Somehow breaks always seem to be anything but breaks, but I of course managed to find time for some good tv watching. The only show I actually watch these days is Grey's Anatomy. (I fear 'I Love New York' is the end of us all) Grey's is at least a top ten show and nearly everyone I know watches it too. I had to laugh when I tried to compare it with Meyrowitz's ideas really. The thing with any show that has a technical aspect to it (like CSI), is that people start to think they know what they're talking about.
I cannot totally agree that television is this wonderful tool for sharing knowledge and experiences - it's not. As soon as I saw that the movie Blood Diamond was coming out, I cringed. All I could think was how many people would be spouting half-formed theories and incorrect facts over their dinner tables while never really learning anything about the real problems that face real people an ocean away.
And then I had another thought. You see, in my opinion, TV is full of keywords. If you hear a fact from TV, you should use that as a measure of how much you DON'T know, not 'ooh look I now know one fact about Africa'. Without proper follow up TV just makes people Think they're knowledgeable - very dangerous.
Then there's the flipside: without TV, a lot of people wouldnt even know One fact about Africa, or whatever the case may be. I guess the straightest line I can take is that TV is a good tool, but you have to use it as a tool to create something worthwhile, otherwise its just a boobtube.
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