# How could UPN do this to me??? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 16, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675 "2001-07-16T14:13:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/41 "2001-07-18T13:05:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\* > If you’ve self-inflicted the end point that you will not be able to watch Star Trek on your holy day, then there’s nothing we can really do to help you. > > But, it seems to me that if it is self-inflicted, and not a requirement or either the letter or the spirit of Jewish Law, than it’s really not a religious objection at all. Just a personal decision. If you personally decide not to watch or allow yourself to watch Star Trek there’s nothing we can do to help you. \*\* Well, again, as I said earlier, it is, IMHO, not in the spirit of the law. That being said, however, I do realize that it is simply a higher standard that I have set for myself; and as such, was not really seeking a solution. I just wanted to complain a bit. 🙂 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/42 "2001-07-18T21:02:12Z")
Well, here’s an interesting thought. Suppose some anonymous Doper were to mail you a videotape of the show, without your having asked them to do so. Would your refusing to watch this tape deprive them of incurring a mitzveh? (Granted, it’s not a mitzveh on the scale of donating to the poor, or becoming an organ donor, but every little good deed helps in this sorry world.) ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/43 "2001-07-19T03:11:11Z")
I face similar issues, although my family feels comfortable taping on Shabbos and holidays. We tape Giant games and playoff Ranger stuff, and yell at people who tell us about the outcome before we race home after Shabbos to watch the tape. Of course, all of this has led to mental images of Dopers performing a hand-pupper reenactment of the Giant game, which is something that I think that I’d like to see sometime. With play-by-play, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/44 "2001-07-19T20:48:06Z")
Zev said > [@](#): > > An all-encompasing lifestyle that bring meaning and purpose to my life, or an hour of Star Trek? I thought Star Trek **was** an all-encompassing lifestyle etc. Or have I watched “Trekkies” one time too often? As others, and you, have pointed out, this is not something that the law imposes upon you. It is something you have imposed upon yourself. This could be seen as trying to be “holier-than-thou” or indulging in the sin of pride at being more observant than others. Refusing to tape the show because of your heretical interpretation of the law (just kidding) could be a bigger sin than taping it. Perhaps you could speak to your rabbi about this. If he says it’s all right for you to tape it, would that be satisfactory? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/45 "2001-07-19T20:57:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\*all-encompasing lifestyle that bring meaning and purpose to my life, or an hour of Star Trek? > \*\* It’s easier when you think that ST hasn’t been well written recently. I’d stick with Judiasm and catch it in reruns. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2001, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/46 "2001-07-19T22:09:40Z")
**Saint Zero** what are you talking about? Judaism is _all_ reruns. In the begining, God created the heaven and the earth and in the end Moses showed them the sights of Israel. Year in and year out same old thing. The storylines are predictable, the writing archaic and filled with cliches, and most of the characters aren’t that interesting. It’s simply amazing the ratings have been as high as they have when everyone knows all the plot twists well in advance. They don’t even spice the _parashim_ up for the months of Sweeps! ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/47 "2001-07-19T23:58:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Hmmmm. > > An all-encompasing lifestyle that bring meaning and purpose to my life, or an hour of Star Trek? > > Tough choice there, Redboss… Well, if you feel the need for divine guidance, I believe there are branches of Judaism whose interpretation of “Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath sday” aren’t quite so insanely restrictive. And there’s also Christianity (Don’t worry, not all Christians are rabid homophobic intolerant young-earth creationist pro-life pro-censorship freaks.) - to most Christains, “keep holy the Sabbath” means “Go to church on Sunday, and the rest of the day is yours”. But if you believe that God doesn’t want you watching anything broadcast on Saturday, even if you’re just watching a tape of it the next day, your beef is with God, not UPN. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/48 "2001-07-20T00:12:11Z")
Why is no one pissed at UPN for scheduling Enterprise on Yom Kippur? I mean come on, no one has a calender with Jewish holidays noted on it at UPN? Seems kind of rude of them to schedule it then. (Even if most observant Jews will simply tape it or see it in re-run.) I think that is just mean. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/49 "2001-07-20T01:37:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don Jaime \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Redboss \* > > **Unimportant stuff you really don’t care about.