Well folks, it's official. We are moving back to Alberta. We have decided that Edmonton is the best place for us to live. The biggest reason is that pretty much our entire family is there (including a forthcoming niece or nephew!). The exception is my sister, Natasha but we're not moving to England so I guess we have to accept being far away from her. Something else I realized lately is that if we were to plot our friends on a map they would be concentrated in Edmonton and the rest would form a small circle around Edmonton. Do we need any reasons other than those? Well it will be nice to be back somewhere that is familiar. It's also a nice compromise between small, rural Whitecourt and gigantic, metropolitan L.A..
When we were debating where we would live next Asha was fairly adamant that we should move back to Canada. When I asked why she said "because we're Canadians, Mom. That's who we are". Well she's got a point! I've tried to be pretty open-minded and not keep myself in a little Canadian bubble. I have a theory about traveling that when you are in a different country you need to immerse yourself in the country and not obsess about what it's like at home. This means not constantly calculating what time it is at home and converting the price of everything to your native currency. This is particularly helpful for getting over jetlag and basically a necessity if you want to get drunk in Iceland (a beer cost the equivalent of $20!! Maybe that has changed now since their economic crash though.... Melanie??) Anyway, I've tried to do that while we've been here. Yes, rent is ridiculously high here and people complain if it's less than 70 degrees but starting every sentence with "well in Canada..." isn't going to change that. If you're going to move to a new place you have to adapt to your environment.
I've tried to be more than the token Canadian in any given group but it's so hard! Every time I take off my jacket when I get warm at my exercise class the instructor says "Canada's taking off her jacket!". Meanwhile everyone is still cowering from the "cold" in their sweaters and "stocking caps". I want to say "well actually they're called toques" but I'm trying to fit in. I wonder if a person ever sheds their native skin a becomes an actual local. I certainly haven't but it's only been a year.
I have changed quite a bit over the last year. I'm much more likely to run a yellow light (you need to here or run the risk of getting rear-ended). I'm much more friendly and likely to talk to strangers. I made a decision when we moved that I would have to push myself out of my comfort level a bit if I was going to get to know anyone. It's kind of ironic that we think that Canadians are nicer than Americans but it took moving here for me to becoming a friendlier person! I guess most of the things that have changed about me have nothing to do with being in the U.S. and more to do with moving somewhere, anywhere new.
There are lots of things about me that I don't think will ever change. You don't realize how the political and social climate of the country where you are brought up affects you. For instance, universal healthcare is such an ingrained part of me that I continue to be shocked that it can be any other way. I know that Canada's healthcare system is far from perfect but I think there's something about the nation taking care of the health of its people that is comforting. If we were to stay here David and I would most likely have health care coverage through our employers which is essentially the same as having it covered by the government. But even if we had adequate coverage I would find it hard to forget about the millions of people who do not.
Well this post has turned into one giant tangent and isn't at all what I intended it to be. I guess I just wanted to let you all know that we're officially moving back and we are ALL thrilled about it. My sister said recently that she's glad I'm moving back even if I'm not but the truth is that we wouldn't be moving back if we didn't want to be. We will need to be reminded of that regularly when we're up to our eyeballs in snow and cold. I guess we won't be able to complain about the weather anymore, will we!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Funny stuff my kids did recently
chirp chirp chirp
Those are the crickets chirping after my last blog post. Oh dear, have I alienated myself from my entire readership? I actually had a few people email me their comments. Most people agreed with me and/or brought up other facets that I hadn't talked about (i.e., how women are portrayed on TV, the effects of social media such as Facebook on society, the effects of the internet in general).
Well I thought I would lighten things up a bit and how better to do that then talk about funny things my kids say and do?
