Kill your television... kill other people's televisions...

[flexagon]

Ha ha ha! We have a houseguest and he's brought this delicious keychain into our lives. Apparently they're all kinds of fun.

For those too lazy to click, imagine a tiny remote control that does nothing but turn off televisions -- small and unobtrusive enough to take into all your favorite restaurants, laundromats, airports, et they-seem-to-be-everywhere cetera. We've ordered two of them already. Heh heh. :)

HLM and our houseguest suggest that I start a tv-free community on LJ. Possibly worth trying, though a) it probably wouldn't take off and b) I'd hate for it to turn into another stupid rant community.

UPDATE: a comment on my community_quest post informs me that televisionfree already exists -- and by the way, it doesn't look especially ranty. I think I'm off the hook.

Comments

Honestly, not trying to start a fight, but...

[jg26.livejournal.com]

Isn't any *_free community necessarily going to devolve into a rant community? Isn't the whole point of a *_free community to claim superiority state opposition to a behavior which is the norm, or is, at least, very common?

Can you not infer from a X_free that those are involved are ANTI-X, and thus, at their most harmless are just going to rant. A more proactive passive member of such a community, might be incited to take some action... like to go out and deprive those who are PRO-X of X, maybe with legislation, maybe with a cool little universal remote (btw, be careful: if you were to do this near a sports bar, especially if it's an important game, and you were found out, you may be subject to violence).

The right wing of this country is always trying to shove lifestyle choices down the throats of the unwilling (anti-abortion, anti-gay rights, etc). These are, of course, much more serious stances than being anti-TV, but I'm just pointing out that what is completely lacking is the respect for other's choices when contrary to your own.

I have no doubt that bluechromis is going to be shocked to read this, as I was just professing how I could use less (if any) TV in my life... and I don't watch all that much now. flexagon, I agree with your point of view about TV, but for myself, not as a general statement about what is right for everyone.

Re: Honestly, not trying to start a fight, but...

[flexagon]

Nah... actually I think it's pure laziness when a x-free community devolves into an anti-x one, and no, there is no call to infer that an x-free person is anti-x. They are very different attitudes. I once spoke out against rants on childfree, and was challenged on what else we could talk about. I came up with a ton of things. For a tv-free comm I could imagine posts on the following topics, just for starters:

What do you say to people who challenge your decision?
Anything about new studies that have come out regarding TV
Quotes about TV, or from books etc. that talk about TV
Ethical uses of (or unethical fun recently had with) a TV-B-Gone. Arguments against TV-B-Gone. Whatever.
What made you decide to go without TV? Are there advantages to limiting it instead of not having one? Are there times you wish you had it back?
Do you feel you are unable to join a lot of conversations because of your lack of TV watching or are you able to pick up enough from magazines, etc, to fit in?
Do your feelings about TV extend to movies (in the AV direction) or to radio (in the sense of uncontrollable gouts of emotion entering your life) or neither? Why?
Posts about withdrawal symptoms ("I turned it off 4 days ago, and I think I'm gonna die.")

Mild rants about personal experiences (e.g. "goddamnit, they added a TV to my favorite quiet restaurant and it seems like there's nowhere you can sit to not see it").

Finally, I'm currently thinking I would allow posts from people who simply are interested in studying and limiting the effects of TV on their lives, and are curious, like yourself.

I would love to see posts on all these topics. None of these things talk about the infliction of a belief on other people. Rather, they're expressions of what it's like to have made an uncommon choice, and discussions of things that arise because of that choice. And one final thing... as the moderator I would wield complete authority. :) I could always declare it tv-free and rant-free if the ranting became any sort of problem.

As for the TV-B-Gone, I wouldn't turn off a TV that people were actually watching. That would be mean. A lot of times the damn things just sit there flickering and nobody is watching them, and I've turned them off plenty of times in those situations. I admit the gadget adds a little sneakiness to the process, but *shrug*. I'm gonna use it anyway. In case this wasn't clear, it does leave the TV quite undamaged and in a state where it can be turned back on. :) Only at a critical moment in a sports bar can I imagine it seriously discomfiting anyone.

Re: Honestly, not trying to start a fight, but...

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

Hey - had a comment sitting waiting to be posted, so I didn't see this before I put mine - just a quick note: I don't think J was saying that there is nothing to talk about on the topic other than rants (at least that's not what I'm saying), just that practical experience tells us that x_free tends to end up as a ranty sort of place. But if you wield your iron fist then it could spark some very interesting discussions (as is this one we're currently having).

As for using the clicker...well, if no one is watching the tv then it should be easy enough to ask the wait staff to turn it off, no? I can see using it if the waitstaff isn't around and there really isn't anyone watching, but sometimes it can be hard to tell who is watching.

Re: Honestly, not trying to start a fight, but...

[flexagon]

I would totally wield my iron fist. I don't like rant communities and if I found myself owning one I'd probably stop reading it.

Reply to the rest is on another comment thread, for those who are reading this in not-real time...