Channel J: Important to still tune in during college

Janaya Greene
Thu, 14 Jan 2016 18:15:07 +0000
Arts & Life, Pop culture, TV, Channel J, disney channel, netflix, nickelodeon, television, tv

We’re in college. We have jobs. We have families to spend time with and significant and some insignificant others to tend to. We’re trying to pass never-ending exams while holding on to our social lives with a dwindling, yet tight grip. Who really has the time to watch TV?

Me. I have time to watch TV and plenty of it.

As the old English proverb goes, “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” and boy, have I found mine. Despite 17-credit-hour schedules, trying to keep in touch with my family in Chicago, working part-time and staying an active, “involved” student with a decent GPA, I make time out of no time to be sure that I catch my favorite TV shows and films as soon as they air. But this is nothing new.

My adolescent self loved Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. I loved picturing myself as Raven Baxter from “That’s So Raven,” Angelica Pickles in “The Rugrats” and Penny of “The Proud Family.” I would talk for hours on hours about TV shows and how great, or ridiculously horrible, they were.

While I found myself able to have these innocent and engaging conversations as a child, in my adulthood I’ve found friends not so willing to dig deep into the good and bad of modern-day films and television.

First off, many don’t even bother to turn their TVs on, due to their super busy lives as I stated before. Plus there’s those who do don’t bother to analyze or give much thought to what they’re watching because to them it’s entertainment and nothing more.

But I see all forms of film as a reflection of life. A reflection that can be magnificent — or really messed up, but a reflection nonetheless. The hard work of screenwriters, producers, directors and every other job on a set should be reciprocated with open and honest responses from viewers.

Which brings me here: to give my candid and uncensored reactions to the latest shows to hit your TV and computer screens each week. You may agree with my viewpoints on some films, and others not so much. But at least we’ll be talking about the breathtaking ups and downs of the film world and getting to the heart of what storytelling is all about: connecting through the identities and experiences of others while sharing a hearty laugh or two. I hope you tune in.