I haven't been sleeping well at all lately and I think it landed me in a really cranky mood today. So apologies to those of you experienced that side of me today, I just felt like I had no patience. Hopefully I'll sleep well tonight. (sorry Jen, I really don't care that much about wordpress.com vs. blogger!)
Now for the sort of cranky depressed I feel, my default reaction would be to, well, buy a book. I even went online on about five different occasions, thinking to get the two books mentioned on LOST last night. But I kept myself from doing it, because I'm already losing the book loss game. I see a major purge in store this weekend.
But I thought I would indulge in some talk about my pet peeves, because these two things have been irritating me equally lately. While My Friend Amy is normally a happy place of well, friendship, we'd be even better friends if you'd give the following two items some thought.
Broadbrushing genres
THIS. DRIVES. ME. CRAZY.
Genres are what they are, but each book in every genre is not the same thing. I think there is beauty and depth to be found everywhere in books. And I really think we're not doing anyone any favors acting like experts when we're not. Even some simple wording adjustment can prevent my ire. Like, if you think chick lit is fluff, you could try saying, "I've found the chick lit I've read to be fluff", instead of--all chick lit is fluff.
See what I'm saying?
Assuming that watching Television is a Passive Activity
Yes, it's true that a lot of people passively watch television and don't think. But I do believe television is an art form. Shows like LOST, Mad Men, The Closer, Damages, are all smart shows that SAY SOMETHING. A show like LOST can be discussed forever, thought through, there's just so much meat there. Like books, I think that a television show is what you bring to it. Certainly some have more to discuss than others, but you can think critically about them all. I don't think we all ought to sit around watching TV 24/7 but I do think that some shows have value.
That's all for today, ladies and gentlemen! If you want to read a happier post, go read my post on the LOST Books Challenge blog about the music on LOST.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Some Pet Peeves I'd like to Discuss
Posted by Amy at 7:35 PM
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22 comments:
i've been thinking about doing a pet peeves post myself but then i get worried people would get mad at me lol
I agree with everything what you said here wholeheartedly! I spent hours thinking about Lost last night...LOL! Well said =O)
oops...it was supposed to say "that" you said here...
Pardon me!
I agree. I try to modify with, "I'm not generally into _____." But I'm usually willing to give things a try!
TV is definitely an artform... I love shows that make me think, and I can discuss with my friends/family.
I have been up and pacing through this night. Maybe we should find an extraterrestrial way to signal NO SLEEP and talk during the worst part of things.
Amy I get like this. Not often, but when I do (it is usually set off by something my children have done) watch out! Just get it out and then you'll feel better.
Yes and yes (and good for you for not impulse buying).
And no sleep brings out the evil in Ms. BFR -- even Sam Squirrel runs away.
I don't watch too much TV, but the shows I do catch certainly require concentration. You can't leave your brain at the door for CSI or House!
Despite splitting my reading into genres in monthly wrap-ups, I don't like labels either (I just think that's the easiest way to divide things when I read so much). And I'm totally with you on TV. I will say that some shows are mindless, but there is so much that is not. Shows like Lost do have complex, thoughtful plots, and plenty of other shows pick out social issues and make us think about them in a new way. You can never paint everything with the same brush, but so many people try.
I do hope you sleep better and your crankiness goes away!
I've had a similar frustration lately. It makes me sad when people shy away from something because of the genre with out really giving it a chance. I've got a book at home that has a Buddhist character. I'm not Buddhist but I'm still going to read it.
Great post!
Speaking of LOST, I totally want to purchase a book Jacob was spotted reading: "Everything that Rises Must Converge".
I agree completely! And would you believe I still haven't watched this week's LOST? I know... not good. We just haven't had a chance to sit down and watch it yet! Hopefully tonight (crosses fingers).
I don't like the broadbrushing of genres either, not a bit, but I do have to admit that there are some genres I'd rather stay away from myself. I do need to get over that... I need to be more open to a few different types of books. It's just so HARD when there are so many amazing books I already KNOW I'll like, to think about trying something new. Oh well. :)
Hope you feel better soon and get some sleep! (try melatonin, it's my favorite sleep aid. all natural.)
Your pet peeves are so mild compared to other people's. I'll try very hard not to do either of these things.
Interesting, I used the words "fluffy" and "chick-lit" yesterday in a review. However it was not worded that I believed all chick-lit was fluffy. I have reviewed and given fairly high marks to some brilliant chick-lit.
As for telly, I do not watch it, so I cannot say one way or another if it is passive or not.
I do hope you are able to sleep.
sorry you did not sleep well, and not only because it made you rant! lol
Now I am a fan of several TV shows..ok MANY TV shows but I have an observation. MY main TV, the one in my family room, has been broken since New Years and I have not yet replaced it. I do have a small one in my bedroom, but my viewing of it is a lot more limited and targeted than my TV viewing usually was. And what I ahve noticed is that I did a LOT of mindless TV viewing. I would put it on just to have it on. It would be on all evening when I am home and I would watch a lot of shows with half an eye, often while doing something else. And not totally paying attention to that other thing either.
No, not Lost or Mad Men or CSI, to which I really pay attention, but a lot of stuff. Now, when I really have to plan what I will watch, I find myself watching a great deal less TV.
And it is not a bad thing.
"Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything." (Count Rugen to Prince Humperdinck, The Princess Bride) Seriously, I hope the sleep drought breaks for you soon. My husband isn't a good sleeper, and I know what it does to him :-/.
I'm sitting out the genre discussion, but I'm totally with you on TV peeve. Yes, TV watching CAN be a passive activity...when you just leave it on all the time and surf mindlessly. I personally don't watch TV that way. I do have a good-sized list of shows I watch regularly, but they're all chosen, and I am invested in them. (And if they're not on, I do something else unrelated to TV.)
Television shows are another form of storytelling, and just like books, some are better and more engaging than others.
I'm so sorry you aren't sleeping well! You really didn't need to apologize, mostly because of that 'you can't tell tone on the internet' thing. Most of the time that works against people, but this time it worked for you, becaues I assumed you mostly were just giving me a hard time (although I also assumed that you actually do prefer Blogger, which is fine, although I feel differently).
What about when people broadstroke fiction??? I have heard it said so many times that all fiction is fluff and nonsense and that it is even "emotional porn" and they were speaking of all fiction, not just some......
Duly noted.
Totally agreed! But even when you are grumpy, you don't really seem all that grumpy to me!
Ugh, I get frustrated with people (including past versions of me!) who write off TV as being inferior to books. TV has all these amazing narrative possibilities that can be very different to the narrative possibilities of books - I think it's so cool how really good shows manage to make each episode self-contained while advancing ongoing story arcs. Gorgeous.
Preach it, woman! Good tv is intelligent, causes discussion, teaches, has subtle meaning and philosophy....
And Lost is definitely good television. :) I wrote a post about the Chrisitian worldview that we can pull out of Lost when we look for it....
Would you help with this cause? time is of essence! PLEASE...
"To save one life is like saving the whole world!"
Please take a few moments and help save the life of Martin Grossman
www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-martin-grossman
www.fadp.org/takeact.html
We need your help today to save the life of Martin Grossman who is set to be executed on February 16th. We are only advocating that he not get the death penalty at this time. We are asking that the Governor take the time to hold a proper clemency hearing to determine if the Death Penalty is really appropriate in this case. This may not be easy for you to go out of your way to try and save the life of someone who took someone else’s life but we must do what is just and right and what the Bible teaches us is correct.
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