Don't turn off the TV yet

Next week is the 10th annual national TV-Turnoff week. It's sponsored by the ironically titled TV-Turnoff Network, a nonprofit organization which encourages people to watch less television in order to "turn on life."\nI can turn off my television for one week. After all, I have TiVo.\nI personally hate the idea of a TV-Turnoff week. It's filled to the brim with holier-than-thou attitude. It's initiated by people who think they're smarter than you simply because they don't watch television, when in truth they may be smarter than you for a variety of other reasons (or vice versa, of course). Ideally when you turn off the TV, you'll see the light or something and, I don't know, throw your Magnavox out the window.\nMost importantly, these people miss the point entirely. Their hearts are in the right places, but their heads are cluttered. They want to ask a loaded question like "Why is television bad?," which would imply directly that TV is bad, when they should be asking a question like, "Is TV bad?" \nThe answer, of course, is no. It's not the TV that's the problem; it's the superfluous amount of low grade entertainment that's bad -- but the two have become inextricable.\nTelevision is simply one of those things you have to take in moderation, like religion. It's okay to go to church, but it's not okay to kill in the name of your God. Similarly, it's okay to watch television, but if you're skipping classes because an evil twin has shown up on "General Hospital," you have a problem. It's all about how you spend your time, get it?\nThe TV-Turnoff Network has a two-fold agenda, which seem to run disanalogous to each other. The first I've talked about. The basis there is smart: they want to promote action and movement and exercise by clicking off the boob tube because Americans are obese. But if you want to criticize our obesity, attacking television only addresses a fraction of the issue. It's not the TV's fault you're fat; it's your fault you're fat.\nThe second part is called More Reading, Less TV. The idea is to correlate lack of physical activity with TV-watching and promoting reading. According to Dr. William Dietz, the director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "The easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything uses more energy than watching TV." \nI remember the last time I got winded from reading a book.\nDon't get me wrong. I still think when you compare the vast amount of intelligent reading material out there to the intellectual wasteland which constitutes the majority of television you will still spend your time more wisely with a book. But don't masquerade like it's a compelling physical alternative.\nSen. Robert Byrd, the most senior member of the United States Senate, advocated the week without TV a few years ago. "I do want to emphatically stress that there is much more to life than the boring, degrading, demeaning fare on the boob tube," he proclaimed.\nHis C-SPAN audience must have been thankful.\nCertainly you can see the illogic in it: the majority of TV is crap, but it doesn't necessarily follow that all TV is crap. In fact, there are actually many brilliant shows on television. You just have to know where to look.\nAnd it's becoming increasingly harder. The sitcom is currently suffering from a languished death, and many are heading out the door this season. Award-winning dramas like "The West Wing" are depreciating from a lack of inventive writing. There's an inane flood of "reality" programming.\nBut you can start with Comedy Central. On face value it isn't exactly a beacon of illumination, but it's home to two of the smartest shows on TV: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "South Park." Stewart and his crew of savvy satirists has transformed "Daily" into a pillar of media criticism and classy humor all while not being over your head. \nTrey Parker and Matt Stone's timely "South Park" is now in its eighth season and still going strong. Even non-fans have to admit that when Parker and Stone set out to lampoon something or someone, they hit the bull's-eye every time.\nThere are other smart outlets: perennial favorites like "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" in syndication. "SportsCenter" has lost its edge from the heyday of the dynamic duo of Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, but it's still the best sports recap out there. CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" is a pleasant alternative to the typical newscast.\nFinally, Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" packs a punch with a slew of irreverent programming, like "Family Guy" and the hilariously offbeat "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law."\nAll that's necessary is a balance. If there's nothing on, turn it off. It's about spending your time wisely. Watch only what you need. Get out and exercise when you're bored. Too much TV is bad; TV itself is not. It's time for a Develop-Some-Taste-and-Stop-Consuming-Garbage Week.\nIf you still think I'm wrong, you can make yourself a sandwich, pour yourself a soda and plop down in front of your computer for an hour or two to scan through the comprehensive TV-Turnoff Network's Web site at www.tvturnoff.org. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you spend a sedentary hour researching their cause. Would they?