“Sleep, Slug and Clutter”

Tuesday, June 3, 2008....

Today, I thought I'd share my space with a friend of mine. I should explain. I'm divorced with no kids and live alone (for the moment). My friend is married with 3 small children and we started sharing our thoughts about certain things. Today's blog is about the Tivo/DVR. Since my friend is incredibly busy, these shared topics will show up only every now and again because her time is much more limited than mine.

My Viewpoint:

How easy is it to be addicted to one’s DVR or TIVO? I thought that crazy talk when my sister mentioned her anxiety due to all the shows on her DVR that she had yet to watch. I scoffed at her until I got one.

I got one because my fiancé, and I go to bed earlier than most of the shows either end or start (note – lead much healthier lifestyle when fiance is at my house). Having a DVR was great and in the beginning, I was able to keep on top of what I taped. Once I started thinking “wow” I didn’t know that show was on and/or started discovering new shows, I was hosed. I set up my parameters to tape “first run” shows so I would see only the latest and greatest. However, that all changed when I realized that Paige returned to “Trading Spaces” and I had missed the first few episodes. I started taping all shows, anytime on the channel. Granted, there is a sense of satisfaction being able to eliminate a show right away because it was a repeat. Victory! I’ve accomplished reducing my percentage of shows taped.

The other thing that I’ve noticed is that I started to stay up later to watch the shows I’ve taped while new ones are simultaneously are being recorded. I admit I do enjoy fast forwarding through the commercials, but sometimes, I still stop and play the commercials to watch or use as a great bathroom break (I’m an advertiser’s dream).

Initially, I laughed at my sister’s anxiety over her disc space, or lack of, on her DVR, but now I understand it. Do you think a new medical condition or addiction will be named to address society’s new obsession with the DVR/TIVO? Why not? They created an addiction name for people spending too much time on the Internet…..the name escapes me, but I know there is a name they mentioned it on one of my taped Law & Order episodes.

My Friend's Response (remember married with 3 small children):

Ha ha ha ha ha, that’s me laughing at anxiety over disc space or lack of. Now I love Madonna (my pet name for my friend's big sister) and I love my friend, but at the risk of sounding like the militant anti-television nazi that I wish I could be, I don’t get the DVR/TIVO thing. Not one bit. I think it’s because in my homeschooling mother of three world, you can’t have TV. Say after a 15 hour day you pry the eyelids long enough to sit down to your favorite show, Girls Next Door or perhaps Housewives of Orange County. It might be 10pm (except it can’t be, or you’d be sleeping) but you still run the risk of small feet and big ears in the hallway filling up on dreams of g-strings, botox injections and partially bleeped curse words. Try explaining to a nine year old boy why you’re spending your precious free time here. Not to mention why the Girls fancy teeny- tiny underwear, or on special occasions, just a little body paint. I guess if your favorites run to the likes of the History Channel say, or Animal Planet your biggest worry might be the commercial for To Catch a Predator or a maybe giant lion eating up an unsuspecting caribou. Maybe TIVO is the way to go. You can fast forward through the bad parts right? But really, it’s just too risky. Too slippery a slope. One good documentary, then a movie, then a few episodes of your favorite show, then a season of reality TV that isn’t actually real. It’s hard enough to turn it off when you don’t have nine episodes lined up. And that is the point right, it would be better if we all just turned it off? It takes willpower – something that comes sparingly at the end of a busy day. I might be tempted to watch all 6 seasons of Sex in the City in one sitting. Here’s what could happen. 9 year-old observation: Mom, do those ladies have sex in the city? 7 year-old observation: Mom, why are you watching a show about sex? 3 year-old observation: (To Grandma) My mom likes sex! (New favorite song) Sex Sex Sex! Husband’s observation: How come we’re not having sex in the city? Mom’s observation: I’m too tired from watching all that sex in the city.