Five Things You Should Know About Television

There is something cool about lists.  I love those shows that count down the top ten this or the top ten that.  Maybe it all goes back to watching Letterman when I was in college.  Anyway, I thought it might be fun to throw out some top five lists from time to time just to stir things up.  So, with that in mind, here we go with five things you should know about television:

1. Despite what you hear on t.v., there really are no shortcuts to losing weight or getting rich – every infomercial  promises quick results.  Life doesn’t operate in a microwave.  Most things take some time, regardless of what you hear on television.  The Bible speaks to the virtue of patience.  It says, “Finishing is better than starting.  Patience is better than pride” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NLT).
2. Reality shows aren’t real – all the drama, tension, suspense, etc.  The moment you bring in all the lights and cameras, reality has a way of evaporating.
3. Even though we have hundreds of channels, nothing is ever on – if you take off the infomercials, the shopping channels, and the channels no one will ever watch, there’s not that much left.  Couple that with the fact that most of the channels seem to show the same things all the time and you’re left scratching your head and wondering what you are paying for.
4. Today’s cartoons are horrible (see this post to read more).
5. Most shows don’t age well – Law and Order isn’t what it used to be.  Every show has ups and downs.  Considering that this one has been on forever, it had to be inevitable.  It used to be the one show I made the effort to watch every week.  Not now.  I’ll just relish in the good old days by watching the reruns on TNT.  ESPN is getting old too.  I love sports, and I used to really enjoy watching ESPN, but it seems like it’s becoming a caricature of itself.  The commercials for Sportscenter are still pretty cool though.