Are men more attached to watching television than women are?

[LBR]

I have noticed on forums that more men seem attached to their television-watching than are the women. Or are the women who would rather not have the darned thing in the house just more apt to post on the forums?

What do you think about this?

True, not true, depends on x,y, and z?

Am hoping for the usual, wonderfully full gamut of ish responses.

Thanks bunches.

[sleepyowl]

I'm only attached to certain programmes, Heroes, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You, Mock the Week & Qi, generally it is a source of sound for me as silence drives me insane, I tend to listen to the radio or music more

[Rosendula]

Several years ago I complained to my OH that there's never anything on the television and that it's not worth the license fee and I think we should therefore get rid of it. The next day, he ordered satellite. . I don't watch morning/daytime TV, and when hubby's out (Monday and Friday evenings), I don't watch it. The only time I do watch it is in an evening when he's home - we sit down together to watch it with a glass or two of wine. I wouldn't miss it. It's a fantasy world in a box, and I think men use it as a (much needed) temporary escape from this stressful world we currently live in.

Sleepyowl - those are all the programmes we watch . I must say, I do enjoy them when they're on, but if Richard didn't put them on, I wouldn't think of it.

[Shirley]

Well... I don't like television and would happily get rid of the set tomorrow, but I'd be lynched by my OH, eldest son and probably the youngest too.

The first thing OH does when he comes through to the living room is to turn the telly on AAARGH. He'll even sit and watch rubbish just for something to watch. That just doesn't seem to make sense to me.

That said, I obviously use my computer a lot. I would like to think that I wouldn't resort to watching junk on the telly if I wasn't on the puter though.

Sleepyowl - I'm just getting used to being on my own throughout the day and I have to say that the silence is nice at first, but then I hate it - I'll try the radio

[Annpan]

Yip... we haven't had a TV for around 2 years (for the first 6 months, we had one, it was just never switched on - we had a difficult tiny baby)

OH is definitely the one who misses it more, he always wants to watch stuff in the iplayer but since we watch it together he usually doesn't get to.

I too like QI but TBH I could live without everything else - OH misses the daily show, channel 4 news and Doctor who.

But now the wee one is getting bigger I feel that she is missing out on a certain amount of education/experience that she could get from a TV but I dread the day we get one again and I loose my husband to Lost (or whatever the current waste of time is )

[Green Aura]

When we lived in Manc my OH got up every morning and turned on the TV. We went off to work and the first thing he did on return was .... turn on the TV.

When I moved up here I had no TV for several months - bliss and when OH moved up later we agreed that the TV wouldn't be on unless we specifically wanted to watch something. In fact we spent more evenings with the laptop plugged into it so we could both play an adventure in comfort than watching TV.

Then my mother moved up! She's lived alone for years, is hooked on every form of lowest "entertainment" imaginable. I think she had the TV on for a bit of background noise, because she's often doing other things - or even asleep - but try to turn the TV off at your peril.

Roll on getting her own living room sorted so we can have a conversation in peace without her looking daggers at us for talking over the top of the telly!

[Rosendula]

....Then my mother moved up! She's lived alone for years, is hooked on every form of lowest "entertainment" imaginable. I think she had the TV on for a bit of background noise, because she's often doing other things - or even asleep - but try to turn the TV off at your peril.

Roll on getting her own living room sorted so we can have a conversation in peace without her looking daggers at us for talking over the top of the telly!

I know what you mean. As children we weren't allowed to watch TV during the day, or Top of the Pops or Grange Hill or anything. As a result I was often not able to be part of conversations at school because I simply didn't know what the kids were talking about. Yet when my 'father' came home the TV went on for the News, then the Local News, then it was things like Emmerdale Farm or Cross Roads or Coronation Street . We weren't allowed to talk while any of these were on or we'd be told off because he couldn't hear the TV, and woe betide us if we made any kind of repetitive movement like tapping a foot or twiddling our thumbs - he could see us out of the corner of his eye and it was very distracting! I wonder if that's why I'm not bothered about the TV now

( because I'm thinking about my parents again. From now on, every time I mention my parents, I'm going to include the bootyshake smiley. It makes me feel better )

[eccentric_emma]

I don't particularly think men are more attached to the telly, we got rid of ours in Feb and apart from missing computer games a bit (which he never really played much anyway), he hasn't missed it. I haven't missed it really apart from a couple of documentaries I've liked the look of but I can't even remember what they were, which says it all really! Now I can't really think when I would watch it as I've always got other, more important things to do!

