When the broken TV dictates where you look
Werbewoche editor Anne-Friederike Heinrich on the (frequent) pitfalls and (rare) joys of watching TV.
- What was on? - Well, the television. -
- What movie!!! - I see. I have no idea.
That puts me right in line with the trend. More than half of TV viewers do not concentrate solely on one program, but do other things in front of the TV: 13 percent eat in front of the TV, 10 percent do their housework in front of the TV, 7 percent read or talk, 6 percent work on the computer and 1 percent look after their children (sic!) while the TV is on. This is the result of a survey conducted by TNS-Emnid on behalf of the ARD research service "Media-Perspektiven".
According to the researchers, the large number of people who do something else in front of the TV other than simply watch a program is also one of the possible explanations for the increase in TV viewing time. Above all, however, it is evidence of the modest quality of the television program: Brain-dead so-called entertainment that is so chopped up by commercial breaks that you can't get through it anyway. So you do something sensible on the side: cleaning, washing, cooking, bringing up the children.
Dementia is a matter of emotion
My husband and I are in our mid-30s and therefore no longer very young, but not yet demented either. We only watch SF, ORF or BR (well, we also listen to DRS 1 from time to time, but that's another story). ARD and ZDF are strictly forbidden here, because I come from "our northern neighboring country" and try to suppress my past as much as possible. Even my husband's cleverly diplomatic Swiss arguments don't help: "But the news is much better on ARD and ZDF." Well. Never mind.
That leaves RTL 1 and 2, Pro 7, Sat1, Kabel 1, 3 +, Vox, Rai Uno and Rai Due. But, a punto: that doesn't work at all. My connection problems between commercial breaks remind me too much of my grandmother's Alzheimer's disease. How often did we laugh at her question "Is this still the movie?" when there was one commercial break per show. Today I'm ashamed of it. Especially when, after a short stay in the wine cellar or bathroom, I ask myself what these new actors have to do with the characters and storyline that have already been introduced - only to realize five minutes later that it was just a commercial. Reminder: I'm 35. Is this starting so early?
Woman alone at home
Whenever possible, my husband and I give frustration a wide berth. So the TV is usually switched off. Unless my sweetheart isn't at home and I'm smoothing his shirts. Then, to compensate, I allow myself a little rule-breaking: I zap. From last night's program, I still remember a feature film about a comet impact (white shirt), ads for washing powder (blue shirt), stock market news (red shirt), a nasty horror movie massacre (black dress) and car commercials (yellow shirt) ... - Heavens, my suitcase is still missing sunscreen with protection factor 50, hand wash, US dollars and plasters. And I still have to take my driver's license with me! Maybe the TV program isn't so bad after all.
