Monday, March 18, AD 2024 11:38pm

How can I not be a Captive Audience?

TV everywhere, and not the TV of one’s choice!   Today I took my wife to a pain intervention clinic at our local medical center.  In the waiting room I was forced to listen to a tirade by Ellen deGeneris about Trump letting an 11 year old mow the White House lawn (plus much more liberal/left spouting).  I won’t mention all the other stupid things on the program–Megyn Kelly in a fat suit dancing through the audience.   There was no escape, nowhere to sit  where I didn’t have to look at her or listen to the audience wildly cheering every anti-Trump remark.  (Let me note:  By no means am I one of Trump’s biggest fans.)

I recalled another time, again when I was a captive audience, in a recovery room after a colonoscopy.   Appropriately enough for that occasion, I was forced to watch “The View”, and to listen to tirades by Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and other shrill, adenoidal voices grinding  their liberal axe.

How can we escape this?  In the pain clinic waiting room, I had to stay with my wife until she was called.    In the recovery room, the nurse refused to change the station, saying it was hospital policy that this was the channel to be shown and no other.

Any suggestions, other than to throw stones at the screen?    Or perhaps, I should get one of those noise cancelling earphones–pricey as they are–and take those to my next Doctor’s appointment.   But why should we have to do this?   Why should we be a captive audience?  Why, in a public setting, should we have to partake of what the Cultural Elite considers appropriate fare for the masses?

 

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Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 11:44am

As someone who appreciates peace and quiet, if you find an answer let me know.

Don L
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 12:01pm

Complain to your doctor and tell as many friends as you can to do the same. If baseball players are heroes with just batting 3-4 of ten at bats. We should strive to shut down 3 of 10 and listen to the heavenly cheers.

TomD
TomD
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 12:07pm

Seize the opportunity! Laugh aloud! Say “Whoopi!” If anyone says “What’s wrong with Whoopi?” just say “She stuck up for Roman Polanski after he raped that 13 year old girl”. I’ve never had anyone reply to that. How can they?

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 12:09pm

“…. we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

Dear Doctor.
You probably recognize the end of the prayer said after the Hail, Holy Queen when praying the Holy Rosary.

I bring this up because I too suffer the pains of secularism via liberalism ala carte. No room for conservative viewpoints in television programming while being “healed” in Physicians offices.

The sorrowful mysteries come to mind as I pray through the idiot box featuring the cultures premier reprobates. Great teachers huh? Ellen..Whoopi! But here comes the uniting of spirit. Jesus suffering patiently the carrying of the cross, the scourging at the pillar and of course the crowning of thorns.
How the thorns of today’s fashionable trends pierce our minds and our hearts but it shall not be waisted. We use these occasions to unite our sufferings to Christ’s. Our free will offering to unite our displeasure as a captive audience to Our Lady’s frustration as she heard the cries of hatred against her son in the praetorium. We imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Patience in adversity.

I hope my suggestion will help you next time you’re suffering the pains of captivity in liberal-mania.

btw….your posts are appreciated.

bob kurland
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 12:37pm

Thanks, Philip, for your comment. I tried to do what you suggested–I was in the third decade of the Glorious Mysteries, but I couldn’t focus. I imagine my purgatory–to instill the virtues of patience and charity–will be listening to alternate hours of Ellen Deg. and The View.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 1:04pm

“I recalled another time, again when I was a captive audience, in a recovery room after a colonoscopy.”

Being compelled to watch “The View” and that lesbian “Ellen DeGenerate” is a colonoscopy! 🙁

The waiting rooms at the offices of both my diabetes and my cardiac physicians have TVs turned to the same worthless useless liberal progressive feminist nonsense. One day one of the stents in my cardiac arteries is going to give way as I inevitably blow my top.

I think letters to the offices of both physicians are in order.

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 1:37pm

“I think letters to the offices of both physicians are in order.” Yes let’s let our views be known!
If enough do so, they may tune to HGTV – public tv? In daytime is not too bad
I also noticed while traveling this summer that hotel chains we stopped at did not carry EWTN or any religious channel. But plenty of opportunity for porn.

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 1:39pm

bob kurland…

Try sorrowful next time….(office visits)..
save Glorious mysteries for visiting grandchildren. ?

