Why does TV suck nowadays?

History Channel is good, though they do have glaring inaccuracies. Their show on National Treasure grated on me like sandpaper. It's not "Who were the Freemasons?" you nit, it's "Who are"! Quit acting like the world's largest philanthropy is either dead or a cult!

Food TV is nice. I've learned a lot of interesting cooking techniques off there, and have used them to make some very good food for myself and friends.
 
...for those of you wanting to backstop their antitelevision bias I heartily recommend "Four Arguments for the Elimination Of Television" by Gerry Mander.
wonder if my ex liking tv too much has warped my pov on it? :confused:
 
One on 4 people in western countries are now clinically depressed. The global market for anti-depressant drugs is on a par with oil - depression is our society’s modern epidemic and I believe that television is a major contributor to this.

2 reasons;

1)Television shows people with average incomes living in beautiful apartments, driving BMW’s wearing Rolexes etc. We all get the subconscious message to buy stuff that we can’t afford and to strive for a ‘status’ that may be beyond us (as if that ‘status’ exists any place else than TV anyway).
2)Serotonin, the neurotransmitter that lowers with depression, is affected by us being too aroused late at night, particularly staring at a light source (like TV). A psychologist friend of mine has told me of many patients who have made huge improvements in their symptoms by not watching television at night.

To quote a favourite movie of mine;

‘Advertising, has us working jobs we hate so we can buy sh!t we don’t need’
 
Just noticed that apparently they canceled "The Shield" in Germany. That was the only show I'd been watching on a regular basis.
 
gajinoz said:
TV is sh!t for the simple reason that that's what people want to watch. It's fairly simple. Shows that attract lots of viewers attract lots of advertising which attracts lots of money for the tv network owners.

There are vast numbers of mindless idiots who actually like watching those appalling reality shows so that's what gets aired. TV very graphically illustrates which end of the IQ scale the majority of the tv watching population inhabit.

Here is a great way to fix the problem. Switch the bloody thing off and go do something interesting.
Click to expand...

I believe there is a feedback loop between the corporarte media and the lowering of the overall consciousness (if not the intelligence) of the public. The limited output has limited the tastes ofn the public and given the average person a 30 second attention span.

When people read their news, they have an opportunity to learn something in depth.

When they read books, they can select the level of intellegence they want to access. In absorbing the pap on TV, there is no choice beyond the level of PBS, which is minimal, even though better than the commercial outlets.
 
actually tv plus the automobile is resposible for many of our health problems we don't walk enough exercise enough learn enough etc. we are sppon fed mass marketing messages via the boob tube and sit and eat while watching it and grow fatter and more depressed etc. every year.

we should sponsor the great american turn off and cut it off during ratings week.
 
Lets not forget, TV has also produced those hideous parasites, TV evengelists. For that alone the networks should be vapourised!
 
gajinoz said:
TV is sh!t for the simple reason that that's what people want to watch. It's fairly simple. Shows that attract lots of viewers attract lots of advertising which attracts lots of money for the tv network owners.

There are vast numbers of mindless idiots....

Here is a great way to fix the problem. Switch the bloody thing off and go do something interesting.
Click to expand...

AMEN TO THAT!!
 
Point44 said:
They also cancelled Firefly.
Click to expand...

Joss Wedon is making a Firefly movie.
I think that all of the let down Star Wars fans will go see it, giving it such good numbers, that the show will be picked up again.
Here's hoping.

That said, the only two good channels on TV these days is the History channel, and Cartoon Network. Even CN is walking the thin line of suck. However their Adult Swim line keeps them on the awesome side.

-KC
 
Robert b
your post left me unclear, is it porns frequency or quality that upsets you. :)
Seriously, to each his own, and I can claim no moral high ground, but I do object to what can be seen on tv.. who checks kids ages late at night. I know who should be but...
I recently discovered with the different feeds for the different time zones you can get softcore with your breakfast here, shud you so desire.
Have to wrap the whole tv in a plain brown wrapper. :grumpy:
 
uitlander said:
Robert b


I recently discovered with the different feeds for the different time zones you can get softcore with your breakfast here, shud you so desire.
Have to wrap the whole tv in a plain brown wrapper. :grumpy:
Click to expand...