Asha's been quite philosophical lately. We've had several discussions about why the seasons change and how it can be daytime here but nighttime in England but it's winter in both places. She's also going through a fun little phase where she is constantly a victim of unfortunate circumstances and everyone else is to blame. We signed her up for swimming lessons and her first class was the other day. The class was at 10:00am so it was an eternity for her to wait since she woke up at 7:00. She decided that I was making her wait on purpose just to be mean and I was going to make her late and miss the class. To this I replied in a sarcastic tone that I'm trying to stop using, "you're right. I searched all over L.A. looking for a good class for you to take. I then signed you up the minute registration began so you could get a spot. I then paid money not only for the class but also to park. I did all of this because I'm mean and I want you to be late and miss the class!". I don't know what it is but this constant laying of blame (and of course it's me getting blamed 95% of the time) makes me crazier than anything! Even whining!
But this is supposed to be about funny things Asha says, not annoying things. Yesterday we went for a walk / bike ride. It was one of the first times Asha had been back in the saddle since she broke her arm. She's been a bit hesitant to ride her bike again. She was definitely more cautious and slower than she used to be, much to Stobie's sagrine because he thought he was actually going to get a decent walk. Asha was cruising along pretty well until she suddenly stopped and gazed off into the distance. When I asked what she was doing she said, in a dramatic and melancholy voice "it's my grave". I didn't know what she meant but she explained that it was the site of the unfortunate arm-breaking incident. We had a moment of silence to mourn the loss of her intact arm bone and moved on. Our Asha definitely has a flair for the dramatic.
Asha is also doing a yoga class right now. Very L.A., right? Asha thinks that she has some innate yogic ability because her name is Indian. The class is pretty fun and involves things like standing up from a cross-legged position with your hands on your head. Try it! It's harder than it sounds! Well before Asha's first class she ran into her room so she could get on her yoga outfit. A few minutes later she came out wearing the following: leggings with shorts over top, a long-sleeved shirt with a tank top over top, sunglasses, and a pink cowboy hat. She insisted that that's what people wear to yoga class in California. When we got to the class I was shocked to see that everyone else had on the same outfit! Just kidding! Imagine if that happened!
Well enough about Asha. We can't forget about Nia! As a younger child myself I am acutely aware that the oldest child often steals the show. Nia and I share something in common which is a precocious, ultra-talkative older sister. My other sister, a classic middle child compensated by being very well behaved and therefore adored by all, especially teachers. So far, Nia seems to using my strategy of being extremely cute. Unfortunately I was irritating and very much aware of my cuteness. Nia, on the other hand, is just so damn cute and hilarious without even trying.
(Just a brief little interlude to give a shout-out to my sisters. As my girls get older I see them becoming genuine friends which I find thrilling. My sisters and I got along ridiculously well as kids too. I have so many great memories of them reading to me and playing with me in the backyard. We had our occasional scuffles such as when Natasha hit me in the face with a lunchbox. Or did I hit her? I can't remember. Siena was bossy and liked to play fun little tricks such as setting up a yard sale on her bed where I could buy her crappy old toys (including some stuff that was mine). But for the most part my sisters were the best big sisters I could have ever asked for, despite my aforementioned annoying cuteness.)
Anyway, when I look back at pictures from when we first moved here I realize that Nia was seriously homely. I mean this in the most loving way possible and I was certainly not aware of it at the time. I guess all parents are somewhat oblivious to their children's shortcomings. Maybe I'm still delusional but I'm pretty sure that Nia is becoming one ridiculously cute kid. She has quite the little personality on her. David is seriously concerned because Nia seems to be a bit of a fashionista. Each morning when David takes Nia and Stobie for a walk he takes Nia to her closet to choose a sweater. She is very discerning about what she chooses and usually matches her selection to what David is wearing. Nia is also obsessed with shoes and hats and purses.
So we've got a whole lotta personality going on in our house! I'm afraid for the teenage years. Sometimes I think about people who don't have kids and how nice it must be sometimes. Generally this happens at 2 in the morning when Asha has growing pains or 6 in the morning when Nia didn't get the memo about the time change. But more often there are times when I am busting a gut because of something funny one of our kids did. Or because of the ridiculousness that has become our life. I had a recent conversation with a couple of moms about the strangest thing we've ever found in our kid's diaper. One of the best I've ever heard of was light bright pegs. My personal best was a googly eye used for crafts. There's nothing more unsettling than something peering out at you from the depths of a diaper.
So yes, my life is ridiculous at times but that's what makes it so damn fun.
