love/hate relationship

i have a love/hate relationship with TV. i used to say that i would never have a TV in my house, but i do. but what i don't have is cable. i think TV contributes to laziness, allowing the viewer to take, take, take, and give nothing in return. it's easier to sit on the couch and turn on the TV and let it feed you entertainment or information. it's harder to pick up a book and read or get the things done around the house. hours can go by sitting on the couch watching TV. does Johnson make some good claims about the value of television? yes, he does. watching certain TV programs require viewers to reach into their cognitive toolbox and make predictions, recollections, connections, and characterizations. these are the same qualities that we attribute to book reading. the quality of TV has gotten better because viewers demand more stimulating and challenging plots. while we don't physically want to move, we want our minds to be pursued and moved. there are few shows that i keep up with, but i do enjoy watching LOST. in the past season, the plot has become so predictable that many religious LOST viewers are blogging and writing that LOST has lost its way. the characters are quickly losing depth, the plot seems to be going nowhere or is feeling redunant. i am losing patience with the show, and i don't look forward to wednesday nights like i used to. and do i love watching shows without depth? sure i do. but in this regard, i take an oppositional stance and stand on viligant guard against shows that will probably not add something positive to my well-being. and i take an oppositional stance to shows that might have depth but again, don't add something positive to my well-being. shows like deperate housewives. like the "Dallas" example in our reading, someone who loves that show will definitely need to write me and explain your obsession. do you love it because it takes you into a fantasy world? do you hate it but watch it anyway to poke fun at it?