For some reason blogger isn't letting me post comments, so here's my comment/response to Jesse's recent post and the other comments:
It's very interesting how slow TV can bring back that experience of leaving the TV set on for the entire day. Yayu made a really good point about contemporary shows being extremely complex. There's so much content out there right now that writers and producers are having to pull all cards out to get us to stay engaged and focused. However, television should also just be something that you can "kind of" watch and serve as some sort of organizer of hour daily routines, as some of hour early readings suggested. I enjoy watching CW shows while cleaning and doing the dishes because it not only helps me relax and get out of my head, but it also gives more structure to my tasks. There's pleasure in leaving the TV on in the background and it's interesting to see slow TV "advocate" for that viewing experience to return.
Yeah my experience of Slow TV was something similar: At first I thought I should be actively watching, almost in a meditative way on it. But eventually it was just kind of nice to have in the background while I was tidying up and preparing to "go" to class. It did have the same energy as when I turn on a podcast, or some bad drama to just have on in the background while I'm doing dishes. It's funny how so much of TV history has relied on the viewer sort of only listening with one ear, and now that we're seeing more narratives dedicated (or at least rewarding) close watching, up pops almost mental screensaver.
ReplyDeleteThe point you made about television organising your daily routine is very interesting. It makes me think about how the housewives (perhaps in the 1950s?) might spend their day with television. I am not sure when did the slow TV first come into being in Norway, but I am wondering whether slow TV can be essentially a product for domestic space—where you have that freedom to slow down, do the housework that allow distraction, or just look at the train passing the country.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, of course, as Tania has mentioned, the images of natural sceneries from Norway’s iconic train line are very suitable for public projection. I can even imagine projecting it in one of the busiest business district and how it might help us to increase awareness of the problem with busy urban life.