odd story

[low_delta]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/25/tv.turnoff.week.ap/index.html

The first half is about National TV-Turn-off week.

The second half is about a device called TV-B-Gone. A small thing you can carry with you that can turn off any television set. It acts as a universal remote. The article is all happy and talks about how pervasive TV is, and you can use this thing to turn off all those TV that you don't like to see in bars, airports, wherever. WTF is up with that? It sounds like it's a product of the Me Generation. I don't like it, so I want it off. And I'm just going to keep wasting the time of the people whose job it is to keep it on. And screw the people who actually want to see it. He says they've sold 40,000 of them. I imagine few of them are used except by kids at malls.

Comments

[i.livejournal.com]

i would use it every time i'm at the mechanic and jerry springer is on full blast with nobody watching, or in the bar when i don't want the damn game right in front of my face while i play pool (in that case, there are fifteen other sets that the sports junkies can watch, all with exactly the same image.

[waning-estrogen.livejournal.com]

I saw that tv-b-gone thing a while back.
I think it's a stupid obnoxious idea, myself.
just another thing to be divisive about.

[sunshyncat.livejournal.com]

I go to a place for wings where I have stood on a chair more than once to turn the TV down (they have four going in the entire place, usually on different stations). That TV killer thing would really come in handy!

[serendipity.livejournal.com]

I posted about the tv-b-gone thing about a year ago or so. I thought it was funny. *shrugs* I do hate blaring TVs anywhere/everywhere, and would enjoy turning them off in public environments when they're not being watched but are interfering with my own hearing and ability to concentrate on something else, like a simple, quiet conversation.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it sounds like the thing zaps all TVs within 20 feet or so.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing it. At the time, I didn't see anything explaining how it worked, so I assumed it was a joke.

Maybe I should suggest they make another model that mutes the TVs.

[serendipity.livejournal.com]

That would definitely help, but even the visual display can be distracting. I wish TVs weren't so pervasive throughout our culture. But that's just wishful thinking.

[seriouspaul.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched TV in two months now! And rarely before that! Death to the box!