TV, Myself, and I (Part II): Rediscovering Ed

by Christopher M. Rzigalinski

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TEASE

Imagine this article is playing out before your eyes like a television show. The screen is black. The Foo Fighters’ song “Next Year” plays as we fade in on a familiar scene and the voiceover says, “Last time on “TV, Myself, & I.” We flashback to Part I of this article in which I discuss the Four Factors of Televisual Familiarity, or the major reasons certain television shows become significant in our lives. A montage of clips illustrates the following examples:

  1. Finding shows during transformative periods in our lives.
  2. Someone we love turning us onto a particular show and sharing it with them.
  3. Shows with sex appeal and characters we find desirable.
  4. Programs that help us develop professional dreams and attitudes we carry into adulthood.

Finally, in a dramatic cliff hanger, the voice-over reminds you that these categories often overlap and a personal case study of my relationship with the cult-favorite Ed is promised for Part II. You laugh. You cry. You get a new plate of nachos. And we’re back.

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TV, Myself, and I (Part I): The Four Factors of Televisual Familiarity

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

The intimacy of watching television is different than bonding with movies or music. Whenever I enter new periods of confusion in my life, I make it a point to rewatch the The Graduate (1967) or blast the electric “I-don’t-give-a-fuck” Live 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” version of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” I pursue the familiar wisdom born of disillusionment in these pieces of art because it’s comforting and gives me hope. Television shows come to me as ever-changing episodes that demand my attention in the present moment. Whatever happens in my life between these installments informs my perspective on the stories and characters.  

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