In The New Republic, a writer suggests not watching: “A mass refusal to watch Trump on TV will deprive him of big ratings, which he routinely uses to create a false impression of widespread popularity.” An uncredited message circulating online suggests changing the channel: “if we turn off the TVs, it looks like a large majority of viewers tuned into Trump. But if our TVs are tuned to other shows, the percentage drops.” Snopes has discredited the change-the-channel tactic by pointing out that only Nielsen families make a difference to ratings. If you’re not a Nielsen family, turning off the television makes no difference either.
I too would like to think that changing the channel or turning off the television will somehow bruise a certain outsize ego. But it’s not happening. What I plan on doing late Friday morning: talking a walk, perhaps to the library and the supermarket. And on Saturday there’s a march to attend.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Things to do on Friday
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
comments: 3
My general thought is to listen to MPR if I can stand it... until I leave around 1 p.m. for what I think will be a pretty good-sized march on Friday afternoon/evening. Then of course Saturday as well.
I think I'll paint something to stick up on phone poles.
Maybe incorporating Walt Whitman's "Obey little, resist much."
In 2008, I was glued to the TV in the break area at my old job. The crowd, the speeches, the event — positive and inspiring.
Post a Comment