Friday, August 13, 2010

Television : Roald Dahl

(Peter Mertens : Kill The Television)


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. Rate 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 girl! 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.




~ Roald Dahl (1916 ~ 1990)




.

6 comments:

  1. I am happy that you have posted something i really have enjoyed teaching to students of under graduate courses. This piece taken from "Charlie and Chocolate Factory" a tale for children is filled with both fun and information and the piece chosen by you instructs and initiates children into the realm of books.

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  2. Television kills all the imagination of every child and adult. No doubt, it is always books and more books that would make the better of a human being.

    I've grown up reading Dahl's Danny, the Champion of the World, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, James and the Giant Peach and my most favourite Matilda. In fact, I want my child to be named Matilda after i get married and have a daughter!

    This excerpt of a poem by Dahl is wonderful. Keep blogging more and more.

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  3. I'm just enjoying u'r blog. It is always delightful to read u'r anathology of poems.

    Everytime I thought after reading u'r new posting, I wonder! Yes this is the best
    posting of yours.But it seems to be every blog become the better than the previous one. Each and every article of yours is entirely different from previous one. It provoke me to know about everything.

    Television is a kind of gadget that spoils the moulding thinking of children.
    Books are good friends than any other. A good book is the best of friends.
    It helps them to have a fruitful future.

    If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confident
    If a child lives with praise,he learns to appreciate
    If a child lives with fairness,he learns justice.
    - Dorothy Law Nette.


    I simply adore this poem which in your blog. The most liked line by me is
    "And later, each and every kid
    Will love you more for what you did".

    U have given a wonderful msg through u'r posting.
    Hope, U will keep posting more for enriching us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Can we really throw the telly out? Better tell kids they are allowed just half an hour and pretend to let them bargain and get permission for two half an hour programmes.

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  5. this is really grat piece sathya. thanks for gleaning if for the insight and help for our kids provided they care to ,first read and then follow even in parts

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great Sathy.

    One of the greatest and brilliant posting which timely needed.

    Main challenge is to provide alternative to Old Aged Parents. Practically speaking if Fathers are not potential enough to earn sufficient then Mothers are in the position to go out to make it balance. As both parents are forcefully being a job goers then Grand Parents are the CHIEF COMMANDER for kids. Equally important to treat them and keep them well. Those who having Reading Aged Parents are gifted.

    Most of the Aged Parents are not comfort with their existence. Moreover they are very much worried about every thing without knowing the value of life.

    They are overcoming with their madness, restlessness and being a normal with the help of only one TV as it is providing the space in other words they create the space to live.

    We are pitty and helpless to take care of both our kids and Aged Parents in right way.

    ReplyDelete