Columnist fearful of television mania
by Plunkett
The topic comes, disappears, and returns with a student center pestilence. But over the last few months, we have caught the birth of a strange cult. It is called “Television Mania,” or TVM. This illness is more dangerous to the minds of victims than the flu; it overcomes one’s judgments due to fiction and varied programming.
Those who have TVM are fine-tuned to television mannerisms and know the daily lingo used on the set. TVM victims can be identified even away from a set. They often carry conversations on their favorite programs. Characters tend to resemble family members because the victim often feels he must be there.
Some victims have added terms like “syndicate,” “sit-com,” “telecast,” and “residuals” to their vocabulary.
There are three major types of TVM as there are programs that supply it. TVM victims tend to be selective in view, or may even despise most other televised spirit forms. The local stuff remains the last of last year’s top 10 hits. Sitcom Ratings initiate the faculty. This type of problem can be cured, and some who survived still twitch in one interest. TVM specialization is worse.
A less visible type of TVM finds that one program must suit all series of a particular type. This victim is hooked on one of seven types of programming: comedies, dramas, soaps, new shows, games shows, or minorities. This group may give a fictional name the fear within the show and have that fear linger in their minds.
Severe cases of TVM lie next to the extreme. They were captured at Southwest Emergency Broadcast Programming Network.
The “hard-core” cases lurk in their minds at all hours of the day. Their lives are virtually planned around their TV schedule. The severe victim may go into a state of depression because someone on Guiding Light committed suicide.
What causes TVM? The theory is that a number of factors contribute to the general interest of the viewer, causing him to abnormally follow a show, a number of shows, or everything that airs. Some factors may include an interest in acting and drama, an interest in sitcoms, an interest in abstract developments, and an interest in broadcast journalism.
Everyone has probably had TVM at some point in their academic life. It’s quite evident that TCC has a number of TVM victims-lok around. You’ll also find cases of MPM (“Motion Picture Mania”), but that’s a future story.