Comments on: Q.

By: R J Keefe

R J Keefe — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 19:29:54 +0000

It’s not just watching people watching television. Having a television on in the background is usually a judgment against the characters so engaged.

Even more interesting, compare how often characters whom we’re to admire are seen reading in bed (an activity that non-readers tend to regard as passive), to how often (how seldom) such characters watch television.

By: mig

mig — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 10:37:35 +0000

That’s what I’m thinking: watching people watching television is boring, or depressing. I’m guessing Tarantino, or anyone else, would be using it for this effect. When I was writing that, a scene in some old episode of Miami Vice came to mind, where I believe they found some corpse in a hotel room somewhere, with the TV still on and Dr. Ruth talking and talking throughout the scene.

By: gordon

gordon — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 01:48:59 +0000

1) The film industry still looks down on the television industry and doesn’t want to promote it. (maybe)

2) Looking at people while they’re watching tv is just depressing. (more likely)

I don’t like to promote the guy, but Tarantino came to mind immediately as another exception. He always includes scenes of people watching television.

By: wildsoda

wildsoda — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 20:14:38 +0000

Check out Barry Levinson’s Avalon. There’s a very memorable scene that shows people watching TV, used as a bit of social criticism.

By: wildsoda

wildsoda — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 20:14:31 +0000

Check out Barry Levinson’s Avalon. There’s a very memorable scene that shows people watching TV, used as a bit of social criticism.