** > > I’d invite you to eat my shit, but you sound like the sort of moron who’d enjoy doing that. So just piss off instead, atheist scum, and let us know when you find the “on” switch to your brain. \*\* A late addition, but I have to say something. **Zev** , bless him, took my post in the spirit that it was intended - a very mild rebuke in the form of one of my usual silly jokes. But this character above not only over-reacted, but quoted me as saying something **I never said**. Look back if you don’t believe me, but I never said “Unimportant stuff you really don’t care about”. For one thing Television shows are not unimportant! Probably don hangs around in Great Debates mostly, where I believe the standards of courtesy are lower (boring your fellow readers is **not** a crime, for example). Mate, you’re welcome to disagree with me, your choice of language only makes you look bad, but if you misquote me… **Sir - you are no gentleman!** Redboss ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/50 "2001-07-20T04:11:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*Perhaps you could speak to your rabbi about this. If he says it’s all right for you to tape it, would that be satisfactory? > \*\* Sorry to get all serious on you like this, but it doesn’t work like that. Two things: 1. Rabbis aren’t priests (in the Catholic sense). They do not grant permission and they do not pardon. They tell you what is legal or illegal (“Your pot is still kosher even though xyz was cooked in it” vs. “Since it’s very important to you/advances a greater cause, I’ll give you permission to do this forbiddent thing on Shabbos”). 2.This isn’t really a legal vs. illegal question anyway. It’s technically permitted; the only question is what the individual feels comfortable with. The definition of an activity’s being Shabbosdik (Sabbath-appropriate) is very fuzzy and, within limits, is defined for each person for themselves. (My mother would never let my brother play football on Shabbos, for example, because he’d get really dirty and wouldn’t be able to wear Shabbosdik clothing. But my family tapes sports events. It’s really a matter of personal choice.) Oh, and **sjc** , that’s really nice of you to get offended on our behalf, but we tend not to expect things to be planned around our holidays. Upset, yes, but not _at_ anybody - it’s rather like, “Why were they fated to be on the same day?” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/51 "2001-07-20T05:39:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GilaB \* > \*\*Upset, yes, but not _at_ anybody - it’s rather like, “Why were they fated to be on the same day?” \*\* I hope you realize that that line has me picturing Zev standing in an open field, his hands clenched in fists, which he is shaking, as he is screaming to the heavens “Why have you forsaken me?!” ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/52 "2001-07-20T05:49:13Z")
> [@](#): > > posted by **zev\_steinhardt** : > I didn’t really start this thread with an eye toward > looking for solutions, since the problem is, for the most part, self-inflicted. I was just looking for a > place to vent a bit. ??? You admit that it was your own choice, and not even a religious obligation to forego taping or watching the show. Why, then, must you complain to us about it? Claiming that you set “higher standards” for yourself sounds a little like pride to me. If I decide to eliminate ice cream from my diet, and then all my friends decide to go out for sundaes, I certainly wouldn’t feel a need to “vent” about it, because it is _my choice_ whether or not to have ice cream. So, why did you??? ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/53 "2001-07-20T13:55:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Redboss \* > **More unimportant stuff you don’t care about.** Of course I’m not a gentleman. **I’m a redneck!** We beat up gentlemen for sport. And I wouldn’t be caught dead in Great Debates; in fact, that’s where I thought you came from, since you dredged up atheism. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/54 "2001-07-20T14:54:39Z")
I wasn’t suggesting that Zev get permission from his rabbi. Technically Zev already has permission from his rabbi, insofar as it is not written that he can’t watch a tape recorded on Yom Kippur. What I was suggesting was a discussion with the rabbi regarding Zev’s interpretation of the law in a setting that’s a little less half-assed than a message board. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/55 "2001-07-20T19:10:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don Jaime \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Redboss \* > > **Unimportant stuff you really don’t care about.** > > I’d invite you to eat my shit, but you sound like the sort of moron who’d enjoy doing that. So just piss off instead, atheist scum, and let us know when you find the “on” switch to your brain. \*\* Do you kiss your grandmother with that filthy mouth? And does she like it when you give her your tongue? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/56 "2001-09-28T02:33:06Z")
Well, it’s the worst of both worlds… I couldn’t watch it, even if I wanted to. Besides the fact that it was Yom Kippur, it also turns out that because of the WTC center incident, I can’t get Channel 9 ( I don’t have cable). WWOR (Channel 9 in New York) will be re-running it on Sunday at 6p.m. and I’m hoping I’ll be able to pick up Channel 9 half-decently on Sunday… Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675/57 "2001-09-28T03:31:29Z")
IMHO, zev, you didn’t miss much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-upn-do-this-to-me/72675.md?page=2)