So if you weren’t paying attention yesterday . . . in the midst of flag waving and fireworks . . . Joey Chestnut ate 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes, shattering the world record by 9 and beating 6 time champion Takeru Kobayashi. The title of world’s biggest hot dog eater is safely back in American hands. Thank God.
There is something terribly wrong in the world when a group of people can get together to eat massive amounts of food in a short amount of time and get televised on national television . . . when over half of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day. Only in America.
But just so everyone realizes what a hypocrite I am . . . for the past 2 weeks I’ve been considering buying a flat-screen HDTV. I haven’t yet because I keep wrestling with that pesky Jesus. Truth be told, it’s a great price at $534.99. But do I need the tv? Not really. The main reason I want it is so that I can have better graphics when I play my video games. So I’m essentially contemplating a television for the sole purpose of having better picture when I play video games and watch the one tv show worth anything . . . LOST. Is that worth $534.99? It probably is. Again, it’s not a bad price. And it’s not like I have tons of other things that I buy. I’m really good about the clothes that I buy, only buying things at the thrift store or sparingly elsewhere. I check out books from the library. I don’t really have any hobbies. We give to some very cool groups. So technically it’s probably not that excessive for us. But is it? Would my life be any less entertaining if I didn’t have it? What could that $534.99 buy? What could it be used for?
Buying televisions for video games when I should really be reading a book anyway.
And don’t get me started on the iPhone. I had a dream about it the other night. My high school chemistry teacher (don’t ask) had one and was holding it out for me to to let me touch it and when Anna woke me up. I was about 6 inches away from it. I know it’s creepy and sad and weird. But it is so beautiful. I want it. I must have it. It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.
It’s a shame that as a culture we are so used to excess that we don’t even recognize it anymore.
And it’s a shame that I’ll probably wrestle with this decision for another month. The entire time talking about ethics and Jesus and taking the moral high road. Feel good about myself. And then break down and buy it.
I’m a hypocrite.
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13 Comments
First of all, its not because of better graphics in video games (alone), its so you won’t get pwned when you split screen your TV and can’t see the hostiles at 300 yards. duh.
You clearly just need to sit Jesus down next to you and let him try and pwn with the TV you got now.
As for the iPhone: at least it was a teacher holding it out to you, and not a centaur. just sayin.
well played.
Josh,
I say that as long as you’re not going into debt to by the television, go for it. Is it excess compared to the world as a whole? Yes. Are you giving into consumerism just a little bit? Probably. But, here’s my take on it. As long as you don’t allow the TV to take over your life and make you a vegetable, you’re allowed to enjoy yourself and refill your batteries. Lost and video games are an outlet, and a healthy one at that (again, as long as you don’t let it control you). Could that money be used for something else? Again, yes. But, you also can’t neglect and torture yourself to the point that you’re no longer serving with a pure heart. Take it from me, without the outlets, you can become a very cynical person who serves “because they have to” not because you want to.
Hope that makes sense.
I think the point is that TV and games have the potential to do that (vegetable-ize) to Josh, and a larger TV would only perpetuate the problem.
Quote:
“Too often I have used them [video games] as a tool for mind-numbing. Too often I have allowed them to shape me. ”
Josh, exactly one month ago.
I’d be the first guy to step up and defend a place for entertainment outlets in life – I game plenty more than I should. But its not an issue of whether he games or watches LOST at all – its an issue of whether there’s an extra 4 to 8 inches of screen to see it on.
I gotta say, its kinda fun discussing Josh’s brain on a comment thread.
i definitely see what you’re saying joshua. i’m just trying to figure it out. it’s not that i feel guilty about it. i’m just trying to decide if i need to spend $500+ on something that i only really want so that i don’t get sniped from a hundred yards out. for the military game that i’m playing. which is another whole level of hypocrisy.
Josh,
I think you need to seriously think about this, and in my opinion you should feel guilty about it. If your the type of person who disgusted by a hotdog eating contest buying a bigger TV that further circles the cycles of capitalism and individualism through video games and TV is big flaw. You seem to have taken a great amount values from the sermon on the mount, but they are not values if they never get into action (pacifism includes video games in my mind) if you do not build your house upon them. I’ll pray for you, but don’t pick the sand, its only more work later.
Dude consider the fact that you even get to struggle with a decision like this and make the better choice. As for the iPhone, the marketing that makes you want it is exactly what is wrong with this country.
Peace
Life is a delicate balance which is why these things are never clear cut. I don’t think people that forsake all TV are extreme or anything, but that is one end of the spectrum. The other end of the spectrum is watching TV all the time.
Same goes for what kind of TV you get, if you do indeed need or really want to get one. The question is where the balance is. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying music, reading books, watching movies, etc. I’d actually say it’s important, as art is a part of creation. But it shouldn’t take precedence over sacrifice and providing for those who have less. The balance is an issue between you and God.
MarkS and Tommy…
Ease up on the fellow! Josh, you do more serious thinking about these issues than 93% of the people I know. As you continue to work through the deeper realities of how the gospel affects all levels of your life, you will continue to run into difficulties and hypocrisies that you didn’t know existed before…and it’ll take time and effort to find the faithful path.
So you want the nicer TV…what’s the state of your TV now? And do you know someone or some organization you could give it to that could use it if you got the newer one?
So you want the iPhone…how’s your cellphone now? Does it work fine and is holding up ok? Where are you in your contract with whomever service? I’d suggest sticking with the phone/contract and waiting to get the iPhone later myself…mostly because the hype over the iPhone is driven by consumerism and materialism.
The TV debate in your head strikes me as different than the iPhone one…getting the TV is more functional, getting the iPhone is more material.
But that’s just me.
Walking the path of faithfulness is always going to be subjective and incremental, I think. In seeking that balance, we need honesty with ourselves , honesty with God, and honest friends along the way…
Though Eric raises a good point of consideration about the TV…
Here is what’s sad. I watched Joey eat those hotdogs on a 60″ HD television in a house that easily cost a million dollars (and that is in Tulsa, I can’t imagine what this house would cost in ATL). How’s that for Hot Dogs, Big Screens, & Excess.
I think that the XBox 360 can’t be played without an HD television if you really want to have the full experience.
Tank,
That’s the point. Instead of questioning why anyone would need an Xbox 360, we asking the question (or stating in your case) should it be played on an HD TV. I don’t know why Josh blogs, but I assume in some ways it helps others keep him accountable to the morals and kind of person he wants to be. You can always justify your excess by pointing to someone else’s. It’s not a matter of balance, and from as much as Josh blogs about this kind of stuff, it is a question of faithfulness to the virtues he believes in. I don’t see how we keeping missing that so we can argue balance. “sell everything and give it to the poor” are the words, not how functional is it, or since I don’t buy anything else. I don’t live up to those words at all, but if someone blogs about their own hypocrisy towards them, we owe it to them to help where we have failed.
Umm, it was half sarcasm and half poking fun at him because I lived with him and we played xbox 360 non-stop on my HDTV (not the one mentioned in the big house, I am house sitting) and now he has to play on his regular tv which is a big step down when playing XBOX. I really don’t think he should buy an HDTV, but at the same time they are pretty sweet.
Sorry, I know that context of my comment is unknown to most.
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