Commercials Waste Valuable Years

The computer won my fickle heart away from TV about 20 years ago. I never turn the TV on during the day and in the evening my husband rules the TV from his recliner, choosing the action movies to nap through.

I do watch it for a few things; Sunday night PBS shows, Survivor's short series twice a year. That's about it.

Commercials? I don't care. They never have bothered me much and back in the day when I watched sit-coms I often found I got bigger laughs from the ads than the show.
 
I watch very little during the day, just news headlines, I catch a bit of the quiz shows my husband likes.
After dinner we watch 2 or 3 hours of Netflix or Sky dramas or a film. He watches a lot of sport and films he likes during the times I am busy in the day. I just cannot justify sitting around in the day.
We do like documentaries and nature programmes which we tend to watch while we eat.
Overall, I am very discerning about it, my husband less so.
 

I agree Rose, I could never justify watching during the day, but now that we're retired I don't really see that it matters much how we spend our time.

The thread title, "Commercials waste valuable years," makes an assumption that the shows they've interrupted don't themselves waste valuable years.
 
Della said:
The computer won my fickle heart away from TV about 20 years ago. I never turn the TV on during the day and in the evening my husband rules the TV from his recliner, choosing the action movies to nap through.

I do watch it for a few things; Sunday night PBS shows, Survivor's short series twice a year. That's about it.

Commercials? I don't care. They never have bothered me much and back in the day when I watched sit-coms I often found I got bigger laughs from the ads than the show.
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I've known for a while that I'm wired differently, so when I learned that a lot of people enjoy commercials, I took it in stride. But what irks me most is that WE are constantly being sold to and preach at by something we had to pay a premium for. This is one big IF, but if I get the chance, I'll make triple-dipping illegal - much less quad-dipping. 'TV, Provider, Network and Advertisers' Makes my skin crawl writing it out loud.
 
Della said:
I agree Rose, I could never justify watching during the day, but now that we're retired I don't really see that it matters much how we spend our time.

The thread title, "Commercials waste valuable years," makes an assumption that the shows they've interrupted don't themselves waste valuable years.
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Ironically, I didn't want to judge people whose main entertainment is watching TV while attacking the commercial industry. But, if you read earlier comments, I failed at that as well. Darned if you do, darned if you don't.
 
This is an interesting thread. I'm not used to stopping to think about how I spend my time, but I was doing it just yesterday before I even saw this thread.

I happened to be reading a short story by Amor Towles called, "The DiDomenico Fragment." In it, a man takes his nephew to visit the Metropolitan Museum and then shows him a lot of Renaissance paintings and describes several other things of interest. He made me curious to see these things for myself, so I sat down to the computer, wondering how to look them up since I couldn't remember half of the artists' names and couldn't spell the other half.

So I started with the name of the story and lo and behold, some hard working art professor had read the story and made a video showing everything the story talked about.

I was thrilled! I learned so much I said to the fam over dinner that I should be looking for more things like that instead of watching so many police cam videos of drunk drivers being arrested. But then after dinner that's what I did.
 
Della said:
This is an interesting thread. I'm not used to stopping to think about how I spend my time, but I was doing it just yesterday before I even saw this thread.

I happened to be reading a short story by Amor Towles called, "The DiDomenico Fragment." In it, a man takes his nephew to visit the Metropolitan Museum and then shows him a lot of Renaissance paintings and describes several other things of interest. He made me curious to see these things for myself, so I sat down to the computer, wondering how to look them up since I couldn't remember half of the artists' names and couldn't spell the other half.

So I started with the name of the story and lo and behold, some hard working art professor had read the story and made a video showing everything the story talked about.

I was thrilled! I learned so much I said to the fam over dinner that I should be looking for more things like that instead of watching so many police cam videos of drunk drivers being arrested. But then after dinner that's what I did.
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As 'intoxicating' as watching drunks can be, and as cliché as it is to ask, isn't there more life?

Around nine, I remember hoping a UFO would take me to my 'real' universe because the one I was in bored me to death. I just knew there was a place where I had working wings, water tasted like ambrosia, and all the cute girls spent every second thinking about me. Now I get excited, on a cold day, when my dog finishes earlier and I don't have to stand in the snow all day holding my leash.
 
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Mvsimmons, welcome to the forum! Your thread has been fun.

I would suggest you find an avatar that gives us a clue about your gender since your name tends to read like Miss Simmons to lazy readers like me.
 
I don't do Avatars, but to anyone who cares to know, I'm a red-blooded, Caucasian, male with the remnants of a southern accent. I have a trail of broken hearts that follow me everywhere - some coming - some going, I'm an animal lover, I like to stir the proverbial pot, taking on bullies (of the rich and powerful kind), and I either love or hate myself depending, mostly, on how close I am at accomplishing one of a plethora of lofty goals. Ask me anything as long as you can handle the truth as I see it.

Thanks for the welcome.
 
