“A television set.” The term “Idiot Box” dates from about 1950 and is an obviously derogatory take on the medium of television, insinuating that watching TV is an unintelligent or brainless activity. An example in conversation might be:
“It’s a shame her kids have no supervision and just sit, hour after hour, in front of the idiot box.”
Similar Terms 📽️
- Boob Tube: Another colloquial, disparaging term for the TV set.
- Mind-numbing Machine: Recently coined to emphasize the passive consumption of TV content.
- Gogglebox: A British slang term reflecting the fixation viewers display while watching TV.
- Digital Dullifier: Used in modern speech to lampoon excessive media consumption.
Synonyms 😀
- Telly
- Television
- Screen
Antonyms 🤔
- Book
- Mind Expander
- Intellectual Pursuit
Humorous Quotes 🤣
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” - Groucho Marx
“Television: A medium, so-called because it is neither rare nor well done.” - Ernie Kovacs
Proverbs that Relate 🌍
- “The eyes are the windows of the soul, but TV is the windshield splashed with mud.”
- “As the iron is eaten away by rust, so too does the foolish mind by watching pointless shows.”
Recommended Literature, Songs, and Films 🎶📚🎬
Books:
- Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
- The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein
Songs:
- 🎵 “TV Party” by Black Flag
- 🎵 “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles
Films:
- 🎬 Network (1976)
- 🎬 The Truman Show (1998)
Poetry Related:
- Television by Roald Dahl
Quizzes about Televised Trivia 📊
Farewell in the spirit of thought-provoking TV banter:
“In the world of clichés, like television itself, remember to think critically, watch selectively, and switch off decidedly.”
- S. Screenwriter
