I'd rather debate about who deserved the Nobel Peace Prize this year than who won Best Actor

I really don’t watch TV all that often, I honestly don’t have the time because I’m busy doing things that are just more important to me: studying, homework, various practices, etc. I see TV as not very important; I don’t care who wins an Emmy or an Oscar, I’m not even really sure I know what the difference between those are or what they are for in the first place. 

A few months back I saw a short clip from an Australian experiment on Americans entitled something like “Stupid Americans.” In it they asked questions on geography, American History, political culture, and finally ended with the question “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” Seeing all those people answer all those questions incorrectly and knowing the last shows me that TV is a problem. It is almost entirely fiction, excluding reality TV, the news, and the like, and should not be something people know as well as their school studies or related topics. 

The fact that more people watch the Emmy’s than know who won the Nobel Prize in physics or any other subject also disturbs me. There are six important sections of the Nobel Prizes but I’m sure most people could not name them either. These people are changing the world in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace, and they should be BIG stars for it, not someone like Charlie Sheen. 

That’s not to say I don’t like watching some TV, I keep up with some series on the weekends thanks to DVR; in fact, I think it can be pretty relaxing and provide the needed escape from the stress of school. It offers things that you cannot obtain anywhere else like a library channel for those who want to have a story read to them (I would rather read a book myself), a channel where constituents can watch as their Senate and Congress argues over bills, etc. 

Because there are so many options on the TV, advertisers can practically sell anything they can think of on the various channels. The biggest example of this is the beer commercial explosion during the Super Bowl. People are watching football, they are not going to leave the TV, and they are most likely going to be drinking so these commercials fit the audience perfectly. Another prime example would be the TacoBell or the other fast food businesses that air commercials on primetime TV, they get more business because that is when the most people are going to be watching. 

So yes, TV provides an excellent place for advertisers to sell or show off their products, and yes it provides some entertainment and relaxation to the masses, but no, I do not think it is very important and it is not appropriate for it to be such a large part of modern culture.