Cut the Cable

I was four years old, maybe younger. My sister and I woke up early one day to watch the relatively new show called Barney and Friends. There may have been a bowl of cereal in my hands as I watched the purple dinosaur prance around the screen. Then, at a point where I remember my young curiosity being peaked, the show cut off. I can still feel the confusion and panic that I felt in that moment. I was beginning to meltdown, but luckily my big sister knew what to do.

She ran to our parents' room, and I followed her to ask what had happened. My mom was only half-awoken from her sleep when she muttered words that my little mind couldn't possibly understand at that age: "I cancelled our cable." What does that mean? Does that mean I will never know what Barney was about to say? (I still, to this day, do not know.) What were we going to do with our morning? Life as we know it had come to an end.

My Parents are Kinda Hipsters

My parents cancelled their cable... before it was cool. My understanding is that this was all my mom's decision. She just one day decided that it wasn't worth the money. A few years ago, I read an article saying that many families have started doing the same. I like to think of my mom as the ultimate trend setter.

I grew up on only a limited number of movies, and a lot of playing outside. At this point I usually get the gawking looks, the disbelief. I used to think that people were just teasing, but turns out that they actually can't believe I grew up without TV (and there are a lot of movies I still haven't seen). It shocks me that people can't fathom life without a television.

How did I turn out?

I was still hooked, however. Whenever we were out, if the television was on, my face was glued to it. I think the forbidden-ness of it was what attracted me to it. This may also be what has attracted me to the film industry. Since I was at least 10, I have said that I wanted to be a director. Really, I wanted to be a man with many hats (like my hero, Ben Franklin), but director (or something in film) has always been one of those hats.

Nine years ago (2007) was when we first got WiFi in our house. That same summer I discovered a site called YouTube, and I immediately began to make up for lost time. Over time I found so many shows that I could watch online, with no extra charge to my parents. Many people have discovered this phenomenon, which is probably why there exists this trend of people cancelling their cable.

My question: why hasn't everyone joined this movement? I promise, I won't look down my nose at those who choose to keep cable. My main purpose here is to talk about the benefits of internet-based media, but I will also point out some benefits of cancelling cable as well.

Save money

The first benefit of cancelling your cable is the most obvious: the money you save. This was important to my parents when they cancelled. If you can afford the time and the money to keep your cable, feel free to. However, if you are struggling with finances, I would strongly recommend cancelling. Think of all the money you will free up. Fortunately, with this point I am most likely preaching to the choir.

FOMO- Fear of Missing Out

I would suspect that this is a key reason that people don't want to cancel, they fear being out of the loop with all the cool shows going on. Let me tell you, I've lived my whole life out of the TV loop. Trust me, it's not that bad. I think, deep down inside, it's been the one thing that has inspired me to be unique. I'm not interested in following the trends, I am interested in setting them.

More options

I don't know about all of my readers, but I grew up in a very religious background. I always hear religious people complain about how evil the entertainment media has become. They complain about how Hollywood keeps pushing an agenda. My grand-pop (who was in no way religious) also used to lament that televisions was "nothing but a vast wasteland". We can debate that presumption in the comments, but so many people who believe this still have their cable.

Today you can seek out and find media that is more agreeable to you. Now I think that you shouldn't only consume media that you agree with. I believe that the mind is sharpened by being exposed to difficult problems. However, you can stop banging your head against the wall. Lift up your eyes. Look around you. There are more options to choose from.

Support small businesses

I hear about the importance of this all the time, from both the left, the right and the undecided. Well, maybe we all can start practicing what we preach. I am not saying that you absolutely must cancel your cable, or that you can never go see another Hollywood film again. I am saying to diversify. I personally prefer independent media to mainstream media.

When you support independent media with your money, you are helping small businesses grow. You are giving young artist/entrepreneurs a shot at living on their dream. I am not quite "anti-corporation" but there are 6 corporations which run all the mainstream media in America. I am not saying "down with the man", but I would rather see the shrinking of the mainstream media, and the growth of independent media.

So, tell me what you think. Tweet at me @frank_perseo or comment on the Frank Talks Facebook page. Do you still have your cable? Do you consume a lot of independently produced media? If so, what are some of your favorite sources? Has this blog given you something to think about? I am curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading!