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Television: Helping Us Escape From Reality?

To each his own, this adage speaks more than its philosophical meaning. I’m referring to TV shows. Trivial as it may seem, this is what I want my topic to be. I think that it is safe to say that there is indeed a show for each and everyone of us---there is a channel that caters to our individual tastes and a sound device that engulfs us for a brief moment.

We are moved to tears. It made us smile; it made us laugh; and it even made us roll on the floor like crazy. We heard shouts and cries, such as Yes! No! Run! Kill him! This is how we roll! and a plethora of words that cannot be printed here. We have made a fist, raised arms, and even a wave.

And yet, for some, television has served as a gateway to sleepsville; soothing them to sleep as if it were some sort of sleeping pill. Even the television has not been spared from the tug of war between the sexes and between generations with the remote suffering the burden all the time.

In all these diverse reactions to various stimulants, when those couple of words begins to peek in the screen and when the credits start to roll, we are all transported back to where we started. No, not our home, but in a place we like to call harsh reality.

Yes, television can be a form of escape from each of our harsh realities. The sound coming out of this appliance has been the preferred to battle nagging spouse and to cut short a parent’s litany of lessons. Television has become a haven over issues one would rather not talk about at the moment. It is one of the most faithful companions one can ever have. When the world turns it back on you, said boobtube will gladly entertain you and keep you company. It gives you the opportunity to visit places located at the ends of the earth without leaving the comforts of your room. All you have to do is grab the remote, switch the TV on, and watch the show.

There are times when we have to turn off from reality and to turn on our full attention to the show that we are watching. This character portrays my life! We usually relate to a certain character or attach ourselves in them. Parallelism of the situations presented on television constantly reminds us that we are not alone. For a moment, it is like we are the one’s stuck inside the TV. For a moment, yes, we opt to put an end to what we are doing to tune in. These moments are labeled as breather moments, a breathing space from the chaos of daily life struggles.

There are moments when the television haunts us and pulls us towards the reality we prefer not to deal with. However, the masochist that is the TV will be more than willing to rub it in. There are times when incredibly beautiful women are shown that appears to trigger our envy button, as if  suggesting that one must get up, break some sweat, and do something drastic to improve everything that can be done physically.

There are times when even television makes us feel much worse---like watching a person being butchering by surgery, experiencing the pain when a character dies, or churning our stomachs as we gawk at individuals swallowing bugs and creepy crawlies. These are the moments where you can gladly welcome any commercial break.

So while you escape reality, remember that you are in for a bumpy ride, whether or not commercial breaks will help you. That is TV for you, for us. 

By: Ette_Rual
Published: 10/02/08


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    6 Posted Comments:

    Entertainment IS an escape

    @ 1:02 pm 10/03/08 by MP Bell
    Well-written article. I agree that TV can be an escape.
    Reply to this Comment

    @ 9:04 pm 10/05/08 by Willow Sidhe
    Interesting article and very well written. I'm not a big fan of television usually. I prefer reading to being bombarded by advertisements when I want to escape from reality. :)
    Reply to this Comment

    escaping from reality

    @ 11:42 pm 10/05/08 by Ette_Rual
    for me, it's both the TV and my laptop. these two items help me momentarily escape from my reality. as a person who's having a hard time looking for a full time job, i will entertain almost anything just to get my mind off of such fact.
    Reply to this Comment

    @ 11:15 am 10/10/08 by Marieke
    The TV is an ideal way to switch off your mind, especially after a long hard day at work. I like nothing better than to sit if front of the TV with a cup of tea and a blanket.
    Reply to this Comment

    @ 8:39 am 10/11/08 by Mr. U
    Helping us "escape from reality" is exactly why TV is popular. You might want to watch the movie "Network" sometime...
    Reply to this Comment

    @ 3:01 am 10/28/08 by lorelai
    TV is a great way of escaping reality for two reasons, it makes you watch passively what's going on in the world or in the show that you are watching without having to interfere with people and it actually doesn't require any kind of activity from us, and the second reason is because it is much easier to watch other people to deal with their problems knowing that they will eventually solve them then to start solving our own problems.
    Very interesting article
    Reply to this Comment

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