Watching TV- Rituals

No, I'm not talking about blood-letting into a pint of Ben and Jerry's while watching Dr. Phil, though I could understand why one would. I'm talking about the rituals some of us have when watching certain TV shows. Most of us have had at least one, maybe it was waking up before the crack of dawn on Saturdays to grab a bowl of Cocoa Puffs and watch Bugs Bunny while our parents tried to sleep in. And we wonder why our moms were so cranky at the grocery store later in the day. I definitely had that ritual, and the post-grocery store spankings to prove it.

When I was a bit older, but still young, I would go to my grandmother's apartment on Fridays to spend the night. Grandma and I would watch "The Dukes of Hazzard", "Dallas" and "Falcon Crest", and she'd let me eat all the junk food I wanted. We'd burn up the calories laughing in bed at her crazy jokes. Then I started getting into football, and would watch the games on Sunday with my dad explaining the rules and my mom asking how many goals the teams had. I'm totally serious, she still does this. I blame it on my brother's soccer playing.

It would be much later when my next TV ritual began. My freshman year of college, "Beverly Hills 90210" premiered, and "Melrose Place" not too long after. A bunch of us would gather up at my friend Suzi's apartment, make dinner, and watch the shows. Suzi was so serious about these shows, she would keep a spray bottle of water clutched in her hands, and if you talked, you got spritzed. Like a cat. To this day, if I unfortunately happen upon one of those shows in syndication, I have to fight the urge to grab my umbrella.

Then "Survivor" hit the boob tube, and with it, a new ritual. I'd watch it over a big bowl of angel hair with vodka sauce, get sauced on vodka tonics, then meet fellow drunks in a "Survivor" chat room after the show. Shortly after, and continuing to this day, is the "American Idol" ritual, with my mom calling me at every break to dish and bitch about the performances and judges. It's way safer than the ritual drinking games involving Paula and what meds she is on each week.

If you feel so inclined, please share your own TV show-watching rituals!