Only in America could you get porn with your cornflakes. ;) :)
 
Gajinoz... I am gonna have to put my location in the right corner.. I am in Canada the Good *CHOKE* watching Canadian channels. Can't blame this on you guys down north in Sodom and Gomorrah land.
And I eat cheerios, they don't cut up my gums like frosted flakes do when the action heats..oh wait I was against this stuff wasn't I? :confused:
 
Let me quote myself...

Quiet Storm said:
Just noticed that apparently they canceled "The Shield" in Germany. That was the only show I'd been watching on a regular basis.
Click to expand...

I was wrong...I just found out that it was just the end of the first season (I didn't have time to watch the last two episodes).
 
gajinoz said:
Only in America could you get porn with your cornflakes. ;) :)
Click to expand...
Pornflakes?

Anyway, telly's not too bad at the moment. My favourites from the main channels this week:

Billy Connolly’s World Tour of New Zealand

Top Gear

Never Mind the Buzzcocks http://www.ukgameshows.com/index.php/Never_Mind_the_Buzzcocks

North and South http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/northandsouth/

Panorama http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/programmes/panorama/default.stm

Mastermind

Dead Ringers http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/deadringers/index.shtml

The Kumars at no 42 http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/k/kumarsatno42the_66602080.shtml

Monkey Dust http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/monkeydust.shtml

Newsnight http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/default.stm

Fifth Gear http://www.five.tv/home/frameset/?content=2278491

Spooks http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/spooks/

Who do You Think You Are? http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/wdytya_celeb_gallery_07.shtml

The Smoking Room http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/smoking_room.shtml

Macintyre’s big sting http://www.macintyre.com/modules.ph...Du&file=index&func=wherecountr&target=Germany

British Isles: a Natural History http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/britishisles/

Wildlife on One http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...18.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/11/18/ixnewstop.html

Brian Sewell’s Phantoms and Shadows: 100 years of Rolls Royce

Dispatches http://channel4.com/health/microsites/P/profiting_from_kids_in_care/index.html

Beyond River Cottage http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/R/rivercottage/

The Frank Skinner Show http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/547383.stm

My Dad’s the Prime Minister http://www.kristenbrown.co.uk/mydadspm.htm

French and Saunders http://www.frenchandsaunders.com/index.shtml

Empire Warriors http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listing...filename=20041126/20041126_2100_4224_55974_60

Have I Got News For You http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A841772

QI http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/qi/

Andrew
 
We got our first TV in the early 80's, and my parents have changed it one time since then (because it was stolen). That tells you what they thought of the stupid box. In the mid 90's I left my parents' home and I've not had a TV since then.

On the other hand, I have a full wall of books...

Each time I go to someone's and the TV is on, I am conforted in my decision. The two exceptions I can think of are Jamie Oliver and Alton Brown on the cooking channel. :D

I notice that all channels are dumbed down. The fiction shows are mindless, the so called documentary channels (history, discovery, etc) do their best to appeal to the lowest denominator rather than to try to educate and uplift people, and the 24/7 news channels are neither.

It's not getting any better either....

Between the internet and TiVo, I predict the swift end of broadcast TV. It is being replaced by Cable, but I believe that the net will eventually take over, either with direct substitutes (shows on demand) or simply because people will spend their time on it.

Already, there are age / gender / social groups who spend more time online than on TV - not to mention gaming...
 
"Already, there are age / gender / social groups who spend more time online than on TV"

Hell, I spend more time here on BF than I do watching TV.
 
I agree with Shgeo. This place gives me more information, entertainment, and relaxation than TV. Why spend time watching TV when you can spend it on the internet Talking about it? :D

I do agree that there are a few good shows out there. Lost is one I don't like to miss, as well as Judging Amy, Joan of Arcadia, ER, and Scrubs. I know they are not all the "food for your mind" stuff, but I like a good laugh every once in a while, and it's nice to live vicariously through others' lives, so I don't have to live my own life. :p

DD
 
I like Scrubs....

I watch a lot of Turner Classic Movies....

Love the old flicks...
 
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