Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.PCS 1/10/84; site ahutb.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!houxm!ahuta!ahutb!seb From: seb@ahutb.UUCP (s.e.badian) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: fashion pages & tv Message-ID: <658@ahutb.UUCP> Date: Fri, 12-Apr-85 00:03:35 EST Article-I.D.: ahutb.658 Posted: Fri Apr 12 00:03:35 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 15-Apr-85 03:04:17 EST References: <5433@utzoo.UUCP>, <690@mako.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 68 REFERENCES: <5433@utzoo.UUCP>, <690@mako.UUCP> >Summary: >In article <5433@utzoo.UUCP> laura@utzoo.UUCP (Laura Creighton) writes: >> One of the great burning questions of my life is why do people read fashion >> pages anyway -- and why do people watch tv? ... What is so great about >> tv and fashion pages? >Simple things for simple minds. >Really. Just look at where your intelligence level falls on the >bell curve. >what a horrible waste of time 99% of television is. >The ones that >are a little brighter watch it, sort of enjoy it for itself, realise >it's "sorta dumb", and then pat themselves on the back for being >bright enough to recognise that TV is "sorta dumb". >watching, so as to continue feeling superior. At the next level, >one says "This is *really* stupid!". Then logs in and >writes a new device driver using "cat >". :-) But we are a small >enough group that they don't worry about it too much. >Then there's PBS. They aim for a higher grade of audience. More >snob appeal, you know. Some of their pseudo-scientific shows are >pretty good comedys. Well, talk about snobs!!! When I was in college I never watched tv. I just didn't have the time for it. Now that I work, I like to sit in front of the tv for part of the evening to let my mind thaw out. I'm not ashamed of this fact. And when I didn't watch tv I didn't think that people who did were inferior. This "holier than thou" attitude isn't very pleasant to see. There are lots of different people in this world, and they all have their own version of a good time. To talk about the masses who do watch tv as a bunch of idiots is not very tolerant, or very fair. I don't think all tv is dumb. It fills the niche of mass entertainment that requires little thought a lot of the time. And that's what a lot of people are looking for. We engineers tend to think life is pretty rosy. We get rewarded well for our labors, and have it pretty easy. Most of the people around don't live that well. Tv allows them their escape. At least allow them that luxury. I find your insult of PBS horrible. I happen to think their science programming is exceptional when you consider that they have to talk to people in every type of field. Tell me, are you an expert in animal behavior or molecular biology? Would you want to watch some- thing that is highly technical and totally over your head? If you want technical, read some technical journals. And is PBS omly science programming? How about all the rest of the truly great stuff they do? Just because you don't like it, don't condemn it. (I have to put in my plug for PBS. I happen to love a lot of their programming.) About the fashion pages: I look at them. And I happen to like them. I don't run out and buy all the latest fashions, but I find that a lot of clothes designed today is quite beautiful. I have no real need to dress like the models in the magazines, but there is no denying, in my mind at least, that much of what they wear is gorgeous. But maybe I'm just more artsy than the run-of-the-mill engineer. Sharon Badian ihnp4!hocsp!ahutb!seb