So this is something that I’ve thought about while both reading posts in the Cafe Society and hanging out with friends in real life.
I seem to be a lot more easily entertained than the majority of the population I encounter. My ratio of “movies I’m entertained by and will watch” to “movies I hate” is probably in the 30:1 range at least. Same for TV shows. In fact, when my friends flip through channels to watch something, invariably I’ll see at least 10-15 different things I could be happy watching. But my friends will veto pretty much everything I like because “all TV sucks nowadays.” I’ve actually gotten into heated arguments with my friends because of this. Most recent example I can think of is one of my friends spoiled the fourth Indiana Jones for me despite me explicitly telling him several times I wanted to see it regardless of how “bad” it was going to be. He spoiled it anyway because he wanted to encourage me not to see it since he hated it so much. I saw it anyway and enjoyed it despite its flaws.
I also come across lots of posts in the Cafe Society where people take down shows or movies because of small flaws that I didn’t notice, or I did notice but they didn’t detract from the movie. I mean, I can’t argue with a plot hole you can drive a truck through, but if a person has a 2006 model cell phone in 2004 it’s not going to make me throw up my hands and go “That’s it, I can’t watch this anymore!” Maybe that’s a little extreme but hopefully you get the point.
I think it’s partly because I’ve always had an active imagination and I’m an only child, so I had to resort to things like TV, movies, books, music, etc. a lot of the time to entertain myself as I was growing up. I don’t know.
The point is, I like being easily entertained. Some of my friends make fun of me for that fact, but I feel like I get more enjoyment out of things than they do. 4 out of 5 times, one of my friends will come out of a movie theater actually pissed off at what he just saw. I can’t remember the last time that happened to me. (Okay, that’s a lie, I can remember. Bloodrayne, although I didn’t see it in the theater. Fuck Uwe Boll.)
So how easily entertained are you? Do you consider being easily entertained a good thing or a bad thing?
I am also easily entertained, and I consider it a good thing. I’m almost never bored; there’s always something around somewhere that interests me. Like you, I always find something to watch on tv.
I’ve noticed the same thing as you about Café Society - it’s like some of the people there aren’t happy unless they’re criticizing something that seems perfectly fine to most people. There’s discerning, and then there’s never being satisfied, no matter what you have.
I was also a creative, self-directed child. I was one of four girls, though. I was a loner then and I’m a loner now - I am and always was perfectly fine entertaining myself. I’ve noticed that my mom is like me, too - she’s always interested in everything around her. I don’t know how much of my taking after her would be nature and how much nurture.
Football? Yup. Preferably SEC or NFL, but I’d watch Eastern Bugtussle against Hooterville Community College if that’s the only game I could get.
Internet? Yup. Bestest entertainment there is. Gimme the mouse and go 'way.
Gambling? You bet.
Fiction? Yup…long as it’s not one of those romance series things.
TV? Hmmm…if it ain’t football or BSG, and it’s been out for less than a decade, I probably haven’t seen it, but I could watch it. Rather have the internet, though.
Gaming–yup. I’ll play most anything. Cards to computer games.
Movies–hmmm…not into the chick flick thing or splatter movies. Comedy is good, 'splosions are good, nudity is good.
Being easily entertained counts as a virtue in the Book of Oakie. If I didn’t have to work for a living, I’d very rarely be bored.
I’m one of those who can amuse themselves for hours, but I don’t really enjoy TV or movies. I’m not a snob about it though, if you enjoy it (like Hubby) that’s great. I think it’s something to do with the audio - it annoys me on some subconscious level. A lot of people talking in the same room has a similar effect.
I will read anything, work puzzles, bead, etc. if the power’s out. Also like Oakminster, I’m endlessly entertained by the 'net.
Looks around at all his bookcases, boxes of still-unpacked books, racks of DVDs, and boxes of CDs that he needs to get new racks for. Then thinks about his Netflix queue and the number of shows on his DVR record list.
Yes, I’m easily amused. remembers the pile of unfinished puzzle books on one shelf and the file of several years worth of crossword puzzles he’d clipped from the paper to do later when he had the time Very easily amused. My list of “guilty pleasures” movies and books is legion (I draw the line at Adam Sandler and Pauly Shore movies, but that’s about it.)
I love being easily amused. I’ve decided that I never want to be jaded.
I like it that I can entertain myself by watching a squirrel search for acorns, or a rabbit carefully chose which dandelion to eat next. Flying kites, watching clouds, reading and on and on.
I’m rarely bored. I’m much more likely to be unable to narrow down what to do next.
I’m extremely easily diverted, easily entertained, often amused, but rarely consumed with interest. Only the last one truly satisfies me, but there are worse things than lying around while my brain registers nothing more than “oooh…shiny.”
I’m very easily entertained. And yes, I was a loner as a child. Maybe that’s a factor: being an only child/loner child.
Or having children. After you play ‘patty-cake’ for two hours straight…your brain is fried.
I’m very easily entertained. I’ll watch any movie or TV show. There are certainly things I end up not liking and I stop watching, but I’m up to try anything. I think it’s a good thing. I like being entertained.
My boyfriend on the other hand is really picky and really annoying if what we’re watching is not up to his standards. He has a hard time suspending disbelief, overlooking bad acting or ugly people, and just generally chilling out and enjoying something for what it is, even if it’s not awesome. And he’ll talk and talk and talk. Sigh. I love him but sometimes I just want to watch House without the “this show is so stupid” commentary track.
In the last 5 years I can think of one movie I’ve seen that I would identify as ‘‘terrible’’ and I still watched it and enjoyed parts of it.
(’‘The Wedding Date’’ for those who wondered.)
I am easily entertained. Not just with movies and TV, but life in general. I don’t bore easily. I can see positive qualities in almost any circumstance. Yay me.
I’m easy to entertain. If you give me a seat on a bus with a window I can stay there for days lost in thought. When I find out something is a two hour wait, I’m totally cool just waiting and people watching. I’ll read anything, watch any movie, etc. Around the house if I have nothing to do I end up cooking elaborate meals or making puppet videos or something. Idleness is something I can pursue with great gusto and skill.
Though I’ll watch any movie at all and I have a special place in my heart for bad movies, I will tear any movie (even the ones I loved) apart. It’s just a part of my particular pleasure in watching movies. For me it’s not about the story or images or whatever, it’s about the way that films say things about society and the film maker and the way they fit into cinematic history. So yeah, I’m a pretty harsh critic. But it’s all in good fun, not because I didn’t enjoy watching the movie.
I think being easy to entertain (or at least hard to make bored) is a very important skill that people should seek to cultivate. I think it makes you into a better person who is better capable of handling life.
Depends on the situation of course. If I have what I need to entertain me, I’m easily satisfied. If I have a book or an ipod with me I’m set. If I’m stranded at some persons house where I don’t know the majority of the people I get fidgety tho. As far as type of entertainment, I’m somewhat picky about type (sci vs western for example) and maybe even general quality (big budget vs no budget), but I’m not that picky about “critic” sort of qualifications - I can enjoy a superb indy drama and a special FX spectacular with a dumb plot equally.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who can be easily entertained.
That’s the way I try to look at life. I mean, it’s easy to see negative and bitch and moan, but I prefer to look at the positive because I like feeling happy instead of angry.
