I’m basing this on people at my office only. The woman who sits across from me gets really excited to talk about television; and the three guys who sit near me don’t. A small sample set, but I’m ready to extrapolate that poorly-founded hunch onto the entire American population.
So: do women like television more than men?
On my iTunes now:
Bonjour Jeune Fille by The Blow from "Paper Television"
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Apr 24th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Please go into more detail about what kind of TV they talk about.
Is it Reality TV?
Apr 24th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Mostly reality TV. It’s the amount of enthusiasm in the discussion that fascinates me! I’m the same way about Battlestar Galactica and The Wire I suppose.
I just asked her for her favorite shows. She TiVOs these shows:
Reality Television:
Desperate Housewives of NY
Dances with the Stars
Survivor
American Idol
The Hills
Non-reality TV:
Lost
Grey’s Anatomy.
All My Children
Desperate Housewives
Brothers and Sisters
Gossip Girl
Other:
The View
Oprah
60 Minutes
I said “How about ‘Flavor of Love?’” A woman who sits a few cubes away who never speaks to me piped up “Oh my God! I… LOVE… Flavor of Love. Love it. OBSESSED with it.”
Apr 24th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
This is usually the part where I assure everyone around that I’m a dick by saying “I don’t know - I don’t watch television at all.”
Apr 24th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
She’s an exception. A real person can’t possibly watch that much and maintain a real life at the same time. Is she watching this stuff at work? Is counting stuff that she happened to catch up on during the strike?
I personally can’t actively keep up with more than 3 shows at a time, regardless of reality, without losing touch with my own reality.
Apr 24th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I think guys absorb much more media in general - like websites, shows, video games, movies etc than chicks. They’re just less inclined to squealing about it in public.
Apr 24th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Right, right. It’s just more noticeable when someone is excited about a show I don’t care about.
So if Tanouye wants to talk about The Wire, I don’t notice it.
But when the woman here wants to explain what happened on Survivor, it stands out to me as ludicrous.
I think with Gossip Girl, the Sex and the City movie and maybe The Hills? — I’m more aware of “girl” shows getting excitement.
Or maybe I just miss The Wire?
And yes, the woman here at work watches a lot of TV, also.
Apr 24th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I watch 15 episodes of Law & Order: CI a week
Apr 24th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
“The Hills” is legitimately Art.
Apr 24th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Women be shopping
Apr 25th, 2008 at 1:34 am
I watch a lot of TV.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Would it be considered watching “a lot” of TV if the screen is really large?
-Terry
Apr 25th, 2008 at 9:39 am
CATS.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I think your observing part of the workplace social grease. Women who are colleagues probably talk about TV shows in the same way that male colleagues talk about sports.
I find I have to have at least seen the Red Sox highlights for the last game, as at least 5-6 guys will want to talk about that on any given day. The depth of your knowledge on the Sox will expand or curtail the conversation; I imagine it’s the same with the depth on knowledge on the current Idol or Survivor goings on.
My TV watching has dropped to near 0 since I got an XBox and discovered online gaming. I find it more entertaining to be an active participant I guess.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 10:26 am
the ladies at my office get really excited about american idol. i think its cause its one of the only things they all have in common.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 10:57 am
My sexism was ill-founded and not commonly agreed upon!
Apr 25th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I’d probably marry a woman who can talk LOST.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 11:44 am
i like lost… lets chat
Apr 25th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
You’re tired hearing me talk about Animal Planet’s “Groomer has it” all the time. Just tell me!
Apr 25th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Point taken: I was fascinated by Groomer Has It.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I think they still like men more.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
OH MY GOD GROOMER HAS IT!
We must discuss!
I am EXCITED about this show.
Apr 25th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Wait, hold on, scroll up and look at the LOVE CONNECTION that very well may have formed over “Lost” in the COMMENTS SECTION OF WILL’S BLOG.
This is major.
Apr 26th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
So Stacy…. You more like Kate or Walt.
Apr 26th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Taking into account all the standard “remote control man-jokes”, men have a big rep for TV interest. It’s just that women are more externally emotional and communicative about their TV experiences. Surprise, surprise (not). I say it’s a 50/50 split between men and women, with both being equally eager to escape their daily stressful lives.
Apr 28th, 2008 at 12:45 am
is it really an assholey thing to not watch tv at all? i don’t have a tv and don’t watch tv. i catch up on some stuff online, like tim and eric and, well, i guess that’s it. btw, i’m a woman, so add that to your tally of women who don’t give a shit about tv shows. my co-workers made me watch the most recent episode of lost online on friday after i’d only seen probably the first four or five episodes from season one at my brother’s house one time. it was mind-blowing. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON??? anyway. i guess i’ll have to netflix lost like crazy just so i can ground myself in reality again.
Apr 30th, 2008 at 10:32 am
im like a combination of kate and claire. I have kates balls and claires blonde hair. oh and i have a baby.
thanks for recognizing my love conntection tony.