Flynn
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@flynn
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Post by Flynn on Jul 26, 2017 3:51:47 GMT
As a society, we generally accept both binge drinking and binge eating as something that is bad, a sign of dependency or poor mental health. But binge watching is accepted these days as normal.
Isn't binge watching also problematic though? What makes someone choose to binge watch an entire season of a TV show in one sitting? Does the motivation to do that stem purely from the excitement one feels about the narrative being watched, or is the desire to binge watch motivated by other factors? I really can't imagine being that excited about one TV show to spend 8, 10, or 14 or more hours partaking of it, but people seem to do that. A new series comes out on Netflix, and there are people who watch it all by that evening and are commenting on it. That astonishes me.
The binging craze suggests that people's views toward movies and TV are changing. It seems like a TV show is becoming just another product to be scarfed down and consumed rather than savored and appreciated. Content becomes less about being artistic and more about being a drug designed to keep one glued to the seat. It becomes an addiction that must be satisfied.
I've painted a stark picture, but it's more just to provoke thought and discussion than to condem the behavior. I'm really just curious about what this community's feelings are on the matter.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Jul 26, 2017 14:02:06 GMT
Even now, while watching DVDs, I often prefer to watch one episode a week. I guess that makes me an outcast.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2017 14:10:15 GMT
I prefer to bing watch shows.
That is why i really only watch tv shows on DVD so i can watch a bunch of episodes in a row.
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Post by politicidal on Jul 26, 2017 14:54:55 GMT
I prefer to bing watch shows. That is why i really only watch tv shows on DVD so i can watch a bunch of episodes in a row. Same. I've never done an entire series or season in one sitting though;like 3 or 4 episodes tops. People who do that must have all the time in the world.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2017 15:09:17 GMT
I prefer to bing watch shows. That is why i really only watch tv shows on DVD so i can watch a bunch of episodes in a row. Same. I've never done an entire series or season in one sitting though;like 3 or 4 episodes tops. People who do that must have all the time in the world. I have watched an entire series or season in one sitting. Of course its not something i do on a regular basis.
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Post by PreachCaleb on Jul 26, 2017 18:48:02 GMT
I've binged when I was out sick or after surgery.
But I usually don't like to rush through any shows. The only exception was Game of Thrones so I could catch up to the current season (it was season 5 at the time).
However, if people have the time to binge watch a show, more power to them. I think a lot of people who binge don't just sit in front of the tv for hours. They're probably doing something along with watching, ie, cooking, cleaning, etc.
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Post by Nalkarj on Jul 26, 2017 23:05:30 GMT
Oh, I completely agree, though I wouldn't like to criticize anyone who does so; I understand it at a theoretical level, but I also can't imagine being all that excited about one TV show to spend 8-14 hrs. watching it. (I also certainly don't have the time, and I have other--and, in my opinion, better--things to do.) I generally don't like the conception of episodes/movies being released to Netflix (or any "streaming" service) exclusively, for I feel that it completely cuts out the fun and interest of anticipation between (for example) weeks. The only TV program I've "binge-watched" was Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which I enjoyed in part. With that said, there were only eight episodes, and I watched them over the course of two weeks, so I wouldn't exactly call it a "binge," to be honest, though I did watch them in a way that I would consider fast...
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Post by BATouttaheck on Jul 27, 2017 3:14:43 GMT
I watched the first couple of Season's of Downton Abbey in a binge over a two week period so that I would have a vague idea of what was happening when season 3 started. I was sick of being the only one on the planet who didn't watch the show. One of the over-the air nostalgia stations not only runs two shows back to back during the week BUT on weekends, they run the same show from Saturday thru Sunday all day and all night. Like, who wants to watch almost 48 hours of the same program ? Even a possibly favorite one ? I don't quite understand their reasoning. Flynn
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paislene
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Post by paislene on Jul 27, 2017 5:21:23 GMT
I watched the first couple of Season's of Downton Abbey in a binge over a two week period so that I would have a vague idea of what was happening when season 3 started. I was sick of being the only one on the planet who didn't watch the show. One of the over-the air nostalgia stations not only runs two shows back to back during the week BUT on weekends, they run the same show from Saturday thru Sunday all day and all night. Like, who wants to watch almost 48 hours of the same program ? Even a possibly favorite one ? I don't quite understand their reasoning. Flynn I've watched a decent amount of Downton Abbey back to back , but got a little disappointed in it's direction in the closing seasons . Then found myself gravitating to Doc Martin , which is even slower than Downton Abbey but overall more interesting and involving . On one of the free-to-air stations where I live , they have been running The Big Bang Theory episodes every evening for about a year now .
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Post by BATouttaheck on Jul 27, 2017 12:21:14 GMT
paislene I like Doc Martin. Clunes has done a couple of series that were on PBS. One about dogs and one about the small islands around Australia. He is So Different in real life. He laughs. He smiles. He is very very funny. Makes you appreciate his acting ability as he is the opposite as Doc. Big Bang Theory seems to be on 24/7 on one channel or other here. That and all the garbage series with Charlie Sheen ... UGH !