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Della said:
I agree Rose, I could never justify watching during the day, but now that we're retired I don't really see that it matters much how we spend our time.

The thread title, "Commercials waste valuable years," makes an assumption that the shows they've interrupted don't themselves waste valuable years.
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And it assumes that our time is valuable. And we're talking about increments of time that don't exceed 1 or 2 minutes (per commercial). That kind of time is valuable when you're doing CPR, or fighting a house fire, or driving an ambulance. But while watching TV, your arse is probly gonna stay in the chair whether adverts run or not. Either way, the most valuable thing you're likely to do in those 1 or 2 minutes is empty your bladder or grab a drink.
 
mvsimmons said:
I get the fact that television's a relatively cheap form of entertainment. I even understand how some of us think it's a major factor in broadening our horizons. And by watching ads, we're paying for the privilege of having concealed voyeurism wired/aired straight into our homes.

But if you take a minute to think about it, you might be shocked at just how much of our lives is spent in front of a box. If you watch ten hours a day, that's three thousand six hundred and fifty hours a year. Times ten years is Thirty Six Thousand five hundred and if you live to be a hundred, you will have watched 365000 hours of TV. That's 15.208.33 years!

Even if you only watch half of that much, do you really think television's worth over seven and a half years of our time on earth? Now comes the kicker, I don't have the actual numbers to go by, but if around half of that is commercials, when you pass on you will have spent three to four years watching junk.

And the proverbial cherry is that you likely spend around a hundred American dollars a month just to be sold to. And by the time you've bought one of their products, you will have been tripled dipped and smothered in shame.

Moral of the story is, stop watching and start LIVING!
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I don't know anyone who's spent a lifetime watching ten hours of TV a day. Some may watch a lot during periods of convalescence or incapacitation, but an entire lifetime? Exaggeration to the extreme. Most people attend school full time for at least 13-17 years and engage in careers after that, so your presumption is very odd.

In addition, your math is flawed throughout. 10 hours a day of TV watching would amount to 41.66% of the day. 100 years times 41.66% of one's time in front of a TV would equal 41.66 years, not 15.

Also, these days commercials eat up approximately 15 minutes an hour, not 30. It used to be less. Easy enough to look up with a search engine.

I have no problem with rants, but get your math and facts right, make realistic arguments to underpin your statements and have compassion for those who are bed bound or otherwise debilitated to the point where TV is one of the greatest blessings in their lives.

I'm not smug about how little TV I watch For all any of us knows, TV (with or without commercials) could one day be my important lifeline to the outside world.

Life has a strange habit of handing out lessons in humility.
 
StarSong said:
I don't know anyone who's spent a lifetime watching ten hours of TV a day. Some may watch a lot during periods of convalescence or incapacitation, but an entire lifetime? Exaggeration to the extreme. Most people attend school full time for at least 13-17 years and engage in careers after that, so your presumption is very odd.

In addition, your math is flawed throughout. 10 hours a day of TV watching would amount to 41.66% of the day. 100 years times 41.66% of one's time in front of a TV would equal 41.66 years, not 15.

Also, these days commercials eat up approximately 15 minutes an hour, not 30. It used to be less. Easy enough to look up with a search engine.

I have no problem with rants, but get your math and facts right, make realistic arguments to underpin your statements and have compassion for those who are bed bound or otherwise debilitated to the point where TV is one of the greatest blessings in their lives.

I'm not smug about how little TV I watch For all any of us knows, TV (with or without commercials) could one day be my important lifeline to the outside world.

Life has a strange habit of handing out lessons in humility.
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So angry. Would you care for a juice pop or maybe a slice of watermelon. I only have to deal with you a few seconds at a time, but what about your friends, family? Where can I send them a dozen roses for putting up with such hatred?
 
Murrmurr said:
And it assumes that our time is valuable. And we're talking about increments of time that don't exceed 1 or 2 minutes (per commercial). That kind of time is valuable when you're doing CPR, or fighting a house fire, or driving an ambulance. But while watching TV, your arse is probly gonna stay in the chair whether adverts run or not. Either way, the most valuable thing you're likely to do in those 1 or 2 minutes is empty your bladder or grab a drink.
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Whether our time is valuable or not is up for interpretation. What's not is it's the only time we have.

Nice to meet you Murrmurr.
 
mvsimmons said:
So angry. Would you care for a juice pop or maybe a slice of watermelon. I only have to deal with you a few seconds at a time, but what about your friends, family? Where can I send them a dozen roses for putting up with such hatred?
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I've known Star Song a long time and I've never seen her angry. She doesn't sound angry here, she's just checking your facts.
 
mvsimmons said:
I don't do Avatars, but to anyone who cares to know, I'm a red-blooded, Caucasian, male with the remnants of a southern accent. I have a trail of broken hearts that follow me everywhere - some coming - some going. Furthermore, I'm an animal lover, I like to stir the proverbial pot, taking on bullies (of the rich and powerful kind), and I either love or hate myself depending, mostly, on how close I am at accomplishing one of a plethora of lofty goals. Asking me anything as long as you can handle the truth as I see it.

