Much can be, and has been, said about the power of television as a force for ill in our society. And much of it's true; adults and children consume more intellectual junk food than anything else when the glowing box is beckoning. In fact, the best thing Amy and I ever did was give up TV for Lent a few years ago -- our viewing habits have not been the same since, and now that we make a concerted effort to limit our exposure, we are more aware of (and often horrified by) what's being aimed at our minds.
Even the commercials are becoming more distasteful, if that's possible. Our current "favorite" involves a leaky rowboat and a feminine hygiene product...you may use your imagination, and you probably won't be far off. (What's that sound, you ask? It's my grandmother whirring in her grave.)
But every once in a while, something that happens on TV will stick with you in a *good* way. It can actually be a teaching tool. For example, how many of us learned to count to ten in Spanish just by watching Sesame Street? If you live in California, as I do, there's no such thing as useless Spanish vocabulary.
I had a fun TV learning memory just now. I get this "word of the day" e-mail (I know, I know), and today's word was "aver." I confess to being quietly delighted with myself whenever I actually already know the word of the day, but I get an even bigger charge out of it when there's a memory attached about how I learned it in the first place.
aver \uh-VUR\,transitive verb;
Inflected forms: averred; averring:
1. To affirm with confidence; to declare in a positive manner,
as in confidence of asserting the truth.
2. (Law) To assert, claim, or declare as a fact
The first time I remember hearing this word? I was very young, and watching the annual broadcast of "The Wizard of Oz." Yes, it's technically a film and not TV, but this was back in the days before the popularity of VCRs and invention of DVD players. And in the beginning of the "Oz" part of the movie, just after the Wicked Witch of the East has been rendered two-dimensional by Dorothy's house, the Coroner of Munchkinland sings this reassuring statement to the munchkin masses:
"As coroner, I must aver
I've thoroughly examined her
And she's not only merely dead
She's really most sincerely dead!"
So, what has TV done for you?
The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon. The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.
About Me
2 comments:
I for one, learned the spelling of two words, the songs for which continue to haunt me to this day.
From Captain Kangaroo: "B-A-N-A-N-A! BaNAna! BaNAna!"
From Mr Rogers: "You are my friend--F-R-I-E-N-D."
I cannot hear the word “nuts” without also hearing Charles Durning’s voice say, “Don’t be givin’ ‘em any of our NOOTS!” from Evening Shade.
The word “totally” must be said with the correct accent and must be accompanied by the appropriate hand signal from “Square Pegs”.
The word “cheese” must be said with the English accent affected by the character Wallace (and Gromit) and dawn out - “cheeeese”.
Et cetera
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