Saturday, February 21, 2009

5 Things I Hate About...

Since we're racing again this weekend, I decided to leave a little slice of the real me here on my blog. I know most of you think I'm all sweetness and light (those of you who know me in real life, SHHHH!), but in reality I do have a dark side. There are a multitude of things that irritate me. A lot. I think I'm going to start listing some of these in the hopes that blogging about them will make me feel better.

Because there are so many of these things, I'm going to group them by category. For our first installment of THINGS THAT BUG THE CRAP OUTTA ME, we'll tackle television.

Now, you probably all know by now that I love TV. Really really love it. I grew up in a television-watching family. We did lots of other things - played board games and cards, read lots of books, played the piano and sang, even conversed with one another. We just did it while the TV was on. It doesn't seem weird to me. I was programmed from when I was small to multi-task. It's just who I am.

That being said, there are things I can't stand about the blasted box, and I'll give you the short list.

1. VOLUME CONTROL - Why can't all the channels adhere to some sort of rule about similar volume? I am often watching some channel, for instance TruTV (formerly known as Court TV) which requires me to turn the volume up a lot just to hear it. Then, I'll change the channel, and because I have a short attention span, I'll forget to turn it down first, and I'll get blasted out of my chair by the other channel SCREAMING AT ME. Arghhh. And what is it with the commercials being so much louder than whatever show you're watching? Are they hoping, if you fell asleep, that you might wake up if the Geiko lizard yells at you? Double arghhh.

2. MUSIC - Why don't any of the so-called music video channels show actual music videos anymore? I used to love to go to sleep to VH1 or CMT. It helps me keep current on what's happening in the music scene, since, left to myself, I'll listen to my Ipod oldies and never hear anything made since 1980. Unfortunately, they don't play music videos anymore. Instead, they opt for crappy reality shows, like AGING ROCK STAR PICKS THE BIGGEST SKANK, RAP ARTIST I NEVER HEARD OF FINDS THE WEIRDEST SLUT WITH BAD TEETH, DATE MY MOM/DAD/UNCLE/SECOND COUSIN/SISTER ALL AT THE SAME TIME, FORMER CHILD ACTOR DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION CHOOSES REALITY TV OVER THERAPY, and my personal favorite, GET THE 12 WORST HUMAN BEINGS ON THE PLANET AND MAKE THEM LIVE TOGETHER AND PERFORM STUPID STUNTS FOR OUR AMUSEMENT. Bring back the music videos. I miss them.

3. LOGO ABUSE - Why is it that every channel feels the need to display their logo in the bottom corner of the screen during the whole freaking show? Are they having an identity crisis? Did some high-priced marketing expert tell them that it will subliminally affect our viewing habits? Look, I KNOW what channel I'm on. I know, because I PUT THIS CHANNEL ON. I do not need a constant reminder. Lose the logo.

4. POP-UP ADS - Along the same lines as #3, I hate hate HATE the animated pop-up ads for upcoming shows that jump up and scare me during the show I'm watching. They are distracting and irritating. AND, worst of all, they sometimes block something I need to see ON THE SHOW I'M WATCHING NOW. They are bad for my blood pressure, and they must be stopped.

5. TIMING ISSUES - WHY, oh why, can't shows all be an even number of minutes? Remember the good old days when shows were 30 minutes, or 60, or 120? I loved the old system. Now a lot of shows are one or two minutes over, which totally screws up your ability to record one show at 9 and another - on another channel - at 10. I rarely watch TV when it's actually on. I love so many shows that it is more efficient to record them, and then zip through them later (early mornings before anybody else is up, usually), skipping the commercials. I have two recording devices: a DVR/cable box combo in the living room, and my kitchen computer, which is also a TV. Even with both of these, sometimes I still get screwed up with stupid shows that last one hour and one minute. This drives me crazy. Gray's Anatomy is guilty of this one a lot. ARGHH. And don't get me started on sports delays messing up my recording of The Amazing Race. Triple Arghh.

There you have it. Some of my pet peeves. What bugs YOU about TV? Next time, I'll tackle bad drivers!

20 comments:

Mamarazzi said...

pop ups and volume control make me crazy...i hate that some commercials are SO LOUD!! and those little pop ups often block important stuff like CAPTIONS of a person talking...ugh!! lame!

Joanie said...

Why does the NBA HAVE to be played on late night TV on the TNT channel? I go to sleep watching TNT (I habit I got into when the ex left) and it screws up my sleep. TNT is the one channel that does not convert to paid programming shows, and I don't have to wake in the middle of the night to some has-been singer hawking 50 CDs of oldies, country, R & B, big band etc. for 10 payments at the low low price of $29.95 each. and it comes in really LOUD!! There are at least 10 sports channels on regular cable.... NBA, pick one of those!

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

I dont care what you're complaining about. I'm just thrilled you are finally showing your readers you aren't all gum drop kisses and rainbows!!

The love fest over hear was getting a bit nauseating!!

Hallie :)

claudia said...

Oh Hallie...there is still a love fest going on. ME, I could not have said that better myself.
AAARRRGGGHHH! And how to we get these TV big guys to change things back to the good ol' ways? I know it is all in their marketing thing, but damn we are the ones they are marketing to. We should have some say...