Thanks for the welcome.
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Della said:
I've known Star Song a long time and I've never seen her angry. She doesn't sound angry here, she's just checking your facts.
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Facts assume accuracy, so she's wrong and angry. But it's nice to see you guys teaming up, and that you automatically assume she's right... tells me all I need to know about this site. Fortunately, there are other options.
 
mvsimmons said:
So angry. Would you care for a juice pop or maybe a slice of watermelon. I only have to deal with you a few seconds at a time, but what about your friends, family? Where can I send them a dozen roses for putting up with such hatred?
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Wow.. you strongly remind me of someone who was recently kicked off this site. She was banned and you arrived. Coincidence? I wonder.

I'm not angry - merely pointing out the numerous holes in your rant. If you can't take the heat, the kitchen door is thataway. ➡️
 
mvsimmons said:
So angry. Would you care for a juice pop or maybe a slice of watermelon. I only have to deal with you a few seconds at a time, but what about your friends, family? Where can I send them a dozen roses for putting up with such hatred?
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Really????

if you want to be taken seriously, writing sarcastic personal attacks isn't going to help you
 
And this is why I'm glad I'm streaming using mostly ad free platforms. An hour show is really only 41 or 42 minutes. A half hour show is 22 minutes. And I refuse to pay more money to subscribe to "live channels" because that means I'll be paying extra just to have to sit through commercials.
 
Murrmurr said:
And it assumes that our time is valuable.
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and that we would be doing something more valuable if we weren't watching TV.

I watch aprox 1 hour most days - an episode of whatever series I am into at the time, usually after tea, before going to bed.

If I wasnt doing that I would be doing what valuable thing instead??

Reading a book, playing computer games, going to bed earlier?

Either way that hour would just be my wind down relaxing time at end of the day - I wouldnt be out saving the world if I weren't in front of the tellie.
 
mvsimmons said:
I don't do Avatars, but to anyone who cares to know, I'm a red-blooded, Caucasian, male with the remnants of a southern accent. I have a trail of broken hearts that follow me everywhere - some coming - some going, I'm an animal lover, I like to stir the proverbial pot, taking on bullies (of the rich and powerful kind), and I either love or hate myself depending, mostly, on how close I am at accomplishing one of a plethora of lofty goals. Ask me anything as long as you can handle the truth as I see it.

Thanks for the welcome.
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A few observations of our new member @mvsimmons :

This person’s self-description is like a monument to self-absorption and a startling lack of self-awareness. It’s dripping with a sense of superiority and dismissiveness that’s almost impressive in its obliviousness.

They start by making a point of not using an avatar—an almost trivial choice—but frame it as if it’s some profound act that sets them apart. The emphasis on their physical identity, from being "red-blooded" to their "Caucasian" heritage and a "southern accent," comes across as if these details are of paramount importance, suggesting a deep-seated belief that these traits somehow confer value or uniqueness. The mention of a "trail of broken hearts" is particularly revealing; it’s less a sign of romantic prowess and more an indicator of a self-centered attitude, where relationships are measured by the amount of emotional wreckage left in their wake, rather than any genuine connection or understanding.

Their claim of being an animal lover and a crusader against bullies seems like a feeble attempt to soften their abrasive personality, but it’s undercut by their self-professed love of stirring the pot. They’re not interested in dialogue or understanding—they’re here to provoke, to push buttons, to revel in the chaos they create. It’s a thinly veiled excuse to justify a penchant for conflict, under the guise of a noble cause.

Finally, the invitation to "ask anything" with the caveat that others must be able to "handle the truth as they see it" is a classic narcissist move. It’s not about engaging in a meaningful exchange; it’s about asserting their perspective as the ultimate truth, disregarding any other viewpoints as irrelevant.

In essence, this person seems to be the kind who sees themselves as the center of the universe, where their opinions are the only ones that matter, and anyone who disagrees is simply not tough enough to "handle the truth." It’s a combination of arrogance, insensitivity, and a surprising lack of introspection that makes for a very one-dimensional and self-centered worldview.
 
Magna-Carta said:
Who says TV marketing doesn't work. "Now hands that do dishes can feel as soft as your face, with mild green Fary Liquid". Thanks to this commercial I never bought a dishwasher. I've got the softest hands in the business. Even washing the neighbor's dishes for that additional softness.

And it seemed that the marketing people behind this product brought a new commercial out every six months or so, because it "is now even better!". It's the best of the rest and the bestest of all the bestests that there have ever been, ever. Or words to that effect.

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Since I stopped using washing up liquid and used washing powder instead, I haven't had a problem with my sink getting clogged up. (Just thought I'd mention that).
 

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