Why do they have TV's in restaurants?

**Duggo** · 01-21-2008, 07:10 AM

And, with the sound turned down?

I understand your there to enjoy a quiet evening with others, so you can have a conversation, and you don't want the audio from the televisions to intrude or detract from an otherwise lovely evening out.

All of which leads me back to my original question:

Why do they have TV's in restaurants? (at all)

**sparkchaser** · 01-21-2008, 07:16 AM

Near as I can tell it is so that the people I am talking to can't hear me.

**Duggo** · 01-21-2008, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by sparkchaser

Near as I can tell it is so that the people I am talking to can't hear me.

Too funny

**kwk285** · 01-21-2008, 07:41 AM

I like the TVs in the bathroom over the urinals.

**2bits** · 01-21-2008, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by Duggo

And, with the sound turned down?

I understand your there to enjoy a quiet evening with others, so you can have a conversation, and you don't want the audio from the televisions to intrude or detract from an otherwise lovely evening out.

All of which leads me back to my original question:

Why do they have TV's in restaurants? (at all)

Silence - for many leads to feeling alone (fear / anxiety)

Thinking - keeps us from hearing (being aware of) the silence

Talking - is scripted (easy) thinking, it distracts our audience but mostly ourselves and it is safer than thinking

Television - keeps us from all of the above and also from attending to the wider world around us (which is often also frightening)

Sleeping - in the world of television - we are vulnerable to messages that certain "brands" are a comfort

example - It's Coca-Cola time

Coke is a comfort - but just for a minute

You don't even have to change the channel to keep up the flight "away"

The screen changes every few seconds

"And now this ..."

**letterk** · 01-21-2008, 08:51 AM

Get yourself one of these.

**castlecraver** · 01-21-2008, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Duggo

Why do they have TV's in restaurants? (at all)

For people like me who don't get NFL Net or the Big Ten Network.

**analog_kid** · 01-21-2008, 09:11 AM

From my own personal experience, TVs seem to be mostly in the bar/grill chains, in which case I would say they are their to distract you from the terrible food they are serving you and how much they charge you for that food.

**rabidpotatochip** · 01-21-2008, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by kwk285

I like the TVs in the bathroom over the urinals.

I think that was the greatest single moment in advertising.

Originally Posted by letterk

Get yourself one of these.

You can actually get in a lot of trouble using one of those things, I'd highly recommend avoiding them unless you're the one guy able to not brag about his shiny gizmo.

**Duggo** · 01-21-2008, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by 2bits

Silence - for many leads to feeling alone (fear / anxiety)

Thinking - keeps us from hearing (being aware of) the silence

Talking - is scripted (easy) thinking, it distracts our audience but mostly ourselves and it is safer than thinking

Television - keeps us from all of the above and also from attending to the wider world around us (which is often also frightening)

Sleeping - in the world of television - we are vulnerable to messages that certain "brands" are a comfort

example - It's Coca-Cola time

Coke is a comfort - but just for a minute

You don't even have to change the channel to keep up the flight "away"

The screen changes every few seconds

"And now this ..."

Under normal viewing conditions, i.e. with audio - you make excellent points. I don't say the following with any malice or judgmental thoughts; anymore than I would like to be thought of "outside the norm" for hanging out at B&B as much as I do.

I think that the television is a great thing to the extent that you can come home from a stressful day, and turn on the TV and relax. You don't have do to anything. But to be engaged in the medium that we call television, you need audio.

Perhaps someone could explain how without audio television is serving as an escape mechanism (or other mechanism,) in a restaurant...

**rabidpotatochip** · 01-21-2008, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Duggo

Perhaps someone could explain how without audio television is serving as an escape mechanism (or other mechanism,) in a restaurant...

I'll take a crack at it: closed captioning. I know some deaf people that just love being able to go down to the pub for a drink or three and not miss their favorite sporting event.

**arcman** · 01-21-2008, 10:50 AM

They're pretty much there expressly so guys can watch the football game (or whatever game is going on at the moment).

**letterk** · 01-21-2008, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by rabidpotatochip

You can actually get in a lot of trouble using one of those things, I'd highly recommend avoiding them unless you're the one guy able to not brag about his shiny gizmo.

I bought my dad one. He loves it!

**moses** · 01-21-2008, 11:54 AM

I've only ever seen then in sports bar/grills. Where they make perfect sense, of course. And you really don't need the sound to watch sports, although it is nice....

-Mo

**guitarslinger** · 01-21-2008, 11:58 AM

I don't care what people say. TV is awesome.

You're trying to tell me nobody ever tuned eachother out or wasted time before TV was invented?

people don't change.

people = happy+sad+path of least resistance.

TV = entertainment

**Tony Miller** · 01-21-2008, 01:04 PM

I suppose it's there for entertainment just in case one gets tired of talking on thier Bluetooth earpiece during dinner <g>

I just love seeing people wired for sound, yakking away during dinner. This is not during a busines lunch either.... just one of the nicer local places on a Sunday evening. Of course I had a fellow call Thanksgiving evening, during dinner to order a strop so maybe TV is the lesser of evils.

Tony

**2bits** · 01-21-2008, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Duggo

. . . Perhaps someone could explain how without audio television is serving as an escape mechanism (or other mechanism,) in a restaurant...

No audio and only a 1 inch screen ...

**ouch** · 01-21-2008, 05:15 PM

It's part of the landscape in NYC. The Burritoville chain has old Spanish movies running nonstop, and Tortilla Flats advertises "big screen tv inside" (it's a 19" b/w).

All part of the fun.

**rabidpotatochip** · 01-21-2008, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by ouch

It's part of the landscape in NYC. The Burritoville chain has old Spanish movies running nonstop, and Tortilla Flats advertises "big screen tv inside" (it's a 19" b/w).

All part of the fun.

Let me fix that for ya, "Big screen. TV inside.". They're actually referring to the room divider you see.

**morajam** · 01-21-2008, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by analog_kid

From my own personal experience, TVs seem to be mostly in the bar/grill chains, in which case I would say they are their to distract you from the terrible food they are serving you and how much they charge you for that food.

+1 i was about to say exactly that