Those are the crickets chirping after my last blog post. Oh dear, have I alienated myself from my entire readership? I actually had a few people email me their comments. Most people agreed with me and/or brought up other facets that I hadn't talked about (i.e., how women are portrayed on TV, the effects of social media such as Facebook on society, the effects of the internet in general).
Well I thought I would lighten things up a bit and how better to do that then talk about funny things my kids say and do?
Asha's been quite philosophical lately. We've had several discussions about why the seasons change and how it can be daytime here but nighttime in England but it's winter in both places. She's also going through a fun little phase where she is constantly a victim of unfortunate circumstances and everyone else is to blame. We signed her up for swimming lessons and her first class was the other day. The class was at 10:00am so it was an eternity for her to wait since she woke up at 7:00. She decided that I was making her wait on purpose just to be mean and I was going to make her late and miss the class. To this I replied in a sarcastic tone that I'm trying to stop using, "you're right. I searched all over L.A. looking for a good class for you to take. I then signed you up the minute registration began so you could get a spot. I then paid money not only for the class but also to park. I did all of this because I'm mean and I want you to be late and miss the class!". I don't know what it is but this constant laying of blame (and of course it's me getting blamed 95% of the time) makes me crazier than anything! Even whining!
But this is supposed to be about funny things Asha says, not annoying things. Yesterday we went for a walk / bike ride. It was one of the first times Asha had been back in the saddle since she broke her arm. She's been a bit hesitant to ride her bike again. She was definitely more cautious and slower than she used to be, much to Stobie's sagrine because he thought he was actually going to get a decent walk. Asha was cruising along pretty well until she suddenly stopped and gazed off into the distance. When I asked what she was doing she said, in a dramatic and melancholy voice "it's my grave". I didn't know what she meant but she explained that it was the site of the unfortunate arm-breaking incident. We had a moment of silence to mourn the loss of her intact arm bone and moved on. Our Asha definitely has a flair for the dramatic.
Asha is also doing a yoga class right now. Very L.A., right? Asha thinks that she has some innate yogic ability because her name is Indian. The class is pretty fun and involves things like standing up from a cross-legged position with your hands on your head. Try it! It's harder than it sounds! Well before Asha's first class she ran into her room so she could get on her yoga outfit. A few minutes later she came out wearing the following: leggings with shorts over top, a long-sleeved shirt with a tank top over top, sunglasses, and a pink cowboy hat. She insisted that that's what people wear to yoga class in California. When we got to the class I was shocked to see that everyone else had on the same outfit! Just kidding! Imagine if that happened!
Well enough about Asha. We can't forget about Nia! As a younger child myself I am acutely aware that the oldest child often steals the show. Nia and I share something in common which is a precocious, ultra-talkative older sister. My other sister, a classic middle child compensated by being very well behaved and therefore adored by all, especially teachers. So far, Nia seems to using my strategy of being extremely cute. Unfortunately I was irritating and very much aware of my cuteness. Nia, on the other hand, is just so damn cute and hilarious without even trying.
(Just a brief little interlude to give a shout-out to my sisters. As my girls get older I see them becoming genuine friends which I find thrilling. My sisters and I got along ridiculously well as kids too. I have so many great memories of them reading to me and playing with me in the backyard. We had our occasional scuffles such as when Natasha hit me in the face with a lunchbox. Or did I hit her? I can't remember. Siena was bossy and liked to play fun little tricks such as setting up a yard sale on her bed where I could buy her crappy old toys (including some stuff that was mine). But for the most part my sisters were the best big sisters I could have ever asked for, despite my aforementioned annoying cuteness.)
Anyway, when I look back at pictures from when we first moved here I realize that Nia was seriously homely. I mean this in the most loving way possible and I was certainly not aware of it at the time. I guess all parents are somewhat oblivious to their children's shortcomings. Maybe I'm still delusional but I'm pretty sure that Nia is becoming one ridiculously cute kid. She has quite the little personality on her. David is seriously concerned because Nia seems to be a bit of a fashionista. Each morning when David takes Nia and Stobie for a walk he takes Nia to her closet to choose a sweater. She is very discerning about what she chooses and usually matches her selection to what David is wearing. Nia is also obsessed with shoes and hats and purses.
