TV Turnoff Week

Now, I’m not really all that against TV. Sure, most of it sucks, e.g. reality TV, crime scene investigation rip offs (though these are usually shot and colored exquisitely), daytime talk and atrociously horrid sitcoms with fat comedians who have unrealistically hot wives, but I can get into some things, namely shows like ER, The Simpsons, Futurama, or any of those cool documentaries on Discovery about dinosaurs and cavemen. But anyway, the good folks at Adbuster.org have come up with this TV-B-Gone universal remote control which they intend to sell to their minions to encourage them to go around and turn off public televisions for TV Turn Off Week (April 25 – May 1, 2005).

I’m no minion, but I act like one, hence my new V1 shoes and then my latest purchase of my very own TV-B-Gone. Can’t say I’ll turn off any public TVs or not, but damn this will be a handy item to have around. I’ve thought of the various uses thus far:

1. Tristan or Bob at home watching something stupid on TV while I’m trying to watch Homestar Runner on my laptop from the sanctity of my own living room. TV-B-Gone.

2. When hanging with friends who’ve gone too green and leafy to do anything but play Tekken or Halo all night. TV-B-Gone.

3. In a bar when I’d really like to be listening to the jukebox while smoking and drinking my night away, where they’ve decided that we simply MUST watch the Steelers/Cleveland game. TV-B-Gone.

Not to mention all of the fun Home Along style mischief I could get up to.

Oh, that reminds me, Al Gore is starting his own cable TV station with the intent to draw kids away from the Internet and back to television. At least that’s what NPR reported. I’ve heard differently, that he’s actually looking to blend the two. Here’s an article from Time about it if you’re interested. Either way, Al Gore? Mr. Boring, as I believe he’s known in professional wrestling circles, starting a TV show? When will democrats realize they can’t do anything right?

That’s why I vote Nader.

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