Poll: Is watching TV an accomplishment?

Reading through the results of a recent survey that indicates the number one “hobby” in America is watching TV, KIRO Radio’s John Curley took exception to that description of the pastime.

“I don’t see it as a hobby, to sit and passively have this stuff wash over you,” says Curley.

While Tom Tangney says calling it a hobby may be a bit of stretch, he does think watching TV can be considered an accomplishment. He likens watching a good television series to reading a good book.

“Don’t you feel, John, on the rare occasion when you actually read a book, don’t you feel good when you finish that book?” asked Tom. “It feels like an accomplishment.”

With the quality of TV these days, Tom thinks spending a number of hours with a series shouldn’t be viewed as negatively as it has in the past.

“They used to call TV the boob tube because basically it’s just images washing over you, but what I’m trying to tell you is that like some really good movies there is great TV that has the kind of complexity that you get in novels that are granted some kind of literary status,” says Tom.

“I think that if I read a novel by Charles Dickens or I watched 12 episodes of ‘True Detective,’ which I haven’t watched yet but I hear it’s great, I think those are comparable experiences and therefore an accomplishment.”

Even though Tom says TV offers more quality material these days, John doesn’t think he could call watching it an accomplishment.

“I understand there is good TV. I’m just not allowing someone to say they’ve achieved anything or accomplished anything to watch it.”

What do you think?