Laura ~Peach~ said...

all of the above make me nuts... they do it to see if we will watch anyway LOL... My darling hubbys biggest and loudest peve is the fact that we paid a fortune to have a wide screen tv and they cut the viewable part down and give us black bars either across the top and bottom or on the sides and we do not get full use of the entire 46 inches... he is very LOUD about this!

As Cape Cod Turns said...

I agree with your list and will add one more.
How about the commercials during the Today show! Are Matt and Meredith on live for more than 25 minutes of a 2 hour show?

Mary Lee said...

Oh for sure the volume control. I have exceptional hearing and my husband - not so much - so when the commercials come on I literally cringe. I'm the queen of mute.

My pet peeve... Too many CSI shows. What the heck?

Eternal Lizdom said...

Everything you said!!

I also get annoyed when a show will have a new episode for 2 weeks and then go to repeats. Given how much money these people make, you'd think they could all work a smidge harder and crank out a little more new entertainment!

Odette said...

I hate how many freaking commercials there are in North America. In Europe there are only commercials between the shows, it's soooo much better! :)

Aww and pop-ups! Leave em on the porn sites! lol :)

PS I still think that you're all "Gum drop kisses and rainbows" I mean all that stuff really is annoying, it's not like you said that puppies, and small children annoy you! :P

Elenka said...

Odette, puppies and children might be on the docket for later this week! Ya never know !
I hate the banners along the bottom also. Several times the news shows were showing something someone was holding or sitting in front of and we couldn't see it 'causa the garbage plastered along the bottom of the screen. Where is quality control when it's needed? "Look at the size of what he caught!" they say. All you can see is the Dow Jones average and that octomom claims none of the kids are hers! sheesh

Evansmom said...

You have pushed one of my hot buttons!

If DVRs are smart enough to figure out if a show is new or a rerun, why can't they figure out when the shows really start?

On the positive side, however, is anyone else watching the final season of ER? I don't know about you but ER hasn't been this good in years!

Robin said...

i'm with you on the volume thing - it drives me CRAZY!!! half the time i can't hear it and the other half it's too loud. movies are the same..i can't hear what the people are saying but then the background music/sound effects start and it's ear splitting. the pop ups and logos bug me too...especially when there's a caption i can't read. bastards.

Reddirt Woman said...

THE VOLUME OF THE COMMERCIALS. I have a little difficulty hearing so I turn up the volume during whatever I'm watching so I can hear it, then before I can grab the controller some jackass car or furniture dealer is yelling at me!!!! I refuse to deal with anyone that does those loud yelling commercial ads. That's my main thing.

Oh, and I wanted to ask you if Hallie seems to be getting a little snippy since you've been getting more comments than her and she's the one that drug you kicking and screaming into blogging...?

Just sayin'.

kim-d said...

Oh-oh. Helen, you big pot-stirrer, you! BWAHAHAHAHA! We must keep harmony between the Maine Girls. At least until after the Minnesota Girls visit. :)

Sigh. I JUST LOVE TV. ALL OF IT. I DON'T EVEN MIND THAT I EFFIN' HAVE TO PAY FOR IT NOW. I STILL JUST LOVE TV. THANK YOU. **Said in best prissy, whiney, sunshine-and-roses, Pollyanna voice.**

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Sorry Helen...no animosity on my part. I love that ME's getting comments galore cuz she certainly deserves it.

Just happy to see that she's finally ratting herself out for not being nearly as sweet as she comes across!!

Actually, she is a fantastic gal - you just wouldnt always know it when she answers the phone in her "why are you bothering me way?"

But yes, I love her and I love her blog. She's my IRL friend and I wouldnt trade her (or her blog) for anything. Well, not anything except Prada!!

Joni said...

What bugs me about TV is that it's ON! I think it turns the brain to mush and I have a couch potato to prove it! I avoid it at all costs!

katy said...

My husband is starting to have trouble hearing and I HATE watching tv with him because he turns the surround sound on so loud the rest of us can't stand it.

Anonymous said...

LOL!

I don't watch T.V. anymore, haven't since about 2004. I don't miss it, it was never a big part of my life, BUT from what I remember, your list of pet peeves about T.V. is thisclose to mine.

Well written, and very funny - I especially loved the titles for the wacky shows that actually get airtime - the "Weird Slut With Bad Teeth" had me roaring with laughter.
:)

I can't wait to read your bad driver post...on my old blog, I did one too about bad drivers. Perhaps it is time to dust off that post and put it up again, I bet it will be similar to yours.
:)

kim-d said...

Missin' ya.

Cupcake Blonde said...

I have the same exact issues with television shows as you. Especially the animated promos that scream across the bottom of the screen, with sound and block half of what I want to be watching. Guess what? Your highly annoying promo is not going to make me watch your show, in fact you just pretty much secured me never watching it ever due to pissing me off.

Sorry...where was I? I got a bit peeved. :)

Right. TV shows and how they bug us. I can shed some light on the commercial thing. Since I work in TV I know a bit about this annoying phenomenon. You see, all these commercials and promos are created and edited on different sorts of systems. But then they all just put into one server to be played on the air. Therefore, there will be volume discrepencies between the different ads made on the different equiptment. The server will pick the best channel of audio to boost since it is the higher signal. This is why some ads are louder, or the music may be higher than the voice etc. It is an annoying phenomenea, one that has gotten worse since HD was introduced. Hope they figure out a way to fix it soon because the only other thing to do would be to re edit every single commercial and promo on one system and that is completely impossible and also financially ridiculous.