But people are a mix of things. If you are suggesting (and forgive me if I am being presumptuous
) that I am someone who makes the odd cogent argument on GN, yet enjoy TV as relaxation, then to me the answer is easy. I still work, albeit not as many hours as I used to, and my work is fairly intellectually demanding. I do watch so-called 'intelligent' TV (I think - I'd need a definition to be sure) but sometimes I just want to switch my head off, and watch.
I do think that there is more to watching soap and reality TV than is often credited though. I alluded to some of it in my previous post, but there is a complex relationship between the audience and the programmes, particularly when the actors have media lives of their own, too. Soaps are (or used to be) multi-layered, with several storylines going on at once, and if, say, we know that an actress is pregnant, or an actor is in panto, we second guess how that will be dealt with in the plots. We also know, if we are long-standing viewers, as much about the backstories of the characters as many people do about their friends and family. Who has had an affair with whom, who is the real father of someone's baby, what happened to the money that went missing and so on. That is also factored in to an understanding of what's happening.
The discussions of plots in soap and happenings on reality TV (I only watch BB, and even then, mostly the celebrity ones, but I assume the others afford the same opportunities) are part of the pleasure. Viewers can discuss 'real' people with no harm being done, and bind with others over their opinions on human behaviour. It's much less harmful than actual gossip or online nastiness, which can hurt others, and allows people to gauge their own reactions and opinions in terms of what others think.
Anyway, Mr D is twiddling his car keys, so I am definitely off now. Have a good evening everyone, in whatever form it takes.