Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Television - Sedatives for Men

Chris posted The Guys' Rules yesterday, and I thought I would expand on the television-related ones.

Sunday, I asked Chris if he would help me make cookies while Athena was napping. Athena, unfortunately, wouldn't nap... so Chris couldn't really help. Fortunately, Marcus was only mildly fussy, but the television was on... and his bouncy seat was awfully close to the sub-woofer. So I turned it off. There was nothing on anyway, and the damn thing had been on all day.

Chris came down like two seconds after I turned it off, and you won't believe this, but he turned it back on and proceded to flip through all the channels I had JUST flipped through. He, however, found something to watch... BlackHawk Down.

Now, it's bad enough that he can't participate in the cookie-making as he has to make regular trips upstairs to corral the tot. But then he selects a war movie. I don't like war movies, personally, and I don't think they are appropriate for the children. Within a minute, Chris had to go back upstairs to tend to Athena, and I turned the TV back off. One never knows if Chris will return from upstairs... the computer may lure him into her evil web and he could be up there for an hour. I wasn't about to watch people get shot up while trying to enjoy my cookie dough and appease a cranky 2-month-old.

He returned rather quickly (Ms. Computer was apparently not so intriguing) and immediately asked, "Why is this off?" while gesturing at the TV.

Not only is this an absurd question... after all... televisions aren't known to turn themselves off... but wtf? Can we not exist in a room without television for two minutes?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree...around here, the TV will be on, with the sound muted, while the "viewer" (which I will not name) will be engrossed in a computer game with headphones on. Go figure.

Jason said...

Guys, watch out!

It's "why do we need men, anyway?" week.

Funny how they don't put that on the calendar at hallmark.

Chris said...

I was *watching* it. I had to go upstairs for a second because our daughter was resisting sleep.

Staci said...

HAHA! I laugh because we go through the same in our house but even worse. If I turn off the TV before we leave the house, it never fails for him to ask upon returning, "Why did you turn the TV off?" As if its a herculean task to turn it back on.

Bern said...

Sophie, be glad he has headphones on :)
Sometimes it's not so fun having to listen to computer games going on in one room and the TV on in another room. And we have surround sound for the TV. And nobody is watching it.
Some things are not meant to be understood.

eaf said...

No no no... not "why do we need men..." I like men. I am just baffled by the constant television background. That's all. :-)

Jason said...

Aha! I have caught my wife in a hypocritic moment. She keeps the TV in her office on all day while she works and claims she doesn't watch it - it's just on for the background noise!

Jessica said...

Ha! My husband forgets to turn off the TV when we leave the house all the time. It's as though he thinks the COUCH is really into the PBA championship.
I am of the mind that we don't need the TV on all day and night, but if Bob got his way he'd sleep in our room with the TV on. Eyes closed, unconscious, the TV must still be on.

Chris said...

I like the TV on when I'm doing other things - I often simultaneously read or surf the web and watch TV. It's not my fault that Elizabeth can only do one thing at a time. :-P

Jessica said...

Ooh burn.

I don't know about Elizabeth, but with the kids and the chaos and all the house stuff I have to do, when it all starts piling up, having the TV on too is like sensory overload. It's too much.

Bern said...

Rebuttal :
I have the TV on in my office, with the volume low, while I work so I won't have to hear the ticking of the clock. The ticking makes me sleepy.

eaf said...

Jessey, that's exactly it. Sensory overload. If all I were doing was playing solitaire, reading some blogs, IMing my friends, and occasionally getting up to redirect our toddler who is clearly contemplating putting a knife into the outlet she ingeniously got the safety plug out of, I could keep the tv on as well... :-P

When I DO turn the tv on for background noise, I tune in to the digital music - showtunes. It's relaxing and fun for me, and it keeps others out of the room.

A Girl From Texas said...

Men!

Brant said...

My wife leaves the TV on for the dog when we leave the house to run errands...

If I'm the last one out, I'll at least put it on Animal Planet for her, but I don't dare turn it off.