comfort TV

comfort TV
(KUM.furt tee.vee)
n.
Television programs with unsophisticated or homespun themes that comfort or provide solace.
Example Citation:
But by mid-September, the Condit story was a faint memory. 'Comfort TV,' fed by nostalgia for more innocent times, came on strong, typified by huge viewership for a Carol Burnett special.
— James Hebert, "The big-budget blowout 'Pearl Harbor' fed into post-Sept. 11 patriotism," Copley News Service, December 28, 2001
Earliest Citation:
'Truckin' USA,' The Nashville Network, 3 p.m. (also 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Sundays). Buried among the weekend fishin' and racin' lineup is this little gem, steered by Ed Bruce, a homespun country singer who makes Wilford Brimley look wired. Bruce hosts from behind the wheel of his pickup, journeying Kuralt-style to various outlets of Americana. Other contributors offer repair and renovation tips, usually concluding, oddly enough, with gushy words for some sponsor product. From the tire-tread graphics to the hokey scriptwriting, this is real comfort TV: stilted, but so smooth.
— Darel Jevens, "Uncharted Channels," Chicago Sun-Times, March 5, 1993
Notes:
This phrase (also seen as comfort television) is no doubt a play on the familiar comfort food, which entered the language in the mid-70s. This refers to simple fare (especially food loaded with carbohydrates) that's comforting because the eater associates it with their childhood in particular or with home cooking in general.
Although discussions of comfort TV have popped up all over the place since September 11 (or 9-11, which was recently declared the "Word of the Year" by the American Dialect Society: http://www.americandialect.org), the notion has been around for a few years.
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  • Comfort — Com fort, n. [OF. confort, fr. conforter.] 1. Assistance; relief; support. [Obs. except in the phrase aid and comfort. See 5 below.] Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Encouragement; solace; consolation in trouble; also, that which affords consolation.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Comfort — Com fort, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Comforted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Comforting.}] [F. conforter, fr. L. confortare to strengthen much; con + fortis strong. See {Fort}.] 1. To make strong; to invigorate; to fortify; to corroborate. [Obs.] Wyclif. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • comfort — n ease, *rest, repose, relaxation, leisure Analogous words: contentedness or content, satisfaction (see corre sponding adjectives under SATISFY vb): enjoyment, joy, fruition, *pleasure: relief, assuagement, alleviation (see corresponding verbs at …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • comfort — [kum′fərt] vt. [ME comforten < OFr conforter, to comfort < LL (esp. in Vulg. of O.T.) confortare, to strengthen much < L com , intens. + fortis, strong: see FORT1] 1. to soothe in distress or sorrow; ease the misery or grief of; bring… …   English World dictionary

  • Comfort — (Марина ди Кампо,Италия) Категория отеля: Адрес: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II , 57034 Марина …   Каталог отелей

  • Comfort — Comfort, TX U.S. Census Designated Place in Texas Population (2000): 2358 Housing Units (2000): 917 Land area (2000): 3.205519 sq. miles (8.302256 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.014612 sq. miles (0.037845 sq. km) Total area (2000): 3.220131 sq.… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Comfort, TX — U.S. Census Designated Place in Texas Population (2000): 2358 Housing Units (2000): 917 Land area (2000): 3.205519 sq. miles (8.302256 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.014612 sq. miles (0.037845 sq. km) Total area (2000): 3.220131 sq. miles (8.340101 …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • comfort — [n1] good feeling; ease abundance, alleviation, amenity, assuagement, bed of roses*, cheer, cheerfulness, complacency, contentment, convenience, coziness, creature comforts*, enjoyment, exhilaration, facility, gratification, happiness, luxury,… …   New thesaurus

  • comfort — ► NOUN 1) a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. 2) (comforts) things that contribute to comfort. 3) consolation for grief or anxiety. ► VERB ▪ cause to feel less unhappy; console. DERIVATIVES comforting …   English terms dictionary

  • Comfort 24 — (Одесса,Украина) Категория отеля: Адрес: Frantsuzskiy Boulevard 16, Одесса, 65000, Украи …   Каталог отелей

  • Comfort — (engl.), 1) Hülfe; 2) Bequemlichkeit, Behaglichkeit; daher: Comfortabel (spr. Comfortäbl), bequem, behaglich …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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