TV as Background Music

I've always defended my parents' decision to let me watch a shitload of television as a child, with the reasoning that they also made sure to involve me in lots of other activities, including getting me outside and to the library. And I became an editor, so you can't really say it decreased the amount I read or decreased my cognitive ability.

However, one thing I have noticed as someone who routinely did her homework while watching the telly is that I often leave the TV on for background noise. I'll turn it on when I get home and leave it on until I go to bed (go ahead, be horrified). Unless it's a particularly good episode of Intervention, however, I'm probably not paying too close attention.

I've noticed that some shows make better background shows than others--Law & Order and the Golden Girls, with their familiar lilt, make it easy to only half pay attention. Yappy shows like Family Guy will just be distracting. When I've had easy freelance work to do (and back when I was doing homework), I liked to watch a favorite movie, so I could relieve myself from the tediousness of the work by keeping myself entertained at the same time.

Luckily for me, my college roommate was also someone who grew up watching tons of TV, and so is my boyfriend. We're happy to turn on the tube, then talk all night. It's ok, we're not really paying attention to it.

GOD DAMN IT!!!!

There's no denying that one of the juiciest benefits of cable is Project Runway, and with the strike going on, it's amazing that I've been able to NOT watch the addictive show, especially with as many times as Bravo reruns it. I HAVE been DVRing them, and after my friends and I watched the first 7 eps in a row we vowed to save the next seven.

I have somehow managed to avoid watching any episodes of Project Runway and have avoided all airings of it, as well as blog posts, RSS feeds, office gossip, and ads about it. I have no idea what "the twist" was, and I didn't know who the finalists were. Until just now, when I was innocently watching a Lifetime movie waiting for Law & Order to come on so I could get my Jeremy Sisto fix. The clock tolled 10, and my DVR, forced to choose between the 2 shows that I had set to record, chose not L&O but Project Runway!! And there were the fat guy and the bald guy.

Fucked by our own technology again.

Law & Order: a haiku in five parts

part i: marathon
i got up at two
you don't care i have no bra
you'll always be on

part ii: jesse and jeremy
oh Green and Lupo,
You're the hottest partners yet.
See ya in my dreams!

part iii: time running out
It's 6:55.
He's gonna be off the hook:
No indictment yet

part iv: svu
we just gotta call:
molestor wielding dildo:
guest star: guy from Lost

part v: ...and the rest
Sir Jerry Orbach,
Vinnie d and Mr Big
brunette, blonde, red-head