John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 1:58pm

My guess is that is NOT hospital policy but her or her manager’s policy. Give a call to the hospital adminstration office or the health system’s office and ask the question. If they say it’s not them tell them the reason for the call. Call ESPECIALLY if it is a Catholic hospital.

David
David
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 4:42pm

Carry a pair of wire cutters: wait until others leave the waiting room, pull the plug from the wall socket, cut the cord at the machine and dispose of cord.
(It’ll take months to diagnose, liberals don’t believe in nature, electricity, physics or male plugs/ female wall sockets. Thinking as they do that technology is “magic”, the cord will not be identified as missing.)

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Wednesday, September 20, AD 2017 6:06pm

David is once again correct.

Clara
Clara
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 5:38am

I like David’s idea. When I am in the car maintenance waiting room, I usually turn the TV off. I ask if anyone is watching, almost always the answer is no, then I shut it off. Most of us are reading or on our phones/devices anyway.

I suggest when you write the letters, ask for silence rather than TV noise. So much better for everyone! If silence is rejected, I like Anzlyne’s suggestion of HGTV and PBS as alternatives to news. If you are in a Drs office you don’t need/want politics which raises one’s blood pressure, you need/want peace and quiet. What else are all the magazines for in the waiting room, if not to keep one occupied during one’s wait?

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 5:57am

Imagine the looks if you sat there silently saying The Rosary. Imagine if two or three others joined in and you-all prayed The Rosary out loud.

We only take earliest appointments, when the local news, traffic and weather reign. .

I like David’s solution.

When trapped, I feverishly play my $3 Radio Shack, hand-held Draw Poker game machine. [In my alleged mind I’m prepping to come out of retirement as a no-limit, hold-’em poker pro.]

Foxfier
Admin
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 8:19am

That sounds like an odd policy– but if it IS the policy, that policy can change. With enough complaints.

Tim
Tim
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 10:09am

I have the same experience on the campus of the local university. The library has a bank of TVs. They’re set to MSNBC, CNBC. Never Fox.

keith
keith
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 10:58am

My place of work has the TV on CNN all day. I avoid the cafeteria and only stop to get water and tea. We also have a gym. Again, usually CNN.
I bring earbuds with me and listen to music while I work out. So, my suggestion is to bring a pair of earbuds and listen to music or rosary or something else that you find either soothing or distracting.

trackback
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 12:37pm

[…] ISN’T IT AWFUL HOW PUBLIC SPACES ARE CRAMMED WITH TV’S? […]

gina
gina
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 4:03pm

Praying the Rosary is a great idea, although not always possible, as I am usually in tow with my young children. Ear buds are not always practical, either, for the same reason. The other issue is that of the awful music that is blasted everywhere. I do try to complete the store surveys that are often on the receipts, or send an email to customer service, to no avail so far.

CAM
CAM
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 6:36pm

I was in the waiting room of the GYN/OB Dept at the Naval hospital at Cubi Pt., PI when I looked up at the TV monitor to my horror there was a horror film on the screen – a man in a Santa suit took a bare breasted woman and impailed her on the antlers of a stuffed deer head. Immediately I complained to the civilian nurse on duty who told me she didn’t have the authority and didn’t know how to turn the movie off. In less than a New York minute I’d replaced it with a health topic video. Many dirty looks were sent my way. So what. I just happened to sit on the hospital advisory board.

exNOAAman
exNOAAman
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 8:13pm

Satan’s tabernacle.
And one of his most powerful tools.

exNOAAman
exNOAAman
Thursday, September 21, AD 2017 8:18pm

But don’t talk on your cell phone. Could annoy other patients.

Philip Nachazel
Philip Nachazel
Friday, September 22, AD 2017 10:23am

CAM.

Dirty looks!(?) Well sure you did!
You interrupted “Christmas with the Clintons.”
A very touching Christmas special featuring the annual shish kabob…via Clinton style, antlers and all.

Prankster
Prankster
Saturday, September 23, AD 2017 8:22pm

Get the universal remote app on your phone. Keep turning off the TV.

Foxfier
Admin
Saturday, September 23, AD 2017 11:48pm

For a contrast….was in a store where we were waiting for several hours, and if we’d left they’d get no sale.

They insisted on turning on cartoons as soon as the Discovery channel left Dirty Jobs for something less…um… kid friendly.
(FWIW, our kids were amazing.)

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