Is TV getting even worse?

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Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
I watched 2 episodes of Breaking Bad last night. I thought it was pretty good. The dark side of it is to show what some people are capable of if they throw morals and ethics out the window and no longer have anything to live for. Granted, i don't think I could become the worlds best meth cook if I knew I'd be dead in a year, but I'd probably start trying things I'd have been afraid of previously!

I get that. I still don't know why the 'dark side' is so prevalent in much of today's entertainment. I mean....even if a person was going to die....is doing unethical and despicable behaviors something to be thought of as entertainment? No, I certainly would not want or expect every series on TV to be a Father knows Best type of thing, but at the same time so much of our weekly programming is filled with similar dark type stuff....or sexual garbage such as having affairs, infidelity, or what have you. For me, I need to stop putting all that junk into my head on a daily basis. It's tough enough dealing with real life and driving to work with scary nut-jobs on the road....not to mention the nasty folks in my workplace.


It's a show about meth. How light and upbeat do you think the meth industry is?

That's like watching a documentary about the holocaust and saying you didn't like it because of all the bodies.

Some things in this world aren't happy topics.
 
Originally Posted By: D189379
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
I watched 2 episodes of Breaking Bad last night. I thought it was pretty good. The dark side of it is to show what some people are capable of if they throw morals and ethics out the window and no longer have anything to live for. Granted, i don't think I could become the worlds best meth cook if I knew I'd be dead in a year, but I'd probably start trying things I'd have been afraid of previously!

I get that. I still don't know why the 'dark side' is so prevalent in much of today's entertainment. I mean....even if a person was going to die....is doing unethical and despicable behaviors something to be thought of as entertainment? No, I certainly would not want or expect every series on TV to be a Father knows Best type of thing, but at the same time so much of our weekly programming is filled with similar dark type stuff....or sexual garbage such as having affairs, infidelity, or what have you. For me, I need to stop putting all that junk into my head on a daily basis. It's tough enough dealing with real life and driving to work with scary nut-jobs on the road....not to mention the nasty folks in my workplace.


It's a show about meth. How light and upbeat do you think the meth industry is?

That's like watching a documentary about the holocaust and saying you didn't like it because of all the bodies.

Some things in this world aren't happy topics.

No...it's not 'like' watching a documentary. It's not a documentary. If it was, I would certainly grasp that yes, it would be dark and depressing. Being a documentary about meth, I would expect that. But you do realize that this show is FICTIONAL and is meant to ENTERTAIN? I did not expect it to be a happy show, but I also did not think it would be so depressing and filled with negativity. It's disturbing quite frankly. Yes, it's well acted. But why would I want to watch something that has ZERO pleasant qualities to it? It's supposed to entertain. Why would I want to be shocked at violence and death....week after week? Is that mentally or emotionally healthy when all I need to do is pick up my local paper and read the same garbage going on...in REAL life? No. Not me. I don't mind seeing an occasional film that is dark or rather unpleasant. But a weekly series devoted to the horrible side of society? Not for me. Real life is depressing enough and I don't want or need to see it in weekly doses as a strange form of "entertainment".
 
it is amazing what some think is good TV. the best TV i have seen in 2 weeks, was the NHRA drag racing on espn 2, sun evening.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
I did not expect it to be a happy show, but I also did not think it would be so depressing and filled with negativity. It's disturbing quite frankly. Yes, it's well acted. But why would I want to watch something that has ZERO pleasant qualities to it? It's supposed to entertain. Why would I want to be shocked at violence and death....week after week? Is that mentally or emotionally healthy when all I need to do is pick up my local paper and read the same garbage going on...in REAL life?


These programs are produced to meet, and some become successful based on, market demands. All the way from TV shows to the airbrushed photographs on the covers of magazines these media are crafted deliberately and cynically for the purposes of advertising; and very little thought is ever given to "healthy or unhealthy".

If you want to consume life-affirming media, andrewg, you may need to steer clear of network television. (Also, you should try putting this in perspective: At least "Breaking Bad" doesn't have replacement refs!)
 
We just stumbled across The Walking Dead over the weekend. That show is really addictive.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Originally Posted By: andrewg
I did not expect it to be a happy show, but I also did not think it would be so depressing and filled with negativity. It's disturbing quite frankly. Yes, it's well acted. But why would I want to watch something that has ZERO pleasant qualities to it? It's supposed to entertain. Why would I want to be shocked at violence and death....week after week? Is that mentally or emotionally healthy when all I need to do is pick up my local paper and read the same garbage going on...in REAL life?


These programs are produced to meet, and some become successful based on, market demands. All the way from TV shows to the airbrushed photographs on the covers of magazines these media are crafted deliberately and cynically for the purposes of advertising; and very little thought is ever given to "healthy or unhealthy".

