Ever since I became a father my ability to watch TV has been greatly reduced. This isn’t because I don’t have the time anymore, nor is it because I am unable to focus due to the wailing of my offspring. No; the reason I am no longer able to watch TV is that as soon as I went from Dan to Daddy I suddenly and inexplicably turned into a big wet lettuce. These days even a sniff of a small child being in danger, or even unhappy, sends me scurrying into another room muttering “I can’t be doing with this”.
Which is ridiculous. My job is basically wallowing around in other people’s misery, and I have always been able to erect a relatively sturdy barrier between my work life and my home. I can spend all day talking to suicidal people and then come back and not be able to watch CSI because it’s too distressing. I mean, what’s all that about?
I’d like to be able to blame it on the manipulative media producers who, looking for an easy emotional punch, roll out the clichéd child in peril in order to tug on the heart strings; but that would be unfair. Even in films and TV shows where no such devices are used I manage to find some way to torture myself.
For example:
Troy
Brad Pitt and Sean Bean rush into Troy in order to sack the city and reclaim the beautiful Helen. Any normal red blooded male should be thinking “Cool! swords and fighting and bows and arrows and stuff!” I, on the other hand, was thinking “Oh no! There will be babies in that city!”
I am pathetic.
I’ve been told that this affliction is both relatively normal and also temporary. Kerry doesn’t seem to be affected though. She seems to be able to watch ER when babies are dying left right and centre without her bottom lip even so much as quivering. For now though I’ll stick to the internet, the radio, and my new DVD boxed set of Dad’s Army.
Back to the BritComs!! I don’t think I’ve heard of Dad’s Army but I’m sure that like Are You Being Served?, it must be hilarious.
I was at a Borders (a bookstore) and saw they had DVDs of Allo,Allo which I have seen and I like it as well.
Other BritComs that I like are Black Adder, Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, Absolutly Fabulous, Mr. Bean, Keeping Up Appearances, and my all time favorite Last of the Summer Wine. Our local PBS station shows the last two on Saturday evenings and my wife loves them. Sometimes she laughs so hard she has tears running down her face!!
Lourdes saw the pictures of your children here on your page and said they were her friends.
You do realize that I grew up in Holmfirth, the village where they film Last of the Summer Wine? In fact our house was on the opposite side of the road to where they filmed Cleggs house - in the early series anyhow. Our street was often closed for filming and my route to school was frequently blocked as I had to walk past sids cafe. When I went to university I used to religiously watch the show in order to stave off homesickness pains. I think its funny, although a lot of people find it a bit old hat.
I met Bill Owen who plays Compo on a couple of occasions in my youth, and have seen virtually all the cast members in passing as they were filming. The village where we live now (Slaithwate) was also used now and again, but not so much.
I will have to do a post on “last of the summer wine and me”.
I would blog more but I believe my daughter resents it. Whenever she sees me with the laptop out, she needs me to instantly come and help her with whatever she’s doing.
I’ll say, “In a minute, sweetie! Daddy’s blogging!”
To which, she’ll reply, “Okay! I’ll just be jumping on the bed with with these two sharp sticks in my hands!” Or something like that.
I look forward to a Last of the Summer Wine entry! It’s been my favorite BritCom for several years. That’s so cool that you grew up around it.
Funny about the laptop, my daughter doesn’t get too excited if I’m at the desktop but the laptop is some strange device that merits fingerpoking and fistbopping. I’ve had the laptop since August last year and I’ve only used it a few times because it flips on the “terrible twos” switch.
I can’t watch programmes if there are animals in perilous circumstances or if the violence is based on a ture story. Like I can watch Robocop, endless Zombie films and not flinch but for example I couldn’t watch the Deer Hunter - I knew the violence on screen wasn’t ‘real’ but because things like that really did and do happen in war I found it far too distressing.
I also cannot watch any kind of injection scene. Urgh Needles.
That’s not strictly true Mr Hughes, I do get affected. I can cope with things like CSI and ER as I know it’s not real (or at least I can tell myself that).
I remember my brother and I taking the mick out of my Mum every time she cried at ‘Surprise Surprise’. Now I’m the one who fills up at the end of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition! That’s empathy for you.
There’s been a series of doomsday senario programmes on UKTV History that I once would have watched, but I can’t anymore. I don’t want to watch the news for the next couple of days either.
Anyway, Luka and Abby’s baby didn’t die, so there…
taking the mick out of my Mum…
this international conversing is so slang-educational!
i’m with morticia about animals in peril.
someone help that puppy! he’s limping!!
I know someone from work who wouldn’t go to see Something About Mary because of the scene with the dog. She wouldn’t believe that it was one of the funniest bits.
I hear you 100%. I was even worse before kids. Fortunately, it’s true (re: normal/temporary) and I am able to be much more rational these days about fictional children in peril. Most of the time. But I won’t be watching The Patriot again.
What I still have a very hard time bearing are the terrible and horrific stories of how real people treat their children. In spite of all my idealistic beliefs on the equality of humankind and our Divine nature, I do accept that some people are really, truly better than others, and how they treat children is a fundamental quality of comparison.
Great blog. Quiet, witty thoughts, real heart and humor. Can’t remember where I found the link, but I’ve been enjoying it for a handful of months. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much! I just had a look at your blog and was pretty impressed, particularly with the thoughts on the subtle influences the media has on our attitudes and identities - something I’ve been thinking a lot about recently.
“I remember my brother and I taking the mick out of my Mum every time she cried at ‘Surprise Surprise’.”
Now there’s some childhood memories coming flooding back!