Well, I grew up in a generation when you had only one TV in the home and everyone watched the same program. Add to that equation, I was raised in a large family, which overall wasn't so bad. (one bathroom is the next blog)
This had an unusual "emotional stunting" effect, especially when you watched TV with your older brothers and sisters. If you watched a particularly touching, tear jerker episode of, for example, Little House on the Prarie you didn't dare shed a tear, or show any kind of weakness. If you did, older brother and sister would say "awww...look at the little baby, gonna cry now?". Better to just leave the room to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich when Charles Ingalls tore at your heart strings.
Now, as for humour...if you laughed at "adult" or older kid humour you were ok. (example: The Carol Burnett Show) But, if you dared to laugh at "kid show" humour you would get "oh ya, real funny. Grow up ya little baby".
What the Hell? No matter what we did, my sister and I were little babies in our older siblings eyes. Maybe I should have taken up smoking at 8. Actually..come to think of it, some kids did back then. (ah, another blog)
So, watching TV when I was a kid made for a mix of emotional de-programming and good times with the family. Kinda weird, but I turned out OK. After all, I can cry in a theatre when my brothers and sisters aren't around. But maybe, it's just the price of the popcorn that upsets me.
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