griff38 Posted December 30, 2003 Share Posted December 30, 2003 Although many here are from outside the US your opinion is appreciated. TV in 2003 was the worst year of programing in TV history. It catered to our basest desires & most primitive instincts as viewers. Most of all, money grabbing programmers sought to please our inner teenager, whether stirring up trouble between warring camps of amateur models or providing night-vision shots of faraway cities exploding. As a result those who enjoy educational & informative shows offering insights into the human condition were left out in the cold, while those of us who like watching rich girls shop & gay boys kiss and comedians dress up as rappers & interview Boutros Boutros-Ghali had no complaints whatsoever. It's often been pondered by historians if the Romans realized their empire was ending when the Visagoths cressted the hill. That make me wonder if Americans realize the signs of the end of our culture are all around us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lathain Valtiel Posted December 30, 2003 Share Posted December 30, 2003 I'll be surprised if somebody doesn'y call you a gay basher for the kissing comment.. Ahem. i could go on a political rant, but I decline. On the bright side, I agree. Fancy that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShockV1.89 Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 Well, the gay people kissing, I'm actually happy to see, as it shows that networks are finally growing a pair and are willing to show that sort of thing. Sure, there'll be some exploitation of it, but it will die down. The reality series are, by far, the worst of the bunch. But will they fade? Probably. Even now, they're all beginning to blend together into one big mass of crap. And then people will stop watching. And then they'll stop existing. As for the "night-vision shots of faraway cities exploding," I honestly don't see a problem with it. It's news. It's what's happening in the world. What's wrong with showing it? In any case, a bad run of TV shows and a war that happened to be televised are not a reason to sound the end of American culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wassup Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 However bad primetime TV was these past years, I think that primetime TV will either way fade in popularity and viewers due to the growing computer and Internet revolution. The Internet and computing are taking over as the primary forms of entertainment, information, etc. of this generation. So, it doesn't mean that our society is failing (though it could be that way). IIRC, I read in TIME that the number of television viewers between 18-40 declined dramatically in the past years. This could mean that the more intellectual and philisophical discussions/shows have largely migrated toward the Internet, and thus viewers, enthusiasts, and people who are into these kinds of things have also followed, leaving television to those who are less educationally/philisophically gifted, which might explain the recent majority of less educational/intellectual shows on TV. Keep in mind that between TV shows and its viewers, their is alot less interaction/communication than say, a forum like this one. Thus less viewpoints and insights can be provided/added into the discussion. TV and its limitations could have frustrated or obstructed people who want to contribute something of their own. The Internet has allowed for the common people to express their views better and more freely, and in our species, who isn't trying to obtain more freedom? It cannot neccessarily be viewed as a "mass" degrading of American culture when TV has degraded. In this age of Internet and computing, TV has been playing a smaller and smaller role in how people express themselves, communicate, live, etc. TV's degradation can be attributed to the "money-grabbing programmers" as you refer them, and their lost desperate attempt to attract a fading audience. These days, Americans still have their cultural and intellectual aspects, just not expressing them as they used to on increasingly less influential TV. (Phew, sorry for that, but I don't tend to come to LF frequently so I gotta express all my insights in one package) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 Originally posted by wassup However bad primetime TV was these past years, I think that primetime TV ... nice point, but the tv shows are starting to suck. I think his complaint was the only reason people are watching some of these shows is just to see if that one part where the guys are kissing will really be in there. It's all just shock value entertainment. Sadly people are still shocked to see gay guys, but noone ever gives a real good script or any story, all they have attracting people is the gay kiss. I wouldn't complain if it actually was interesting, I see the gay guys kiss and I'm like, "so what?" while everyone else says, "OH MY GOD THOSE DUDES ARE KISSING!!". I don't think it's the shows that are killing americas culture, but the people themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rccar328 Posted January 31, 2004 Share Posted January 31, 2004 I totally agree that television programming has gone down the tubes lately - I stopped watching television a few months ago because there just wasn't enought quality programing to motivate me to keep paying for cable. As far as two guys kissing, I'm not going to freak out about it - if the homosexual rights people want to express their views through television, more power to em, but I'm not gonna watch it. Reality TV just gets stupider and stupider as time goes on - every show has to outdo the last in a pathetic attempt to get people to watch. I believe that eventually they'll just get to the point where people will get fed up and stop watching. It cannot neccessarily be viewed as a "mass" degrading of American culture when TV has degraded. I agree, but I think the only readon this holds true is because common sense hasn't yet completely died in American culture - but it does seem to have one foot in the grave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obi Posted February 1, 2004 Share Posted February 1, 2004 As someone said earlier, the gay thing is done to death. Networks pulled together "gay shows" and gay characters on different shows (namely sitcoms). It all started with Queer as Folk, then went to Queer Eye, then from there, it sort of went...well...everywhere.... Now, I'm not a homophobe, and I don't care about homosexuality, but if I turn on the tv and see two men kiss, rest assured, I will change the channel as quickly as possible, trying not to vomit. I can't help it, that site just turns my stomach. Not because I'm against gays, but because it just does. Just like if I seen a frog get ran over or a dude make love to a pie or something. Just...ick. No offense meant, naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHobGoblin Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 I have no problem with the gay kissing, yet I hate when it comes outa nowhere, like in the simpsons, they went to England, anyhow 2 people said something about homer and when he left they both Kissed for no reason... It just bothers me, but thats me. Yet they should fix up what they are doing with these shows, Most people act like savages because of these shows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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