So we've got a whole lotta personality going on in our house! I'm afraid for the teenage years. Sometimes I think about people who don't have kids and how nice it must be sometimes. Generally this happens at 2 in the morning when Asha has growing pains or 6 in the morning when Nia didn't get the memo about the time change. But more often there are times when I am busting a gut because of something funny one of our kids did. Or because of the ridiculousness that has become our life. I had a recent conversation with a couple of moms about the strangest thing we've ever found in our kid's diaper. One of the best I've ever heard of was light bright pegs. My personal best was a googly eye used for crafts. There's nothing more unsettling than something peering out at you from the depths of a diaper.
So yes, my life is ridiculous at times but that's what makes it so damn fun.
Friday, March 2, 2012
That Wretched Stone
Alright. This is the post that has been brewing in my mind for the last 8 months but I haven't actually put down into words. The reason that I haven't written it yet is that the topic tends to alienate me from people. You see, I have found myself becoming increasingly weird and less like the norm. I sometimes ask myself if I've become the mom from About a Boy. Remember that movie? The mom is a vegan hippy who encourages her son to be unique and not fall prey to peer pressure. Unfortunately this results in him being a total outcast because he wears ugly shoes and spontaneously starts singing in the middle of class. Well I'm not as weird as that mom is nor do I have suicidal tendancies like her, thank goodness. Asha is definitely her own person but she isn't a social outcast (she does have a tendency to break into song at any given moment but she's 4 so it's still cute).
There's a fantastic kids' book called The Wretched Stone. It's by Chris Van Allsburg, the author of Jumanji and The Polar Express. It's about a ship of sailors who find a mysterious stone out at sea. The stone has a haunting glow and the sailors can't help but stare at it. Over time the sailors cease doing the things they loved to do such as reading, playing music and dancing and eventually they all turn to monkeys. In the end the captain covers up the stone and destroys it and the sailors return to normal (although they have an increased appetite for bananas!).
So the topic of this post is television. I'm just going to say it. I think television is responsible for the unravelling of the fabric of society. Phew. There it is. The reason that I'm hesitant to say this out loud is that people love TV and don't like to hear that it is evil. You would be amazed at how often television shows come up in conversation. I know, because I never have anything to offer in these conversations because we don't have TV.
Well we don't have cable or satellite or anything like that. I have to say up front that we do have a physical television set and we do watch movies so I'm not a complete media hermit. I have the entire second season of Modern Family on DVD and I am a bit of a closet "Gleek" so whenever those two shows come up in conversation I am so excited to contribute!! I also think that the second best decision I ever made as a parent was to limit my child's TV (or in our case movie) time to 1 movie a day. Asha knows that this occurs during Nia's nap so I have approximately 1 1/2 uninterrupted hours every day. Because she doesn't watch much TV Asha doesn't tune it out like most kids and carry on with other stuff. When she watches a movie she is totally engrossed so I can do whatever I want at that time. Seriously people, it's the best damn thing you can ever do for yourself as a parent (not to mention the benefits of limiting screen time on your kids but we'll get to that. By the way, this is the second best decision I ever made as a parent because the first is having my children with David. He's literally the best dad ever. I knew that he would be a good dad before we had kids but I never could have dreamed what a fun, engaged, and helpful dad he would be. But I digress...
We actually ended up having no cable by accident. When we moved to our first home in Whitecourt it took the cable company 3 months to hook it up. We missed it at first but after a couple of months we realized that we were better off without it. We spent more time reading, cooking, exercising, sleeping and fixing up our house than when we had TV. We called the cable company and told them not to bother coming. We lived without TV for several months. Then came hockey season and we really missed watching the games. One "Hockey Night in Canada" we were really wishing we could watch the game and couldn't help but notice the cable box in the backyard. We figured it was worth a try to see if we could somehow get something out of it. It turned out the cable had never been cut off so we were able to get it for free.
