What mindless sheep watch on T.V.

[Tycoon]

Not only that, but it's being used as a tool to even futher dumb down the masses that can't follow a story line that's not aimed at eight year old.

I wouldn't say it's being used as a tool to dumb down the masses. I'd say it's being used as a tool to exploit the already dumbed down masses, the side effect of which being they get even dumber.

[HelioPrime]

What's so wrong with desperate housewives?

Its middle class fiction at its best.

What's so wrong with TV in general? MTV has some great real world series years back, the first few American Idol seasons were good, and I liked Friends and Will and Grace.

Select shows I'll agree are a waste. Like the Newly Weds, or The Hills, or Playboy Mansion. Shows that sell a packaged crock of idiots, sex, and spoiled rich kids.

[Walrus]

The fact that mindless sheep watch dross doesn’t mean that all those who watch dross are mindless sheep.

[Technosoul]

Law and Order re-runs that are played back to back endlessly.

A program of people paying golf all day long.

Yarn, getting sleepy just thinking about it.

A few hours of Letterman for those night time Zombies who should be getting a good night's rest.

Home videos as a cheap way to produce a TV show which is nothing but home made movies of kids falling down and other stupid things.

[Maryjane]

Quote by: Technosoul Law and Order re-runs that are played back to back endlessly. A program of people paying golf all day long. Yarn, getting sleepy just thinking about it. A few hours of Letterman for those night time Zombies who should be getting a good night's rest. Home videos as a cheap way to produce a TV show which is nothing but home made movies of kids falling down and other stupid things.

That's pretty much the only time I turn on the TV...when I crawl in bed. Other than Discovery, A&E, history channel, HGTV and the crime channel, I could live without it. I watch Top Chef every once in a while and reminisce. I get my news and weather online. I guess I don't enjoy watching screwed up people on reality shows and their self imposed drama?

[thx1138]

The medium of Television could be used to inform and educate people but it's not in most cases it's used to pacify.

For example: If you're working a full-time job in an office and you come home and watch a T.V. show about working in an office, it's pacifying you in to accepting you're just like most people punching in each day. Now if you happy with that as your role in life it's fine, you just don't ask to many questions about life and your place in the universe (until you retire that is.)

When you read story you have to fill in the sights and sound using your imagination or even if you listen to a story on radio or audio book you still have to do some work with using your imagination to fill in the sights (a good example is Old Time Radio that have great stories OTR.Network Library (The Old Time Radio Network)) .

But if T.V. is feeding you both the sights and sounds your imagination has little to do, now some people want this because they are tired from their real lives and don't want to think too much about what they use to entertain themselves. That is why I call it mind-less, you're using less of your mind to process the information being feed into you're brain.

on a side note...
How many people who watch "American Idol" also believe the offical story of 9 11 commission? maybe I should start a poll in another thread.

[gela]

I do not watch these shows. I go on the internet. But I use to.

The fact it, when you get home from a hard days work, and your both mentally and phyisically exhasted, you do not want something to make you think.
You just want entertainment. Something to make you laugh.

Complicated things are a no no.

[thx1138]

Quote by: gela I do not watch these shows. I go on the internet. But I use to. The fact it, when you get home from a hard days work, and your both mentally and phyisically exhasted, you do not want something to make you think. You just want entertainment. Something to make you laugh. Complicated things are a no no.

Maybe you're phyisically and mentally exhasted because you're in the wrong working role? If you are in a truely satisifying job went you come home your mind is charged and either your looking forward to enjoying a meal, spending some time with love ones, educating yourself (could be through T.V., reading, internet, good films real entertainment), excercising, having sex, or going out for the night.

If you're at the point when you come home that you need to just turn into a vegetable in front of "American Idol" (why not go to Karaoki?) or "Dancing with the Stars" (why not go dancing with friends?) then something is not right, it should be a warning sign that your life is on wrong track.

It takes hard work and energy to change but after you do you'll wonder how in the world did I sit in front of mind-less dribble and waste years of my life.

Complicated things are a no no.[/

that's cute, but really sad if you think about it.

[gela]

Maybe you're phyisically and mentally exhasted because you're in the wrong working role? If you are in a truely satisifying job went you come home your mind is charged and either your looking forward to enjoying a meal, spending some time with love ones, educating yourself (could be through T.V., reading, internet, good films real entertainment), excercising, having sex, or going out for the night. If you're at the point when you come home that you need to just turn into a vegetable in front of "American Idol" (why not go to Karaoki?) or "Dancing with the Stars" (why not go dancing with friends?) then something is not right, it should be a warning sign that your life is on wrong track. It takes hard work and energy to change but after you do you'll wonder how in the world did I sit in front of mind-less dribble and waste years of my life.

I said I use to watch these shows, I don't anymore.

I also use to have a bad iron deficiency which made me abnormaly tired..