If you want to consume life-affirming media, andrewg, you may need to steer clear of network television. (Also, you should try putting this in perspective: At least "Breaking Bad" doesn't have replacement refs!)

Thank you....and in most respects you are 100% right. Current TV and what the viewing public wants is not something I personally desire to have taking up space in my skull. It's a shame and somewhat of an oddity how our society complains about crime (rape, murders, drugs, robbery), yet we can't wait to get home and turn the TV on to watch more of the same. It certainly didn't used to be this way....at least not in the same fashion as it is today. We almost celebrate negativity and anger today....and think it's 'cool' to look mean and nasty as well as walk around in our daily attire trying to look like a 'tough guy'. TV keeps influencing society in such things, in my opinion. We've not become better for it, that's for sure. I'm no pansy however....I served in the Army, carry a firearm, and am a somewhat athletic individual....but as I near 50 years of age I've come to realize that all this negative garbage (and it gets worse every year) that is on TV and other forms of media, does NOTHING to enhance or improve my life and may even contribute to making it less than it can be by allowing it to soak into my head. It's how I feel about it. I know all about the realities of life. I know what goes on in this country....I experience it in front of my eyes every time I drive to work. When it comes to my entertainment, I would rather focus on other, more positive and enlightening things that don't revolve so much around the nasty side of life.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Current TV and what the viewing public wants is not something I personally desire to have taking up space in my skull.


Same here. The bad news? Mainstream media is inundated with negativity. The worse news? They do so because people want to see this stuff. Worse yet? In addition to reflecting society, these media also tend to influence society; especially as we become more isolated from each other and get our ideas about society more and more from mainstream media.

There is good news, however: This is the information age, and media production has become very democratic and accessible by common folks. There are great pieces of entertainment, education and art out there; but the signal-to-noise ratio is high and the gems that are out there need to be found.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Current TV and what the viewing public wants is not something I personally desire to have taking up space in my skull.


Same here. The bad news? Mainstream media is inundated with negativity. The worse news? They do so because people want to see this stuff. Worse yet? In addition to reflecting society, these media also tend to influence society; especially as we become more isolated from each other and get our ideas about society more and more from mainstream media.

There is good news, however: This is the information age, and media production has become very democratic and accessible by common folks. There are great pieces of entertainment, education and art out there; but the signal-to-noise ratio is high and the gems that are out there need to be found.

Point taken and I agree.
 
Exhibit A:

Please_Hit_Me.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: kb01
We just stumbled across The Walking Dead over the weekend. That show is really addictive.


That is one cool show,almost a little hokie but you have to realize someday we will have to deal with the zombies and just take the show at face value and enjoy it. I missed the whole first season and then caught it on reruns.
Another i missed first time around is He## on wheels, realy good.
 
Snookie has the $ to accomplish what we all would want.
Not changing diapers yourself is a good thing.
Having a cook/chef, or going out to eat is a good thing.

In this respect, I can't fault her.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Snookie has the $ to accomplish what we all would want.
Not changing diapers yourself is a good thing.
Having a cook/chef, or going out to eat is a good thing.

In this respect, I can't fault her.


She is an idiot. That's the problem with pop culture. You have people that are on the left side of the bell curve lining their pockets with oodles of cash from moronic exploits that somehow people find "entertaining".

And often the side effect of this phenomena is a dramatic fall from grace, usually due to drugs or some other form of substance abuse that they've chosen to partake in as part of the pop "scene". They become millionaires overnight and lack any inkling as to how to properly manage the volume of money they are suddenly making. IMHO, this is a clear indication that entertainers in North America are far, FAR too over-compensated for their talents and roles. Tom Cruise isn't curing cancer, Lindsay Lohan isn't finding the root of Alzheimers and Snookie sure as [censored] isn't curing Heart Disease. Yet each of these individuals is certainly making more in a year than many of the research scientists doing just that, will make in their entire career.

Talk about the misalignment of priorities and what is truly appropriate compensation for what a person provides.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Snookie has the $ to accomplish what we all would want.


Don't we all want to be happy? I've found in my modest years that this is cost-free.

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Not changing diapers yourself is a good thing.


I cannot disagree more. It's part of being a parent and giving care to your children.

Not changing your OWN diapers is a good thing!

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Having a cook/chef, or going out to eat is a good thing.


Only if you enjoy self-indulgence and find self-gratifying luxury provided by servants fulfilling. Not everyone does. This may be why an overwhelming majority of people find her behaviour abhorrent.
 
I just found out about the new show Honey Boo Boo, thankfully from watching the new episode of South Park. Oh my gawd.
cry.gif
It's everything that's wrong with America. And it's TLC's (The Learning Channel) highest rated show.
 
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