# turn off the TV! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881 "2002-12-02T03:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/21 "2002-12-04T13:28:24Z")
In my house, we leave the TV on during normal dinners because it’s background noise. Also, we don’t have much to say to each other. But we turn it off and try to observe social convention during special occasions. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/22 "2002-12-04T13:28:52Z")
Mom programmed me right! The tv was never on during meals when I was growing up, especially at dinner. It was tv off, sit down at the table, use manners and acceptable dinner conversation. Sometimes I felt I was being tortured, but know what? It paid off! I can act right at the dinner table. Ok, sometimes I still don’t act right but I do know how. I cannot even conceive of having the tv on while having company unless said reason for the gathering is to watch something on tv, video or dvd. My bf, on the other hand, likes to have the tv on and most of the time is not even conscious of it being on. I turn it off when no one is watching then he notices the silence. I think it’s interesting that he has no idea what’s playing on the tv but notices if it isn’t on. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/23 "2002-12-04T13:29:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*Why wasn’t the football game on? \*\* Well, the games were over by then. It would have had to be tuned to the Mavericks game. And who wants that? I’m with the folks who believe that TV tunes out rational thought. People become accustomed to it and it keeps a steady drone in the head. Don’t get me wrong: I own one. And Enterprise currently holds the mortgage on my soul. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/24 "2002-12-04T13:58:45Z")
I can’t stand to have the TV on when nobody’s watching it. I can barely stand to have it on when they are. My dad and my sister both insist on having the TV on constantly, and as loud as possible. It drives me crazy. After visiting them I always want to wheel my TV into a closet and bar the door with a chair. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/25 "2002-12-04T14:05:05Z")
I’m with all the people who never have the TV on unless they’re watching something. I honestly don’t think I could live with someone who had it on all the time - I’d rather be with a chronic chain smoker. When I have an evening to myself, or back when I was living alone, I rarely watched TV. There’s just usually nothing on worth watching. And it’s doubly stupid just to have it on for “noise”. WTF? Why do you want NOISE in your house? ---
**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/26 "2002-12-04T14:12:27Z")
We switch from TV to music during the holiday meal, but other than that, we have it going almost 24/7. My dad has a TV in another room so when my neice is over and we’re viewing something that’s a bit much for a 9-yr old, she’ll go watch something more appropriate. But it has to be out-and-out fucking or something before she’s banished. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/27 "2002-12-04T14:15:57Z")
The thing that confuses me about this is the actual movie playing-if it was SWAOTC, then didn’t it _have_ to be a video or DVD, not something aimlessly streaming in thru the airwaves? When you have the ultimate control to play a movie whenever you want, it is _outrageously_ rude to have it blaring away while you have company. I’m in the TV’s on all the time camp, but I would never dream of doing this when I had guests over for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/28 "2002-12-04T18:33:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Athena \* > \*\* And it’s doubly stupid just to have it on for “noise”. WTF? Why do you want NOISE in your house? \*\* I agree. Hey, I watch as much TV as the next person, but if there’s nothing on, then the TV’s not on. And it’s never on at mealtimes, and NEVER when company is over, unless they have come over specifically to watch a movie. We had the game on Thanksgiving Day, but we turned it off when we ate. Why do so many of you need “background noise” all the time? Can’t you enjoy the silence? ---
**Author:** ![litost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@litost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/litost)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/29 "2002-12-04T18:52:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iconoplast \* > \*\*Yeah, I mean, get a load of those wacky people who insist on using _electricity_ during their meals! > \*\* Seriously, those who have their TV turn on all day without even watching it are _wasting_ electricity. Being able to afford something != Go ahead, use it. With world leaders meeting at Johannesburg for the second time in ten years, one wonders why energy consciousness is low amongst the world’s premier consumers. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/30 "2002-12-04T19:52:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > Can you imagine having a TV squawking away in the other room during a Passover seder? > > _Baruch ata Adonai…_ > SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK! > _Eloheinu melech ha’olam…_ > SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAAWWWWK! Holy Moses on a unicycle. No, I can’t imagine that, **Green Bean**. I may be a Christian, but my mind _still_ can’t manage to wrap itself around this notion. That is just _so_ wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/31 "2002-12-04T19:56:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\*Thanksgiving, Shmanksgiving. My husband’s aunt and uncle keep the TV on during _PASSOVER_!!! > > Can you imagine having a TV squawking away in the other room during a Passover seder? > > _Baruch ata Adonai…_ > SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAWK! > _Eloheinu melech ha’olam…_ > SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAAWWWWK! \*\* They were watching “Voyager”? ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/32 "2002-12-04T20:31:39Z")
I feel for you, **autz**. Having the TV on during Thanksgiving dinner seems incredibly sad. God forbid the dinner guests should, you know, _talk_ to each other. Not too long ago, I was temping as a receptionist at a TV station. It wasn’t bad, but I had to keep the reception area TVs on 8 hours a day, and I couldn’t change the channel. Nothing like crappy daytime programming to make you appreciate the library. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881/33 "2002-12-05T15:29:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by singular1 \* > \*\*The thing that confuses me about this is the actual movie playing-if it was SWAOTC, then didn’t it _have_ to be a video or DVD, not something aimlessly streaming in thru the airwaves? \*\* **Phantom Menace** was broadcast on Fox last Thursday. [tangent]The IMDB says that Jake Lloyd is “living a normal life in Indianapolis”. Translation: Nobody wants to work with his spoiled ass![/tangent] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-off-the-tv/139881.md?page=1)