But I know the feeling well. If your in an intellectualy challenging job, or if your studying difficult concepts at school, you spend your entire day concentrating hard, and trying to get your brain around hard concepts. When you get home, you don't want to watch something that you have to work to understand, you want to relax your brain.

that's cute, but really sad if you think about it.

Not really when you consider the fact that you spend 9 hours a day concentrating on work.

[Voluntary]

Television is a personal choice. If you want to call people sheep, I expect you to name the shepherd.

[thx1138]

Quote by: thx1138 I wouldn't say sliding, more like slid. A tool by who? Don't play that game, you know who, if not this might help... BBC - BBC Four Documentaries - The Century of the Self: Episode Guide The Century Of The Self - Part 1 of 4 - By Adam Curtis BBC - BBC Four Documentaries - The Century of the Self: Episode Guide The Century of the self 2 of 4 BBC - BBC Four Documentaries - The Century of the Self: Episode Guide The Century of the Self 3 of 4 BBC - BBC Four Documentaries - The Century of the Self: Episode Guide

If you watch the following videos you'll see the shepherd.
"Television is a personal choice." Yes it is to watch, but do you have a choice or a say in what is being produced for you to watch? no.

When you get home, you don't want to watch something that you have to work to understand, you want to relax your brain.

That's seems to be the problem that the system loves to put people in, not having the energy to think after work or do anything but watch mind-less crap. It would be better just sleep early in that case.

[Voluntary]

Quote by: thx1138 "Television is a personal choice." Yes it is to watch, but do you have a choice or a say in what is being produced for you to watch? no.

You have the option to tune out. Change the channel.

That's seems to be the problem that the system loves to put people in, not having the energy to think after work or do anything but watch mind-less crap. It would be better just sleep early in that case.

The problem with you is that you rather displace individual responsibility with state responsibility.

[thx1138]

Quote by: Voluntary You have the option to tune out. Change the channel. The problem with you is that you rather displace individual responsibility with state responsibility.

How would changing the channel give you a choice from what is being produced?

When did I say it was the state's responsibility? It's your responsibility to learn just what watching this mind-less dribble is doing to your brain.

[Gods_Mercenary]

If nobody watched, than they would change the programming. It is completely democratic, in that respect.

[Anmon]

Cant say I watch TV much any more, most of it is just politically correct garbage, I don't mind biggest loser, aussie version, seeing the fattys getting flogged for eating too much, family guy, futurama the Simpson's, south park are OK.
The serious shows now are just boring crap but, CSI etc they are all alike and mind numbingly politically correct and therefore of course boring as hell.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Anmon Cant say I watch TV much any more, most of it is just politically correct garbage, I don't mind biggest loser, aussie version, seeing the fattys getting flogged for eating too much, family guy, futurama the Simpson's, south park are OK. The serious shows now are just boring crap but, CSI etc they are all alike and mind numbingly politically correct and therefore of course boring as hell.

"Idiot box" is the correct term, for the most part.

Grandpa h.

[DCAPBTLS77]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary Third watch ahs been canceled for ages, no? I like house, though, mainly because of Hugh Laurie

Actually They still run 3rd Watch on A&E at 7 am , At least thats how comcast airs it, dunno if its new or old stuff but I love it.
And I watch House mainly for HUgh Laurie as well , but mainly cause I think hes sexy.

[Simonius]

Hmm... I admit that there is a lot of trash on TV, but doesn't this smack of snobbery? Popular entertainment does not have to be educational or challenging, sometimes it can just be worthless fun.

[Anmon]

Quote by: Simonius Hmm... I admit that there is a lot of trash on TV, but doesn't this smack of snobbery? Popular entertainment does not have to be educational or challenging, sometimes it can just be worthless fun.

agreed thats why I like family guy etc, but the american law and order shows, cold case etc are just boring same scenarios, cliches, same lines alot of the time just rubbish.
Then you have shows that glorify smut and sleeze, and their talk shows like oprah or springer just mindless crap.
I do like Letterman, but hes an original.
The English shows have got a lot more intelligence, substance and professionalism put into them.

[Simonius]

Quote by: Anmon agreed thats why I like family guy etc, but the american law and order shows, cold case etc are just boring same scenarios, cliches, same lines alot of the time just rubbish. Then you have shows that glorify smut and sleeze, and their talk shows like oprah or springer just mindless crap. The English shows have got a lot more intelligence, substance and professionalism put into them.

Well I do sometimes worry that their is a link between things like jerry springer and the complete decay of morality in society, but then its easy to find a scape goat for all that.

Americans like their entertainment dirty or glossy or both. Chat shows about degenerates spawning degenerate kids, or sexy single lawyers doing sexy single things. Over this side of the pond we have acquired the same taste for filth but we still make shows that feature some quite unattractive people involved in some actual plots.

Its is good though that we have those two styles as it allows for the consumer to pick and choose what they are in the mood for.