Monday, January 28, 2008

Not just for the hearing impaired.

I found out yesterday just how addicted I am to closed captioning. Yes, I'm addicted to having the closed captioning at the bottom of the screen, especially during movies. It started right after Carson was born. When he was napping or nursing or something, we would want to watch a show or movie, but keep the volume reasonably low. It got ridiculous trying to wrestle with the volume control to keep the loud parts quiet and the quiet parts loud enough to hear and understand. So, we just started using closed captioning.
I've been trying to wean myself from it, but I usually end up turning it back on. I know most people can't stand it. I think it's that I'm now used to having a reference at the bottom of the screen to look at as soon as I don't understand one phrase someone has said. I'm very visual! If they mumble too much, I want to read below what it was they said. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to understand a complex plot, or one with lots of names and places (I mean, LOTR has taken on a whole new meaning for me) when you are able to read as you watch.
Yesterday in church, the worship leader was praying. I had my eyes closed, as we all know is one of the requirements for heaven. He said something in his prayer that I didn't quite catch, and I instinctively openened my eyes and looked up. In that spit second, I realized that I was looking up to catch the words on the closed captioning. Oops! Somebody needs an intervention.

7 comments:

Linz said...

It must me a mom thing. I am the same way...well except for the praying thing. I guess I haven't had my "Somebody needs and intervention" moment yet!

Steph said...

Jen, Jen...that is just sad! In a cute way. :)

Anonymous said...

Jen,

I found myself saying "Yes! Yes!" as I read your entry. We are totally addicted--and it started the first time Aris agreed to watch Pride and Prejudice with me--he can't understand chatter with an English accent! We found it so nice that we do it all the time. This habit backfires on me when I go to my sister's house to watch a movie, though. Glad to have such good company in my quirky-ness!

woosterweester said...

Oh my word! I do not even know where to begin. This entry was too funny...and then to find out there are more just like you???? It's too much.:) I love it and it makes you that much more adorable.

Kristi said...

oh jen...this habit of yours drives me CRAZY!!! Although, i won't lie...there have been a few times where I wished I could figure the closed captions out on my tv at home...but if I can't figure out how to turn the tv on, then closed captioning is probably not going to happen! :o) In other news...maybe you could see if you could get the closed captions in Spanish...then you could learn a new language while watching tv. That is how I learned to read/write in Norwegian because of the subtitles they put on everything. But then again...if you use closed captioning, maybe there is no sound?! or is sound an option? oh my gosh...this has turned into my own blogpost. i'm totally rambling!!!

Pam Markley said...

Glad to know that I am not the only one who actually CHOOSES and DESIRES to watch movie with closed captioning or subtitles! I don't remember when it started but I soon realized that you get SO Much more of the movie when subtitles are on.

Glad to know that if I ever watch a movie with you I won't have to ask if we can turn on subtitles or closed captioning in a mouse-y voice!

Anonymous said...

Jen,
Just remember when you want to read about Snow/school closures that crawl across the screen at the bottom, close-captioning will cover it up. You will frantically look for the remote button that turns it off! But, I guess that won't really matter until Carson is going to school and praying for a snow day!
Your retired teacher/Mom