The possibility of a strike by the Hollywoooood group that brings “quality” entertainment right to our sofas scares me a bit.
If ALL forms of TV (including: news, Bart Simpson, sports of all flavors, Mr. Weatherman, the soaps, cartoons, VHS, DVD, satellite access, cable, the whole kit and kaboodle) disappeared for a few weeks or months, what would the National Couch Potato Federation recommend their constituants do with all the dead air-time on their hands?
Play Scrabble.
Post more thoughtfully on the Straight Dope Message Boards.
Volunteer time in a local agency.
Learn to cook Korean.
Fuck endlessly, and in many rooms of the house.
Find out what your kids are like just before bedtime.
Re-grout the tile.
Socialize with friends who aren’t really friends any more cause nobody gets together for coffee and conversation any more because of fucking television.
Sit on the lawn and watch the sunset.
Fuck some more.
Rent old movies. Really old movies. UN-Colorized movies.
Clean the bird shit off those white rosin chairs out back.
Call your mother
Call your wife’s mother
Call your Rabbi’s mother ;j
Pick up a fountain pen and write a letter.
Read “The Fountainhead” again, and dream of the old days.
Give a massage to S.O.
You’ll figure something out. You’re smart. What the fuck will I do? When the strikes hit, I’m out of work :mad: . That’s the industry I’m in. Dammit.
Well, in Mr. Rilch’s case, try to find other work.
If this didn’t affect me personally, I’d be looking forward to it, in a way. I’m barely old enough to remember the TV writers’ strike of, I think, 1980-81. I saw some very odd things on TV during that time. Anyone remember a show called Phyl and Mikhi, about a female Olympic athlete and her Russian immigrant husband? Or Me and Maxx, about a twelve-year-old girl living with her step-grandpa because no one else wanted custody of her?
I haven’t had TV since January (not my choice at first, but now I rather enjoy it). Since then I have:
Gone back to college
Played a lot of Sims (I watch their little Sim TV)
Read a few books
Caught up on all my correspondence
Organized my files
Cleaned out two rooms completely
Polished my toenails
Had loads of “personal” time with my husband
Played Rummy
Played Scrabble
Played Trivial Persuit
Played Tri-ominos
Learned how to cook “low fat”
Lost 10 lbs.
All in all, I like life much better without the TV. I don’t miss is like I used to, and the only time it is on is when I put a movie in. I didn’t even know there was an impending strike going on.
I will have to reinstate TV for the football season. A Sunday without football is like…well, a Sunday without football. Why bother getting up?
Actually, I’m hoping the strike comes soon! Maybe after a month or two (hopefully less for **Cartooniverse’s[/]b sake), I can convince my husband to get rid of cable. We never really watch network TV anyway. I will miss Talk Soup though!