[StripyPixieSocks]

My Dad would happily chuck out the TV if my Mom didn't watch it and my OH hates TV.

On the other hand... I hate TV too... great help I am eh?

[MKG]

Women, of course, merely pretend not to watch television unless there's something on ("this is important") that they really do want to watch. Aside from that, they are eminently skillful in ...

a) getting between you and the telly just as, after an hour of the most boring football, your side scores.

b) expressing an opinion just as the very bit you wanted to listen to comes on.

c) apologising for interrupting your viewing just as the second bit you wanted to listen to comes on.

d) changing channel to QVC so that you can see the nice new flannelette sheet offer - and there goes the second goal.

e) anything else beginning with letters between A and Z.

I love 'em, really. But a course in the male view of the world might help. Perhaps I'd get my dinner on time then.

[Penny Lane]

I like certain programmes but they can all be downloaded with iplayer.
OH doesn't like any programmes particulary but won't let me get rid of the tv!

I just don't see the point if they won't show Good Life repeats!

[gettingthere]

Oh My goodness!! This has been an ongoing argument in our household for more years than I can recall! DH is addcited to TV even though he denies it vehemently!!! I'd rather save the money spent on satellite for better things!!!! Most of the time he falls asleep in front of the drat thing!!! The time could be used for oh so many other things--reading, listening to good music, learning how to cook (now THAT would be nice!) hobbies, etc. etc. Maybe many of us gals are simply more refined than our partners????

[hamster]

It's definitely the same in our house, I hardly ever watch the thing and would be more than happy to get rid of it tomorrow and put a big plant in the corner of the sitting room instead, but my bf would sulk. However, I have so many female friends who will also just sit down and watch anything that's on (and of my parents, my mum definitely watches more television than my dad) that I'm reluctant to make any generalisations....

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Not in this household. I lived without TV for years and could cheerfully go without the wretched thing. Not so my dear wife and daughters - for them the crystal bucket is an important lifestyle item and not (as I keep telling them) an insidious, malignant entity that is designed only to make one's brain run out of one's ears and one's cash fly out of one's pockets.

Just occaisionally I hanker for the days when a man was master in his own home and then I could get rid of the damn thing. Instead I am outnumbered four to one (five, if I count the dog, who is addicted to a dreadful program called "Oggy et les Caffards") and I know when I am beaten.

Mind you, I will admit to having enjoyed watching the DVD of "Life on Mars" that the MIL (who also loves TV and watches it for around 10 hours per day - so badly hooked is she that when she comes here to visit she will watch French TV despite not speaking the language) sent us last year.

[Masco&Bongo]

I can take it or leave it.... most of the things that I like to watch can be seen on iPlayer or that kind of thing anyway...

However, DH is addicted to it. He watched Sky Sports News a lot (it gives me a headache) and will watch any football that is on (even if the teams playing are 3 divisions away from his supported side), but he will also watch tennis, rugby, golf, cricket, athletics etc. He is an equal opportunities sports spectator.

Although I must admit that when he broke his foot in August the TV was a godsend, as he managed to watch all of the Olympic Games whilst I was at work!

My worst bugbear is when I have sat down to watch one of the few programmes I like, and during the break he flicks channels. He doesn't just flick once though, he will spend the entire 3/4 minute break clicking up and down the channel list, then I usually end up missing the start again. I can't understand why he can't just sit for 3 minutes or so and wait for the programme!!