Well, we were like ex-junkies that fell off the wagon. At first we said we would just watch the games but that slowly snowballed until we were watching every night. I should add (because if I don't David will) that David didn't actually watch much TV even when we could. He has a low tolerance for crappy TV and most of it really is crappy. So I'll say it like it is... I was like an ex-junkie that fell off the wagon. I didn't like the hold that TV seemed to have on me. If I sat down to watch one show I would end up staying up until midnight. I also found myself doing less of the other stuff that I enjoyed doing.
So when we moved into our log house we decided to not even wire the house for cable. I went through a brief withdrawal but then I was back to enjoying the extra time. Since getting rid of TV I think I changed in lots of subtle ways. I'm much less paranoid about things like serial killers and child molesters. The actually likelihood of getting murdered is extremely slim but when we hear about every single case that happens in the world it makes us think it happens all the time in our own backyard. I also think that I want to buy less stuff. I was never a big shopper but since I'm not being inundated by commercials I don't feel like I need every new thing that comes out. One of the best things about just watching DVDs instead of TV is that you don't get the advertising.
That brings me to the unravelling of society. When I think of what is wrong with our society, TV has a major part in all of these things. Obesity epidemic? Well not only does TV take away from our time to exercise but it blasts us with advertisements for unhealthy food. Decline in reading among children? A recent study showed a link between empathy in children and reading. A book allows you to get into a person's mind and therefore makes you more empathetic towards the feelings of other people. TV just doesn't do this in the same way. Increase in ADHD and other psychological disorders? It has been shown that watching TV actually changes the way a person's brain is wired. Television is constantly flashing from one shot to another. Kids' brains come to seek out constant changes in input and therefore have trouble focusing in the real world. A decline in community and family relationships? Everyone is holed up inside instead of sitting on their front porches interacting with other people. Families tend to split off and watch separate shows in separate rooms. Don't even get me started on kids having televisions in their bedrooms! I've already alluded to the general paranoia that people have and also an overall lack of trust for eachother. Think about how many shows there are about decent human beings versus the ones about psychos. Not to mention all of these "reality shows" that don't exactly paint a positive picture of humanity. I guess us decent, normal people don't make for very good TV, do we?
The most troubling thing about television is the pervasive consumerism. We need to remember that the purpose of TV is not to entertain us but to make us buy stuff. We tend to think that commercials are annoying interludes from our shows when the truth is the opposite. Companies pay billions of dollars to advertise and the shows are created to keep our interest. Even without the actual advertisements, products are planted in all of the shows that we watch. My beloved Modern Family had a whole episode about Phil desperately trying to get a new IPad. It was hilarious but still... The even bigger problem is that television sells a lifestyle that is out of reach for many people and just within grasp for many more. We feel like we need a new car, a bigger house, furniture to fill that big house and therefore we need to work more in order to afford all that new stuff. We are so overworked that we have no time for the things that matter in life. Then we're so damn tired at the end of the day that all we want to do it veg out in front of the TV.
I guess I just feel like we're all getting suckered. Why exactly do we pay for this crap? And it truly is crap. Whenever I get a chance to watch TV at a hotel or someone else's house I get a bit excited. But then I turn the TV on, flip through the channels a few times and turn it off because it's all such CRAP!
Now that I have kids I've gone from being somewhat anti-television to being downright pissed off. Dora doesn't exist to entertain or educate my children but to make them want a Dora toothbrush, Dora underwear, a Dora bike etc etc. The kids' television stations employ psychologists to help them get into kids' heads. Look on the credits for most of the shows and you'll see a psychologist listed. Everything has been manufactured, from the length of an episode to the size of Elmo's eyes to appeal to our kids as much as possible.
OK, I'm going to reel it in a little bit. I've gone a bit too conspiracy theory with all this. You may be wondering why we have a TV at all. I realize the hypocrisy of preaching about the evils of the small screen when we still watch movies (which are actually usually DVDs of TV shows). Asha is watching The Magic School Bus as I write this. Part of the reason is the aforementioned 1 1/2 hours a day that I get to myself. It would be dishonest if I just said it was for honorable reasons. But it's also because I don't want Asha to be a total social outcast and I've experienced first-hand how alienating it can be to not be able to contribute to water cooler conversations. I also quite a few sideways looks when I've told people that we don't watch TV. I usually avoid the topic because people think I'm just too weird. Asha's already unique enough. I don't need to fan future bully's flames. I also like to watch the occasional movie in the evening.
