. As pointed out above “I don’t read” or “I don’t travel” or “I don’t play a musical instrument” isn’t a smug thiing to say.
Neither, actually, since in our culture at least if you say “books are stupid” it reflects more on you than on books.
Now how about if someone was talking about a high grade comic (like “Maus”) and someone else said “I don’t read those things!” I don’t, actually, not for a long time, but I’d say something about not having time to read it or not having been into it for a while. I’m aware, from reviews, that while many are junk there are good ones, and I wouldn’t want to trash the whole category. But I bet lots of people do - maybe even more than who trash TV.
Perhaps because saying that TV is “mind poison” and “worthless crap”, you’re basically implying (even if you don’t mean to) that the person who does watch is somehow beneath you. Or they’re mindless ignorant rubes.
Someone pointed out being able to watch the moon landing. Even though I was only eleven when the Berlin Wall fell, I was still amazed to watch it happen. I watched the inauguration the other day – of the US’s first black president. I’m grateful that I was able to watch the inaguration of his first term.
TV isn’t all Honey Boo Boo and the Kardashians. Although yes, I watch my fair amount of crap as well. Human beings don’t have to be intellectuals 24/7. I don’t think my brain is being poisoned if I like to watch South Park. I’m currently reading a biography of Mary Queen of Scots’ nieces, as well as a Star Wars novel. It’s not a sum-zero game. We have time to do both.
I don’t eat at Carl’s Jr. because of their fondness for commercials I find obnoxious.
I don’t know, maybe Panda Express would have been a better choice today for a quick meal to help curb impulse shopping at the grocery store (very busy day, hadn’t had time for lunch at home), but I’m in a not-wonderful emotional spot right now, and the occasional unhealthy splurge is IMO good for morale. I do like Panda, was just in a burger mood.
Anaamika said the rude person said “I DON’T READ!”, whereas the others all modified (ostensibly the same sentiment) into “I don’t really have time to read”. Seeing as I “DON’T WATCH TV!”, I would have to modify that into a lie (“I don’t really have time to watch tv”) in order not to be rude.
What if you want to say “I don’t read, because books are so slow and dull and reading sucks! I HATE BOOKS!” Say it! Don’t beat around the bush, don’t sugar coat your opinion. We’ll talk about it. You don’t need to say it like I am somehow wrong for thinking my entire bookcase is the first thing I would save in a fire. You don’t have to be aggressive or rude about your opinion. But hey, if you have some sort of crazy idea about books being the Source of all Evil, let’s hear it.
I think a better term than snob is pretentious. It’s not snobbery, it’s affectation. We’ve all met the type of person who can’t wait to tell you that they don’t watch TV and they are pretentious bores.
What’s weird is, I do watch TV and I don’t have all that many conversations about it, but some of the people here who never watch TV are besieged by people who insist on talking about TV and won’t take no for an answer. It could be that either these people are at a loss of what to talk about with you, or that you are so excited to tell someone new that you don’t watch TV that you’ve remembered each and every conversation in your life in which you got to score points with your non TV watching.
Here’s a news flash: American movies are largely crap and a lot of new American literature is self indulgent at best. TV is the one medium in our culture that is reliably creating new and interesting art, particularly when it comes to intelligent roles for women. Yes there is a lot of bad TV, there is a lot of bad everything; that is the nature of art, most of it is bad. A cultured consumer of art learns to sift through the crap to find art worth consuming and thinking about. An uncultured, pretentious person just waits for a gap in a conversation about TV to proclaim, “I don’t watch TV.”
NitroPress, are you unacquainted with what the word snob means? Because you’ve made a bunch of snobbish comments, starting with the very first one you made in this thread.
This is a dismissive post about how horrible it is that people in this thread think watching TV has value. That’s snobbery. The statement makes no sense unless you think you’re better than those of us who have a different opinion.
Then you go on and try to make a good post, but it includes such a remark as calling a TV a “babble box,” which is dismissive, and the much worse remark about how “those of us who basically don’t watch any [television] in the traditional sense have a leg up on those who do.” You just admitted to snobbery. You think you are better. We could stop the thread right there, and say that you are an example of a snob on the issue. But that isn’t your last snobbish post.
The next one is the one MeanOldLady called you out on. I’ll quote it in its entirety:
The first snobbish thing is saying that watching TV has no value because it’s entertainment and not accomplishing something. By itself that’s already borderline snobbish, but then you go on to equate frequent watching with alcoholism. So you equate watching TV with a disease that can kill you. Can you not see how snobby that is?
I’m going to skip through most of your next post, not because there’s no snobbery in it (although it’s mild), but because it pales in comparison to the next one. But I will point out this tidbit:
What is this but bragging about how more accomplished you are? Even the idea that that matters is a snobbish way of thinking. But, like I said, it pales in comparison to the next post.
So it comes out what you really thing: you’re a better human than all of us. The only response you can make to us is dismissive snark. Probably the snobbiest post so far, but it gets worse.
All about how great and wonderful you are. Followed by your next post which is mostly good, but once again equates TV watching with alcoholism. It’s like you can’t understand why people don’t like alcoholism. It isn’t because we go around thinking we can tell others what in their life has value. It’s because it kills people. It causes abuse of others. Heck, it even costs us healthcare money. if you’re one of those heartless bastards who only cares about that. The only way it’s similar is that apparently you could be doing something else that you personally think has more value. Why does that matter, if people don’t need to live their life like you do? What is the non-snobbish reason that you even care?
Then your next post is all about how stupid all of us are for not seeing things the way you do. You’re going to “archive this thread as a case study of how people can vehemently defend essentially indefensible positions.” Yip, you’re this high and mighty scientist studying us stupid people who defend things that you in your almighty wisdom know are indefensible. Probably the snobbiest thing you’ve said.
The rest of your posts are trying to either rewrite what you’ve said, or act all surprised about how some people might think you come off as snobbish. So while I’ve had to be a bit of a snob to reply to you, hopefully you’ll understand that I’m doing it to answer your implied question. People think you come off as a snob because the things you say on the subject, even if only when it comes up, are what we consider snobbish. It’s exactly the behavior that we dislike.
And, if you think this post is long, be happy. I cut it down tremendously.