I love television. Not like an "I want to marry you" kind of way, but in a "I thoroughly enjoy watching quality television and it sometimes makes me giddy" kind of way. The truth is I could watch QUALITY television for hours and not get bored, something my parents constantly bring up. They believe that television rots the brain, then I bring up the History and Discovery channels and they say "when do you ever watch that?" and its one never ending argument.
I do not believe that all television rots the brain, so to speak. There are shows on television that are very well written, directed, and acted, and this is a certain kind of art. Like any art, it should be appreciated when done well and criticized if not, with of course room for interpretation. Also, TV spawns creativity. A well written script or an interesting plot twist can bring up morality questions and other things that can make viewers think critically about certain issues.
TV is an avenue for advertisers, but the effectiveness of the ads is always a question. Also, with DVR a lot of people (myself included) skip the commercials to focus on the shows. TV is entertainment, but it also provides hope, and possibly an escape. For example, MASH was a show that found the light in the dark. It gave humor to war and its situations, and for that eased people's minds, if only a little, about the atrocity of the war. I believe TV is an awesome way to relax, and while it doesn't compare to a day of reading or real learning in terms of brain stimulation, quality television can bring up many critical thoughts to the viewer.
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