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paislene
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Post by paislene on Jul 27, 2017 23:21:16 GMT
paislene I like Doc Martin. Clunes has done a couple of series that were on PBS. One about dogs and one about the small islands around Australia. He is So Different in real life. He laughs. He smiles. He is very very funny. Makes you appreciate his acting ability as he is the opposite as Doc. Big Bang Theory seems to be on 24/7 on one channel or other here. That and all the garbage series with Charlie Sheen ... UGH ! Yes, I have seen his Islands of Britain , and the more recent Islands of Australia which was actually well done . Both shows were enjoyable because he has that natural curiosity about places and people , as well as his warmth and sense of humor too ! He recently mentioned there might be a 9th Season of Doc Martin .
Charlie Sheen , of course , epitomises everything that is the darker side in Hollywood , the actor who has been destroyed by his own fame and fortune . Two and a Half Men was a long running sitcom and I suspect Charlie like us , just got tired of it's rerun humor , and he just fell away into a self-destructive and abusive breakdown . I was interested in Anger Management , but the time and chance to see it , has passed me by .
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Post by naterdawg on Jul 28, 2017 3:26:49 GMT
Aren't you really just binge-eating and calling it "watching?" Come on.
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Post by itsthatguyme on Jul 28, 2017 9:24:21 GMT
As a society, we generally accept both binge drinking and binge eating as something that is bad, a sign of dependency or poor mental health. But binge watching is accepted these days as normal. Isn't binge watching also problematic though? What makes someone choose to binge watch an entire season of a TV show in one sitting? Does the motivation to do that stem purely from the excitement one feels about the narrative being watched, or is the desire to binge watch motivated by other factors? I really can't imagine being that excited about one TV show to spend 8, 10, or 14 or more hours partaking of it, but people seem to do that. A new series comes out on Netflix, and there are people who watch it all by that evening and are commenting on it. That astonishes me. The binging craze suggests that people's views toward movies and TV are changing. It seems like a TV show is becoming just another product to be scarfed down and consumed rather than savored and appreciated. Content becomes less about being artistic and more about being a drug designed to keep one glued to the seat. It becomes an addiction that must be satisfied. I've painted a stark picture, but it's more just to provoke thought and discussion than to condem the behavior. I'm really just curious about what this community's feelings..... People want instant gratification. Why wait ? We wanna find out what happens faster. I get the whole savoring it etc .. but we live in a faster moving world now. How many times have u watched a show and wanted to see more then BAM! It's over...now u don't have to wait. U can extend your pleasure. I think it's actually more enjoyable to binge. You get better continuity of the story, rather than trying to remember what happens the week before or whatever.
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Daisy
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Post by Daisy on Jul 29, 2017 0:38:44 GMT
Yes, I believe its because for so long people had to impatiently wait for the show to be back on the next week. Now with access we say "Oh we will just watch one more", where we couldn't do that before when we had to wait for the next week for the show to be released.
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sagenesse
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Post by sagenesse on Jul 29, 2017 5:32:02 GMT
I binge watch but I switch it up. I'm currently binge watching a total of 6 shows. I will watch the show until I need a break then go to another one. I could never just sit and watch the same show all the way through. Today I watched Malcom In The Middle. Tomorrow I'll mayne start with Gilmore Girls then later after errands I'll move on another show.
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Post by azzajones on Jul 29, 2017 5:36:18 GMT
Exactly, when did binging become a good thing? If binging everything else is bad why is binge watching OK? Never understood it, watching shows on Netflix the most I've done is 3 40 min eps and for old shows I'll take break in between seasons.
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geezer
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Post by geezer on Jul 29, 2017 10:01:04 GMT
I love binge watching just for the lack of commercials! So much easier to get into the story! Although it is rare for me, I do enjoy having a day with nothing on the agenda to just veg out and watch a good show all day!
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Flynn
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@flynn
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Post by Flynn on Jul 29, 2017 13:38:50 GMT
I love binge watching just for the lack of commercials! So much easier to get into the story! Although it is rare for me, I do enjoy having a day with nothing on the agenda to just veg out and watch a good show all day! I'm probably the only person alive who appreciates commercial breaks. I hate them when they are too frequent, but I enjoy the ability every now and then to get up from my couch and grab something to eat or drink without interrupting the show. Sure, I can pause something that's streaming, but traditional network TV shows have built-in breaks. I like that.
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Post by Utpe on Jul 29, 2017 20:57:53 GMT
Probably sheer boredom.
I can't do it myself. I tried once with Orange Is the New Black, but I don't like rushing through the episodes so I can discuss it with other people.
The main problem is that, when the old IMDb boards were still around, people would post spoilers. I'd have to wait until I was actually finished with the season. Even then, when I eventually got around to it, I kinda lost interest.
I like speculating what may happen next. Can't really do that with binge-watching.
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