effing luddites.
Oct. 5th, 2004 09:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keryxThis morning, I've been bombarded by what I'd call luddism if so doing weren't an insult to Luddites and a misappropriation of the term.
First irksome thing: the slow food people. They want to eat only artisanal [read: expensive] foods and have created restaurant guides that allow you to do so. Because mass production of food is eeeeevil. I didn't read very much of their site, so I can't really comment in detail. If they're working to make sure everyone has access to handmade food, they're just kinda tunnelvisiony (handmade food and slowing down is good, but mass produced stuff and speeding up has its uses to, yo); if they're not, though, they're a bunch of wicked yuppsters (an assessment based entirely on their restaurant guide).
Second irksome thing: actually, it's 90% thought-provoking article and only about 10% irksome. The Go Animal newsletter proposes that we think of nutrition beyond edible food. Interesting, right?
Until you get to this quote (from the "Modern American Imbalance" segment): As TV tyrannizes our culture, many Americans show a decreasing interest in the world of ideas; many of us no longer read books or seek out new ideas. That's right. Because TV NEVER CONTAINS A SINGLE NEW IDEA. I hate that smart people can believe stupid things like that; it's a countermedia stereotype of the medium, and it just isn't borne out by the reality of our experience. The media that we curse (TV is always first on the list, but the net follows right behind) are essential to the large-scale distribution of ideas. And seriously, do you think those giant Barnes & Nobles survive just cause people like coffee?
We're entirely too embarrassed by our own technology. Why is that?
First irksome thing: the slow food people. They want to eat only artisanal [read: expensive] foods and have created restaurant guides that allow you to do so. Because mass production of food is eeeeevil. I didn't read very much of their site, so I can't really comment in detail. If they're working to make sure everyone has access to handmade food, they're just kinda tunnelvisiony (handmade food and slowing down is good, but mass produced stuff and speeding up has its uses to, yo); if they're not, though, they're a bunch of wicked yuppsters (an assessment based entirely on their restaurant guide).
Second irksome thing: actually, it's 90% thought-provoking article and only about 10% irksome. The Go Animal newsletter proposes that we think of nutrition beyond edible food. Interesting, right?
Until you get to this quote (from the "Modern American Imbalance" segment): As TV tyrannizes our culture, many Americans show a decreasing interest in the world of ideas; many of us no longer read books or seek out new ideas. That's right. Because TV NEVER CONTAINS A SINGLE NEW IDEA. I hate that smart people can believe stupid things like that; it's a countermedia stereotype of the medium, and it just isn't borne out by the reality of our experience. The media that we curse (TV is always first on the list, but the net follows right behind) are essential to the large-scale distribution of ideas. And seriously, do you think those giant Barnes & Nobles survive just cause people like coffee?
We're entirely too embarrassed by our own technology. Why is that?
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Date: 2004-10-05 08:24 pm (UTC)i recommend:
"joan of arcadia" is a truly beautiful, thoughtful show that will make you cry and giggle and rage and all. it's clever and risky without being mean and risque, which is apparently what defines "premium tv" [hbo].
"gilmore girls" is also all good time, but somewhat spotty these days. "veronica mars" and "smallville" are all good fun that you don't have to think about. and they are usually not offensive, and occasionally thoughtful.
"lost" is an up-and-coming fave - somewhat the new "x-files", but with a giant cast and an invisible dinosaur (i think).
"jack & bobby" is emotionally manipulative. but has cute boy, and i usually am ironing sunday night, so eh. along the same lines, "dr. vegas" is an idiotic show featuring pretty pretty rob lowe.
i'm still on the fence about "desperate housewives". it's a trainwreck, but a fairly well put together trainwreck.
also see televisionwithoutpity.com if you just want to read about tv instead of going the extra mile and subjecting yourself to it.
do you netflix? because you should really see:
season 1 of "twin peaks" (old, i know, but clinches the "good tv" canon)
all of "little house on the prairie" (seasons 1-4 available now!)
seasons 1-4 of "buffy the vampire slayer" (just... because. equal parts brilliant, silly, tragic, and ass-kicking)
seasons 1-2 of "alias" (will make you crave pleather)
seasons 1-2 of "the west wing" (will make you proud to be an american, and want to quit your job and move to dc [if you haven't already] and become a political operative)
seasons 1-4 of "dawson's creek" (only if you have some unresolved angst re: that boy in high school who was your best friend, and you had a crush on him, and then you hooked up and everything went straight to hell)
no, really. go now. i'll wait.
and just so you don't think i'm completely brainless, i'm currently watching "i, claudius" (which has way more kinky sex than i remember from my childhood, when i watched it with my parents on pbs)
thanks!!
Date: 2004-10-05 08:26 pm (UTC)Re: thanks!!
Date: 2004-10-05 09:25 pm (UTC)