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trilliumgrlOkay after spending the day with Amy and ruminating I think I have ruminated enough.
WARNING: this might get academic-like
It's like this: the spring/summer of 2001 I have seen more movies then is normal for me. I normally avoid movie theaters like the black plague (as those who have lived w/ me can attest). I actually dragged people to both "Moulin Rouge" and "Tomb Raider.” When it comes down to it even after willingly viewing these (and other) films, I still find myself drawn to TV. I was furthers inspired by spending my Saturday night laughing my ass off at the special episode of "Farscape" that the SciFi channel ran. I watched the episode twice (mom missed the first run) and I was still laughing the second time around. At this point I began to ask myself -- why? What do I find so intriguing about TV, that I don't (generally) find in movies? Here follows a list of my answers, since I think in lists
1) Character Development: This is my standard answer. TV -good- TV at least develops its characters in the long and short term. Even semi-good TV has at least some character development as well as those shows in which the story is the main focus. An example of this would be "Law and Order.” The story is always the centerpiece of this show, but when is comes down to it the short-term development of characters, both main and guest, play a major part.
2) Story Arcs: Long-term stories can often be marvelous. (See "Babylon 5"). Even shorter arcs, like the season-long ones that are found on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” give not only great character development but also simple, beautiful story development. Events can unfold, seemingly unconnected until a later time. When done well, this is exceedingly cool.
3) Time: In some ways, TV is a love-em and leave-em medium. You watch your show for and hour or so, then toddle off, or change the channel. On the other hand watching a show requires a bit of dedication. You need to remember to sit down every week, to see what is going to happen. You get both the (much-bemoaned) lack- of-attention-span as well as the long-term dedication. This appeals to me, this balance of both long and short.
4) Engagement: TV has the ability to engage you in a way I rarely find in the movies. That is, the engagement is long-term. I more often find myself debating the moral implications of "Buffy" of "Homicide: Life on the Street” weeks after an episode has aired, than I do debating on a movie I viewed even a few days ago. TV seems to stay with you, partly because of the longer- term nature of the programming and I think because of the environment you view it in. You watch it at home, where the surroundings are familiar and comfy. Your mind and body relax and you can take it all in.
5) Bathroom breaks: need I say more? Commercials may annoy (and occasionally amuse) but hey when you gotta go, you gotta go.
6) Convenience: I am not above admitting that I am a lazy wench. I would rather plop on my couch than have to get out and drive the 20 minutes to the nearest theater and have my feet stick to the floor.
7) Cultural Response: TV is a very responsive media. It informs on the current state of its culture like no other. The shows themselves reflect culture, even when they are imports (Responses to “The X-Files” in Serbia was pretty damm informative) and helps to illustrate the prevailing cultural trends. The views given are often far more up to the moment than that of movies, which have a longer post-production period. TV creates a popular culture that is both created by the people (ex: “What’s My Bush”) and affects the people (ex: any number of popular phrases borrowed from TV “Luuuucy I’m hoooome”)
I’m not saying that the above applies to all TV or that movies can’t do the above. There is good TV (“Farscape”, “West Wing”) and bad TV (Jerry Springer, anything with Tom Green) just as there are wonderful movies (Silence of the Lambs, Gattaca) and utter crap movies (Jean Claude van Damme films, anything with Tom Green). I think I’m just figuring out why I generally seem to prefer sitting down with the latest episode of a show, rather than watching a film. I’m sure I could add more, but my brain needs a rest and this has gotten really long. Maybe more latter.
WARNING: this might get academic-like
It's like this: the spring/summer of 2001 I have seen more movies then is normal for me. I normally avoid movie theaters like the black plague (as those who have lived w/ me can attest). I actually dragged people to both "Moulin Rouge" and "Tomb Raider.” When it comes down to it even after willingly viewing these (and other) films, I still find myself drawn to TV. I was furthers inspired by spending my Saturday night laughing my ass off at the special episode of "Farscape" that the SciFi channel ran. I watched the episode twice (mom missed the first run) and I was still laughing the second time around. At this point I began to ask myself -- why? What do I find so intriguing about TV, that I don't (generally) find in movies? Here follows a list of my answers, since I think in lists
1) Character Development: This is my standard answer. TV -good- TV at least develops its characters in the long and short term. Even semi-good TV has at least some character development as well as those shows in which the story is the main focus. An example of this would be "Law and Order.” The story is always the centerpiece of this show, but when is comes down to it the short-term development of characters, both main and guest, play a major part.
2) Story Arcs: Long-term stories can often be marvelous. (See "Babylon 5"). Even shorter arcs, like the season-long ones that are found on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” give not only great character development but also simple, beautiful story development. Events can unfold, seemingly unconnected until a later time. When done well, this is exceedingly cool.
3) Time: In some ways, TV is a love-em and leave-em medium. You watch your show for and hour or so, then toddle off, or change the channel. On the other hand watching a show requires a bit of dedication. You need to remember to sit down every week, to see what is going to happen. You get both the (much-bemoaned) lack- of-attention-span as well as the long-term dedication. This appeals to me, this balance of both long and short.
4) Engagement: TV has the ability to engage you in a way I rarely find in the movies. That is, the engagement is long-term. I more often find myself debating the moral implications of "Buffy" of "Homicide: Life on the Street” weeks after an episode has aired, than I do debating on a movie I viewed even a few days ago. TV seems to stay with you, partly because of the longer- term nature of the programming and I think because of the environment you view it in. You watch it at home, where the surroundings are familiar and comfy. Your mind and body relax and you can take it all in.
5) Bathroom breaks: need I say more? Commercials may annoy (and occasionally amuse) but hey when you gotta go, you gotta go.
6) Convenience: I am not above admitting that I am a lazy wench. I would rather plop on my couch than have to get out and drive the 20 minutes to the nearest theater and have my feet stick to the floor.
7) Cultural Response: TV is a very responsive media. It informs on the current state of its culture like no other. The shows themselves reflect culture, even when they are imports (Responses to “The X-Files” in Serbia was pretty damm informative) and helps to illustrate the prevailing cultural trends. The views given are often far more up to the moment than that of movies, which have a longer post-production period. TV creates a popular culture that is both created by the people (ex: “What’s My Bush”) and affects the people (ex: any number of popular phrases borrowed from TV “Luuuucy I’m hoooome”)
I’m not saying that the above applies to all TV or that movies can’t do the above. There is good TV (“Farscape”, “West Wing”) and bad TV (Jerry Springer, anything with Tom Green) just as there are wonderful movies (Silence of the Lambs, Gattaca) and utter crap movies (Jean Claude van Damme films, anything with Tom Green). I think I’m just figuring out why I generally seem to prefer sitting down with the latest episode of a show, rather than watching a film. I’m sure I could add more, but my brain needs a rest and this has gotten really long. Maybe more latter.
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Date: 2001-07-16 09:13 pm (UTC)