In Defense of Television

Photo Credit: MuppetMindset

Television is an art form. Just like films, albums, novels, and paintings, a television show is a work of art. So much goes into the creation of a television show, from sketches to scripts to camera work to acting and editing and beyond. Just like any other art form, there is high and low art. One wouldn't compare the work of Van Gogh to the work of a graffiti artist tagging their local train station, but both are art forms right? One may be considered higher or more worthy in society but both are crafts, things of beauty. Beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. For some reason, TV has become graffiti. Television is widely seen as a waste of time -- it's considered low brow, as though the most successful people in life would never admit to watching television. People now brag about not watching TV like it's some badge of honor. When someone tells me they don't watch television, what I hear is: "No. Actually, I don't have a moving-picture museum in my living room." They haven't yet realized the beauty in TV. 

As an avid TV watcher, I feel it is my duty to defend the genre. Can watching TV be a huge waste of time? Yes. Just as we wouldn't want to spend our entire lives immersed in books, we too shouldn't spend our entire lives in front of a screen. We have to get out and live, practicing moderation in all things. But perhaps we shouldn't exercise judgment against someone when they say they spent their summer watching television rather than reading books. The reader and the viewer are both embracing art, digesting it, and changing as a person because of the experience. Even if they're watching "reality" television, which we all know isn't reality at all, they're still viewing art. Low art, sure. Mind-numbingly terrible art? I would argue yes. But I won't judge that person any more than I will judge the consumer who paid top dollar for some paint splashes on a canvas. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

It wasn't that long ago that homes all over America were acquiring their very first televisions, these magical boxes with moving pictures. Families gathered around their TVs together to eat dinner, laugh, cry, and get lost in the fiction. They learned something that we in the digital age have forgotten: television can change lives! Allow me to explain.

For anyone who hasn't seen the 2011 film The Muppets, allow me to briefly summarize the plot. The film follows two brothers, a man named Gary and a Muppet named Walter. Walter grows up, not understanding why he is so different. He is misunderstood, doesn't fit in, and his brother is his only ally. That is, until he discovers The Muppet Show. Upon finding Kermit and Miss Piggy and Gonzo and Fozzie, Walter finds the friends he has always been searching for. Walter finds himself. He comes to understand that he too, is a Muppet. There was never anything wrong with Walter - he simply belonged in the world of entertainment. 

How many of us have been there? How many of us can relate to being the unpopular kid? The outcast? How many kids and teenagers today feel lost and miserable and alone, and turn to television for solace? As a high school teacher and church youth leader, I can't tell you how many kids I see who find comfort and purpose through some anime series they found on Netflix. They can relate to these fictional characters in a way they cannot relate to their own classmates. They find meaning, they learn about themselves and their world through a show, and they find other fans of the show and form a community based on shared values. These kids, forgotten or shunned by society, have had their lives forever changed. They have hope and direction because of television. 

Why is Comic-Con so popular these days? Why now does it seem so cool to be a nerd? Could it be perhaps that it is merely becoming more socially acceptable to admit that we're all a little lost, searching for acceptance in a world that is so divided? The more politically divided society becomes, the more focused we become on superheroes and the supernatural. It's no coincidence. We're all seeking an escape, some catharsis. I don't think we're "tuning out". I would argue that we're "tuning in", tuning in to possibility, to magic, to the belief that our lives and our world could be a little better. 

I have friends who have learned life-changing lessons from shows like Lost, Daredevil, Doctor Who, or The Walking Dead. Maybe you took something away from Modern Family or Law and Order that changed your life. Maybe the simple opportunity to take an hour out of your day to unwind and watch a show has made you a better spouse, a better parent, a better child, just because you're able to relax and recharge thanks to the art of television. Who am I to downplay or disregard the positive effects of art? I think it's time that we start validating the experiences of TV watchers and appreciating the craft of all those who work to create this fantastic art form. And if you simply think I'm crazy, that's okay. You just haven't yet found the right show.