Words Like Locusts Flew From Her Fingers

Dark Shadows

The New Republic Online: Weighs and Means: “TV’s pernicious contribution to pudginess is by no means all from the propagandizing effects of advertisements. One study, for instance, has suggested that watching TV may actually reduce resting metabolism lower than sleeping, although the evidence is mixed. But whether or not that’s true, watching TV comes at the steep opportunity cost of not doing aerobic activities–or even reading, which burns more calories than television watching.”

This is only marginally related to our usual themes here on the American Housewife site but, frankly, I wanted to leave my Philip Glass post up at the top on the main site for a while longer. I think it’s good and I want everyone who’s interested to be able to easily find it.

Anyway, so this article in The New Republic is all about kids getting fat from watching television (and/or watching junk food ads on television.)

When I was a kid, we almost never watched television during the day because there simply wasn’t much on at that time that was worth watching! Instead, we either played outside or read a book. (Or played inside if it was raining–we used to rollerskate in the basement.) I can tell you exactly when all that began to change, though. It all started with the television show, Dark Shadows. Dark Shadows came on at 3 pm on weekdays in my part of the country. I remember quite clearly that my friends and I wouldn’t want to play outside like we’d normally done when we’d get home from school because we didn’t want to miss Dark Shadows. I have a clear recollection of, one beautiful summer day, cutting a tennis game short so I could get home on time to watch Dark Shadows. Pretty sad stuff.

You see? That show was the work of the devil in many ways.

Getting fat and lazy is just one of the problems kids face when they watch too much television. I firmly believe that the fast pace of many children’s shows “programs” kids at a young age to respond only to similarly fast-paced stimuli. Computer and video games just reinforce this.

Gee, do ‘ya think there might be a connection between these television shows and games and the increasing number of kids being diagnosed with Attention Deficit type disorders? Do ‘ya think it might be more than coincidence that more boys than girls are interested in fast-paced stimuli and more boys than girls are diagnosed with ADD? Do ‘ya think?

Now you might believe I’m confusing correlation with causation. My defense is that I’ve seen way too many parents plunk their little little kids down in front of the television to believe that ADD causes an interest in fast-paced stimuli and not the other way around.

Parents have created these monsters themselves. And, like Frankenstein, now that the monsters are out terrorizing the villagers, their creators haven’t the slightest clue about how to get them under control.

Duh! First thing, get rid of the TV and the video games! Duh!!!

God damn but people are stupid sometimes.