TV COULD be interesting and on topic right?

[genkisan]

great quote:

Television. In 2009, the Nielsen Company reported that TV viewing in the United States is at an all-time high if one includes the following “three screens”: a television set, a laptop/personal computer, and a cell phone. American children average eight hours a day on TV, video games, movies, the Internet, cell phones, iPods, and other technologies (not including school-related use). Many progressives are concerned about the concentrated control of content by the corporate media, but the mere act of watching TV—regardless of the programming—is the primary pacifying agent (private-enterprise prisons have recognized that providing inmates with cable television can be a more economical method to keep them quiet and subdued than it would be to hire more guards).
Television is a dream come true for an authoritarian society: those with the most money own most of what people see; fear-based television programming makes people more afraid and distrustful of one another, which is good for the ruling elite who depend on a “divide and conquer” strategy; TV isolates people so they are not joining together to create resistance to authorities; and regardless of the programming, TV viewers’ brainwaves slow down, transforming them closer to a hypnotic state that makes it difficult to think critically. While playing a video games is not as zombifying as passively viewing TV, such games have become for many boys and young men their only experience of potency, and this “virtual potency” is certainly no threat to the ruling elite.

 

[Red Fang]

Oh man you get the NASA channel? Lucky

Not that lucky. It is only really worth watching for launches. otherwise you aren't missing much.

the programers are idiots; the same type that pay howard stern to work 7 days in 5 weeks.

absolutely

You need to remember that (in the eyes of execs) the show is not the product. The product is the audience. Audience size determines ad cost. Ad cost equals profit. Any show that produces profit is a quality show.

yes but no one should watch these non-quality dumbass shows. I guess the masses ARE asses! and sheep

They pander to low Iq T.V. viewers

Also a certain demographic...........Rural, white, lower socio-economic class.


T.V makes a lot of money off these folks.

that could be it.

Its a simple answer really, these idiot reality shows; Ice road fuckers, Bigfoot hillbilly's, Anal Probe hunters ect ect, are much cheaper and easier to produce then documentaries that actually require intellect to produce. Until their ratings reflect otherwise they'll keep producing this reality crap instead of doing what their networks were intended to do. The viewer is as much to blame as the producer...

right on that is the best answer yet! the sheeple must wake up!

TV is the most powerful mind-control device ever invented.

while it could be used to educate and better the population, the opposite is done.

why?

because educated and happy people are hard to rule and make for very bad consumers.

another gem of genius. I could see them having a whole new class of channel, an education channel, where you can formally or informally learn things. With the formal option, class lectures could be shown on TV and you could ask questions or get tested online. If someone uses this idea, I better get a cut or I'll kick ya in the nuts!

Television is a dream come true for an authoritarian society: those with the most money own most of what people see; fear-based television programming makes people more afraid and distrustful of one another, which is good for the ruling elite who depend on a “divide and conquer” strategy; TV isolates people so they are not joining together to create resistance to authorities; and regardless of the programming, TV viewers’ brainwaves slow down, transforming them closer to a hypnotic state that makes it difficult to think critically. While playing a video games is not as zombifying as passively viewing TV, such games have become for many boys and young men their only experience of potency, and this “virtual potency” is certainly no threat to the ruling elite.

that is so true and a great quote, but it can be used for good and wish it would happen soon.

They say if you don't like what's on TV, you can change the channel.

But when I change the channel, I see the same thing.

They say well then you can turn it off.

But if I turn it off, I am now bored and unruly, to which was the point of me wanting to turn it on in the first place.

totally man, and I think if they showed a little more "soft porn" in shows (think Miss Name your own price shown from the backside), the world would be a better place. Anyone who
can't get some" could at least have some satisfaction

I wish I could give you a week's worth of positive rep for that.

Programming is just terrible. I can remember when the History channel aired programs about...history. At least the History International channel does, but they still show some stupid stuff, e.g. UFO crap, God v. Satan.

Even the Weather channel is starting to blow. I can't stand to turn it on in the mornings knowing that fat bastard Al Roker will be on.

thanks man. They should have a UFO/paranormal/monster channel for those who want to watch that, a religious channel for all these God vs Satan and bible shows, and the weather channel should have worldwide weather forcasts and reports and shows on weather extremes for your local area.

