REVIEW OF MOTI NISSANI’S “THE CURBSIDE SOLUTION”
Michael Lund


    In “The Curbside Solution”, Moti Nissani suggests an extreme and possibly
rash solution to an issue that has plagued our society for many years. He
suggests that throwing away your television can save you from being exposed to
and tricked by the evil media that manipulates our entire existence.
Nissani points out the fact that much of what we see and hear is brought to
us by a select few individuals who control the flow of media. He also tells
us that although we have the freedom to speak out when we disagree with what
we are being shown or told, very few individuals actually take advantage of
this freedom, therefore allowing the media to continue manipulating us as
they see fit. While I do agree that television and the media are neither
wholesome nor the best source for information, I will argue that they can be
beneficial to society when used responsibly. First I would like to talk
about the negatives of television.
    Television programming has changed immensely since its inception. The
advent of cable television has added a whole new arena of television
watching. In the beginning, television consisted mainly of news programs
and wholesome, family-oriented sitcoms. Today, largely due to the
introduction of cable television, broadcasters are forced to rely on “shock
value” to lure their viewers in. Because there are so many channels to
choose from and because of the viewers' short attention span, stations must
be different and “cutting edge” to win over an audience. This,
unfortunately, results in some broadcasters throwing ethics and good
judgment out the window. Talk shows have gone from informative interviews
with celebrities and interesting people to a contest to see who can show the
most dysfunctional, short-tempered, uncooperative people on one stage. The
wholesome family sitcom has turned to sex appeal and outrageously odd living
situations to win viewer attention. And the news media seems more
interested in bringing you the most horrendous story of the day as opposed
to news that could help improve and be useful in your day-to-day life.
These are some of the unfortunate side affects in the progression of
television.
    Too much television is also an issue that our society has battled with at
great lengths in recent years. As Moti points out, “Life is meant to be
lived.” The statistics are staggering; “The typical American watches TV, on
the average (including weekends and vacations), some seven hours a day”
(Nissani). This is entirely too much time being spent in front of the
television. People are being drawn into these new sitcoms that leave the
viewer hanging at the end of each episode so that they must tune in next
week to see what happens. There are so many shows of this type out there
that one must spend 7 hours a day just to keep current on what’s happening
in each show. Other more productive and necessary activities are being put
on hold while we turn into couch potatoes to satisfy our need for the TV.
While this is an unfortunate trend we are seeing here in America, it does
not have to be this way.
    The solution, on the surface, is a simple one: watch responsibly! Parents
must teach their children at a young age how to balance their television
viewing with other activities that are more important to their education and
well being. It is all too common to see a parent use the television as a
babysitter when in reality a good book can hold a child’s attention for a
much longer period of time. If we remember that television can be a
source of information and entertainment, but not the only source, then we
can establish the correct viewing habits for our children.
While the advent of cable television can be seen as the beginning of the
end, we must also remember the cable brought about many informative and
educational channels too. Channels such as The Discovery Channel, The
Nature Channel, The History Channel, Animal Planet, Fox Kids Network, and
many others bring us 24 hours of informative and educational programming
that is often overlooked. Too often, the focus turns to all the bad
programming that is going on and the good programming is forgotten.
Ironically, some of the most controversial programs have ended up on network
television. This is due, in large part, to the networks' loss of viewers to
cable stations. The networks feel they must show the viewers something with
“shock value” in order to lure them back. Unfortunately,
as mentioned above, the networks lose their ethics and common sense and air
shows that aren’t always “politically correct”. Following is a list of some
of the stations worth watching on television and why:

·    CNN/C-SPAN/Headline News – These stations bring us news from around the
world and right here at home with very little bias. Unlike the local news
stations or the network news programs, they are not looking for the one
story that will put them on top. They are 24 hours-a-day news stations and
report all the important news, whether it’s good or bad.
·    The Discovery Channel – This channel is dedicated to opening the minds of
the viewers. It has branched off into four or five different channels, each
focusing on a different area such as science, living, civilization and kids.
The whole purpose of these channels is to teach people about their world and
how it works.
·    The History Channel – I dare say that more could be learned about the
history of our world by watching this channel then most people learn in all
of high school. The History Channel is just what is says, it airs programs
about historical events from around the world.
·    Animal Planet – Animal Planet is the next best thing to going to the zoo.
It shows us hour after hour of fascinating profiles dealing with all the
creatures that roam this great planet.
·    The Learning Channel/Knowledge TV – These two channels are dedicated to
airing informative programs for those who like to watch interactively. They
are great channels for people of all ages who enjoy mind-stimulating
television.
·    Lifetime – This channel is focused primarily on women and shows wholesome,
informative programs and movies dealing with real life issues in today’s
society.

Those are just some of the informative and educational channels brought to
us by cable television. Many others exist and it would behoove all
television watchers to tune into these channels whenever they are watching
TV.
    Television is also being used by colleges and universities for home
education. For some, it is difficult or impossible to get to a campus in
order to receive the education they are striving for. Certain channels are
set aside so that the viewer can tune in at a prearranged hour and watch the
professor teach the class. Although it is not interactive, it is the next
best thing to being there and allows the student another opportunity that
they may not have had.
    Actions are being taken to “curb” the downward trend of today’s
programming. One example of this is the rating system--television shows
are now being rated so that parents can keep a closer eye on what thereTHEIR
children are watching and whether or not it is appropriate for them. This
system is similar to the one in use to rate movies. Also, groups such as
the PTC (Parents Television Council) are being formed to keep watch on the
entertainment industry and blow the whistle when inappropriate programs hit
the air. Overall, many people are becoming fed up with some of today’s
programming and are putting their foot down, choosing to do something about
it rather than sitting idly by and watching it happen.
    I think that television watching can be an informative and educational
experience when done right. I, myself, fall into the unfortunate statistic
of people who watch too much television. I am a sports junky and could sit
and watch sports on television all day long. I don’t know if it is because
my television watching was overly restricted when I was young or because I’
ve become lazy and have allowed the television to do my thinking for me.
Either way, I realize my situation and know it is up to me to make it
better. The television can be thought of as a tool. Parents must teach
their children how to use this tool properly so that they may get the most
out of it. Any tool, when used inappropriately, can be dangerous. Let us
not blame the television for ruining our lives, but harness the good that
television offers and use it to our advantage.