TV Snobbery

[Starlightsprite]

Reasonably light hearted but annoying none the less. Aimed largely at men because that’s my experience.

I’ve lived with 4 men during my life and I can genuinely say that all of them (to varying degrees) have made comments if I’ve ever been ‘into’ something on TV. Usually soaps. My Dad used to say to my Mum ‘Not this shit again.’ Previous partners have made similar comments to me if I’ve been into any reality TV etc. Bear in mind I’ve never really sat and watched TV excessively (IMO) I barely watch it now and I think it’s because I’m been made to feel that it’s mindless and lazy. But it occurred to me today (should have been years ago) that each of these men has been obsessed with watching football, boxing, darts, NFL etc etc with the most recent partner being the worst. Why don’t they think this counts as watching TV? I get that it’s sports but it’s not like they’re playing themselves is it? 😂

I’ll never forget the time I went to my Dads and he was watching Corrie after my Mum had divorced him.

Unique to me?

Sorry OP but personally I've not experienced men being snobbish about the TV that I watch.
But I will confess to being a TV snob myself.

That's interesting because I'm in my mid fifties and I've never experienced this.

My ex husband was addicted to soaps and wouldn't miss an episode!

My current husband doesn't watch soaps but we watch I'm a Celeb, Traitors and Big Brother together.

And my mum and dad watched Crossroads and Coronation Street together.

It’s been the exact opposite for me! All the men I know love Love Island. Made in (whatever). They chat about it at work. Have WhatsApp groups about it (along with the football). I’ve never watched it, I probably miss out as it seems very popular!!

I've always found men to be very critical of soaps. I've never been a big soap fan,I used to watch Brookside years ago and EastEnders occasionally and inevitably my (now ex) husband would make remarks about them. A bloke I was in a relationship with about 8 years ago was frequently rude about ANYTHING that I watched, whether it was a film a drama series or a documentary. All he was interested on was sport, sport and more sport. And the news.

But I will confess to being a TV snob myself.

I don't get what this means in practice though?

Does it mean you look down on other people's viewing choices that are right for them, or does it mean something else?

OP, are you suggesting that only women watch shit live reality TV?

It’s not that they feel any great intellectual snobbery towards soaps, or whatever.

Those men resented seeing your attention turned to anything that wasn’t them.

That’s all.

It means I can't stand a lot of TV programmes and genuinely don't understand how people can be bothered watching them.

Ahh ok.

I feel the same about a lot of popular TV shows, except I do understand that people have different tastes/interests etc.

I can’t disagree with that. Having said that I’m aware many people would look askance at my viewing preferences, which include Fake or Fortune, black and white Hollywood melodramas, Monarch of the Glen reruns, and obscure Irish language documentaries narrated by Brendan Gleeson.

I find sport and soaps equally unappealing.

I mean the news is different but watching the sport is no different to watching anything else for entertainment IMO. I think some of us have been very unlucky with the men in our lives judging by earlier comments.

No. I’m stating my experience and asking others what their experiences have been.

I detest all reality tv and i know i've been judged by people i used to work with because they told me i was weird for not liking I'm a celebrity and love island. Honestly i'd rather gouge my eyes out. Probably didn't help their opinion when i said i prefer intelligent programmes. I only said that because they judged me, i didn't judge them for watching mindless shite.
I've never had a man criticise what i watch.

I think you may be right.

I have never lived with men or woman who have watched sports on tv obsessively. My Dad and brothers had no interest. My male flatmate was only allowed to watch his home team on my tv (precondition of him moving in) and their games were rarely televised. Dh and ds don’t watch football either, dd watched it at Uni but its not a habit she took home with her. I am blessed I never don’t have and I never will have to watch that shite!😃 Don’t do soaps either, but at least it’s not football!

I know a lot of people look down on TV watching but I remember watching my Nan circle all the programmes she was going to watch over the week ahead and I found it really comforting that she had something to look forward to. She had been an avid crocheter and knitter, she had walked listening to her music, pottered in her garden, baked and made time for friends over the years she was retired but still loved her TV. And one by one she couldn’t do those things anymore and I was so glad that she still had her Friends VHS’s and looked forward to Strictly and Tipping Point etc.

My brother used to do this to me all the time with any medium - tv, music and films.

He would audibly scoff and then go on a rant about how rubbish it was. Really annoyed me and took the enjoyment out of things. I mean fair enough if you don't like something and i can have a conversation about why i like things and why someone dislikes them.

But bloody hell having to defend my tastes every time was horrible.

Fast foward to now he will come up to me and say 'i watch/listened to whatever it was and it was ACTUALLY good'

Or ' i was listening to this album you like them dont you? Its really good.'
And honestly no i havent listened to some groups in years cause he always ranted at me that i began to hate then 🤣