在George Orwell的1984裡，電視是用來監視民眾的一舉一動的工具。
在Batman and Robin裡，壞蛋the Riddler在電視上裝了聲稱是『接受器』的東西，試圖吸走所有人們的知識與智慧。
在沒有任何計畫的週末下午，電視是我唯一的娛樂。懶得動、懶得出去，就看電視。
橋個舒服的坐姿，正好可以讓我抱著Angelino一起共度每一個悠閒的午後。
可是幾小時過去之後，我開始暈眩、甚至頭痛。
遙控器在手裡，雖然選擇很多，但我會看得也只是那幾台：電影台＋知識頻道。
儘管沒看到好的，也不輕易放棄。一定要轉來轉去，轉到有想要看得為止。可是通常等到，就已經開始暈眩。
有人會說我不看新聞，是不是不關心國家？
現在的新聞能看嗎？
如果真的要關心，上上網，看到自己想了解的新聞在點進去看不就好了？
為什麼我一定要接受媒體的『強制餵食』[force feeding]？
這一陣子分別跟兩個不同的家教學生讀Charlie and the Chocolate Factory。到了Mike Teavee，那寧死也一定要看電視的暴力兒童，我就問他們：Are you Mike Teavee？
一個是國二的女生。她說她當然不是。她只看自己想看的日劇和影集。
另一個是即將升國一的男生。她也說他不是。我虧他說：是啊！因為你只愛電動是吧！？呵呵～
其實這麼大的孩子已經不用太過擔心。以悲觀的角度來看，應該說：現在才要擔心可能也來不及了啦。
但令人擔心的是更幼小的孩子。
安親班的幼稚園，在下午上玩英文課，平日安排的課程結束後就開電視給他們看。等回家。
因為這樣他們會安靜、乖乖的坐著等家長來接。
我愛看電影。但電影跟電視有很大的不同。
最大的不同我想是在『選擇性』。我自己可以選擇要看哪一部電影。在看完電影後，通常會引起更多的思考空間。
可是電視不會。
他是讓我在Angelino躺在我身上睡覺的時候讓我不會無聊發慌的工具。
電視關掉後，思考才開始。可是通常思考的都跟電視上看到的無關。
沒電視的時候，好像也沒怎樣。
有了它，一天不開好像會對不起它似的。
目瞪口呆的盯著它看。好像這一秒關掉就會錯過什麼。
可我告訴你，你不關掉它，你才真的會錯過什麼。
不過那只是我一個人的想法。來看看 Oompa-loompa 們是怎麼說的︰
The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set —
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink —
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK — HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY… USED… TO… READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks-
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start — oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.
還不關掉電視，看書去？
英國留學全記錄 Studying in the UK (5)