My friend Jodi recently visited with her beautiful baby Emma and we had an interesting discussion about television. She said that one of her favourite things to do with her husband is curl up on the couch together and watch TV. For them, TV is quality time. It made me think about what David and I do in the evenings (the ones where David is home and not at school). We often sit and chat but just as often we read or do homework which are very solitary activities. Jodi also told me that if I plan on lobbying against television it will be the hill I die on. She's probably right. Are we all turning into monkeys? Does anybody even care if we are?
There's a fantastic kids' book called The Wretched Stone. It's by Chris Van Allsburg, the author of Jumanji and The Polar Express. It's about a ship of sailors who find a mysterious stone out at sea. The stone has a haunting glow and the sailors can't help but stare at it. Over time the sailors cease doing the things they loved to do such as reading, playing music and dancing and eventually they all turn to monkeys. In the end the captain covers up the stone and destroys it and the sailors return to normal (although they have an increased appetite for bananas!).
So the topic of this post is television. I'm just going to say it. I think television is responsible for the unravelling of the fabric of society. Phew. There it is. The reason that I'm hesitant to say this out loud is that people love TV and don't like to hear that it is evil. You would be amazed at how often television shows come up in conversation. I know, because I never have anything to offer in these conversations because we don't have TV.
Well we don't have cable or satellite or anything like that. I have to say up front that we do have a physical television set and we do watch movies so I'm not a complete media hermit. I have the entire second season of Modern Family on DVD and I am a bit of a closet "Gleek" so whenever those two shows come up in conversation I am so excited to contribute!! I also think that the second best decision I ever made as a parent was to limit my child's TV (or in our case movie) time to 1 movie a day. Asha knows that this occurs during Nia's nap so I have approximately 1 1/2 uninterrupted hours every day. Because she doesn't watch much TV Asha doesn't tune it out like most kids and carry on with other stuff. When she watches a movie she is totally engrossed so I can do whatever I want at that time. Seriously people, it's the best damn thing you can ever do for yourself as a parent (not to mention the benefits of limiting screen time on your kids but we'll get to that. By the way, this is the second best decision I ever made as a parent because the first is having my children with David. He's literally the best dad ever. I knew that he would be a good dad before we had kids but I never could have dreamed what a fun, engaged, and helpful dad he would be. But I digress...
We actually ended up having no cable by accident. When we moved to our first home in Whitecourt it took the cable company 3 months to hook it up. We missed it at first but after a couple of months we realized that we were better off without it. We spent more time reading, cooking, exercising, sleeping and fixing up our house than when we had TV. We called the cable company and told them not to bother coming. We lived without TV for several months. Then came hockey season and we really missed watching the games. One "Hockey Night in Canada" we were really wishing we could watch the game and couldn't help but notice the cable box in the backyard. We figured it was worth a try to see if we could somehow get something out of it. It turned out the cable had never been cut off so we were able to get it for free.
Well, we were like ex-junkies that fell off the wagon. At first we said we would just watch the games but that slowly snowballed until we were watching every night. I should add (because if I don't David will) that David didn't actually watch much TV even when we could. He has a low tolerance for crappy TV and most of it really is crappy. So I'll say it like it is... I was like an ex-junkie that fell off the wagon. I didn't like the hold that TV seemed to have on me. If I sat down to watch one show I would end up staying up until midnight. I also found myself doing less of the other stuff that I enjoyed doing.
So when we moved into our log house we decided to not even wire the house for cable. I went through a brief withdrawal but then I was back to enjoying the extra time. Since getting rid of TV I think I changed in lots of subtle ways. I'm much less paranoid about things like serial killers and child molesters. The actually likelihood of getting murdered is extremely slim but when we hear about every single case that happens in the world it makes us think it happens all the time in our own backyard. I also think that I want to buy less stuff. I was never a big shopper but since I'm not being inundated by commercials I don't feel like I need every new thing that comes out. One of the best things about just watching DVDs instead of TV is that you don't get the advertising.
That brings me to the unravelling of society. When I think of what is wrong with our society, TV has a major part in all of these things. Obesity epidemic? Well not only does TV take away from our time to exercise but it blasts us with advertisements for unhealthy food. Decline in reading among children? A recent study showed a link between empathy in children and reading. A book allows you to get into a person's mind and therefore makes you more empathetic towards the feelings of other people. TV just doesn't do this in the same way. Increase in ADHD and other psychological disorders? It has been shown that watching TV actually changes the way a person's brain is wired. Television is constantly flashing from one shot to another. Kids' brains come to seek out constant changes in input and therefore have trouble focusing in the real world. A decline in community and family relationships? Everyone is holed up inside instead of sitting on their front porches interacting with other people. Families tend to split off and watch separate shows in separate rooms. Don't even get me started on kids having televisions in their bedrooms! I've already alluded to the general paranoia that people have and also an overall lack of trust for eachother. Think about how many shows there are about decent human beings versus the ones about psychos. Not to mention all of these "reality shows" that don't exactly paint a positive picture of humanity. I guess us decent, normal people don't make for very good TV, do we?
The most troubling thing about television is the pervasive consumerism. We need to remember that the purpose of TV is not to entertain us but to make us buy stuff. We tend to think that commercials are annoying interludes from our shows when the truth is the opposite. Companies pay billions of dollars to advertise and the shows are created to keep our interest. Even without the actual advertisements, products are planted in all of the shows that we watch. My beloved Modern Family had a whole episode about Phil desperately trying to get a new IPad. It was hilarious but still... The even bigger problem is that television sells a lifestyle that is out of reach for many people and just within grasp for many more. We feel like we need a new car, a bigger house, furniture to fill that big house and therefore we need to work more in order to afford all that new stuff. We are so overworked that we have no time for the things that matter in life. Then we're so damn tired at the end of the day that all we want to do it veg out in front of the TV.
I guess I just feel like we're all getting suckered. Why exactly do we pay for this crap? And it truly is crap. Whenever I get a chance to watch TV at a hotel or someone else's house I get a bit excited. But then I turn the TV on, flip through the channels a few times and turn it off because it's all such CRAP!
Now that I have kids I've gone from being somewhat anti-television to being downright pissed off. Dora doesn't exist to entertain or educate my children but to make them want a Dora toothbrush, Dora underwear, a Dora bike etc etc. The kids' television stations employ psychologists to help them get into kids' heads. Look on the credits for most of the shows and you'll see a psychologist listed. Everything has been manufactured, from the length of an episode to the size of Elmo's eyes to appeal to our kids as much as possible.
OK, I'm going to reel it in a little bit. I've gone a bit too conspiracy theory with all this. You may be wondering why we have a TV at all. I realize the hypocrisy of preaching about the evils of the small screen when we still watch movies (which are actually usually DVDs of TV shows). Asha is watching The Magic School Bus as I write this. Part of the reason is the aforementioned 1 1/2 hours a day that I get to myself. It would be dishonest if I just said it was for honorable reasons. But it's also because I don't want Asha to be a total social outcast and I've experienced first-hand how alienating it can be to not be able to contribute to water cooler conversations. I also quite a few sideways looks when I've told people that we don't watch TV. I usually avoid the topic because people think I'm just too weird. Asha's already unique enough. I don't need to fan future bully's flames. I also like to watch the occasional movie in the evening.
My friend Jodi recently visited with her beautiful baby Emma and we had an interesting discussion about television. She said that one of her favourite things to do with her husband is curl up on the couch together and watch TV. For them, TV is quality time. It made me think about what David and I do in the evenings (the ones where David is home and not at school). We often sit and chat but just as often we read or do homework which are very solitary activities. Jodi also told me that if I plan on lobbying against television it will be the hill I die on. She's probably right. Are we all turning into monkeys? Does anybody even care if we are?
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