Fire your cable company. I haven't had cable in about 2 years. Netflix ($8/mo), Hulu premium ($8/mo) and Quest DSL ($35/mo) are all I need to be adequately entertained. I can watch all the movies I want on Netflix and all the television programs I care for on Hulu. Oh and my cable bill went from $150/month with Comcast, to $50/month for all 3 services I currently use.

Cool suggestion, thanks!

OP will love this.

Ive got the HISTORY channel on, and some idiot just said, 'Jesus could have been a vampire'.

drink my blood, eat my flesh, rise from the dead...

What every happened to believing the words that were leaving your mouth?

yeah I thought about that in a joking way as a kid, but this is an example of the type of rubbish they have on now.

 

[Red Fang]

.

 

[wisco61]

OP will love this.

Ive got the HISTORY channel on, and some idiot just said, 'Jesus could have been a vampire'.

drink my blood, eat my flesh, rise from the dead...

What every happened to believing the words that were leaving your mouth?

Ridiculous, everyone knows Jesus was a zombie.

He died for your sins. He came back for your braaaaaains.

 

[longearedfriend]

I know they could have interesting, quality programs on all the channels. So why don't they? I know they could stay on topic, Travel Channel for Travel shows (not ghosts), Animal PLanet should be about the life histories of animals. History Channel should have history not monster or UFO shows. And so on. It's just common sense. So why don't they do it? And I would like to see you be able to pick the channels you want, 3/4 of them I never will watch in a million years. Oh and NASA could sell things to raise money and have interesting space shows instead of the incredibly boring programming they now have. Right or what?

things are as they should be imo

sure they could be yes

but should be to me, is resisting what is

things are the way they are for a reason (or multiple reasons) (tv/shows)

 

[Red Fang]

you can look at it that way, but if the Neanderthals did that, we'd all still be living in caves!
The difference between "should be" and is, is us making it happen. By giving up watching TV, they will be forced to put something other than crap on there.

 

[Max Headroom]

Ridiculous, everyone knows Jesus was a zombie.

He died for your sins. He came back for your braaaaaains.

 

[longearedfriend]

i understand what you are saying

I guess I am not interested in fighting for television

if I would like to learn stuff I will take a book

if I would like some mindless entertainment, I will turn on the tv

I know that it would be easier if the tv could teach us stuff, no need to concentrate yourself on reading, just listen

thats a bit of a dreamer/idealisation thing, imagining a better world

I dunno but I imagine that you started this thread out of frustration

you started another one too, about television not being adequate

I dunno to me thats resistance to what is

I really hope that you succeed in changing television for the best

 

[pearlemae]

Just a thought on TV viewing. I have direct tv and love the diversity of things to watch. I hate to say I remember when but, TVs were all black and white, you had three channels, and no sound systems just a little 3 inch speaker. Oh yeah, ya had to get up and actually walk over to the TV and physically turn the knob to change channels.
So given todays occasional diversion from what should be the content I will put up with food on Travel or Ufos on history. Although if they stayed on subject it would make it better.

 

[Green lung]

If you want to make a redneck channel fine, but leave the god dam history channel to History.

 

[Max Headroom]

most modern documentaries that are made for tv (as opposed to the internet) are unwatchable to me. they are all artificial 'drama' and ominous music and edited like a music video. *barf*

a great example of how to make highly interesting information almost unwatchable is the series "cities of the underworld" - don't you just wanna strangle that dude?



there is some really great stuff made on the net, though.
tv networks are on their way out.

 

[longearedfriend]

at my grandparents they only have 6-7 channels

you learn to appreciate them, and the outside world better

 

[Red Fang]

I really hope that you succeed in changing television for the best

thanks man! I don't think it is far fetched at all, we all watch it, if we just voiced our desires maybe they would listen. After all, they depend on us for revenue.

 

[Red Fang]

Just a thought on TV viewing. I have direct tv and love the diversity of things to watch. I hate to say I remember when but, TVs were all black and white, you had three channels, and no sound systems just a little 3 inch speaker. Oh yeah, ya had to get up and actually walk over to the TV and physically turn the knob to change channels.
So given todays occasional diversion from what should be the content I will put up with food on Travel or Ufos on history. Although if they stayed on subject it would make it better.

I remember those days too, prob is now with hundreds of channels to view, it still seems there is nothing worth viewing more often than not, and that is sad!