This is why we can't have nice things

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by Kittamaru, Mar 21, 2014.

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  1. Kittamaru

    Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    I think this pretty well sums it up... when our "Educational TV" is tripe like that instead of real education... well... yeah.

    Do we, as a culture, have an ethical responsibility to provide quality TV shows that can be watched in place of the mindless tripe?
     
    Kittamaru, Mar 21, 2014
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  3. Repo Man

    Repo Man Valued Senior Member

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    I can't fault for profit broadcasters in their race for the bottom. As the Kinks sang Give The People What They Want. However, when some Republican type starts talking about defunding PBS, that makes me very angry. We have this one refuge from the lowest common denominator, and they want to try and take that away?
     
    Repo Man, Mar 21, 2014
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  5. Balerion

    Balerion Banned Banned

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    You'll notice it's not actually called The Learning Channel anymore. It's just TLC now, the way KFC is just KFC now, and not an acronym for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Hell, I remember when the executives came to our hub to tell us about the rebrannding of UPS, and how it no longer meant United Parcel Service.

    I guess the rationale for TLC is that they no longer have to cater to people who don't consider human exploitation entertainment.
     
    Balerion, Mar 21, 2014
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  7. Balerion

    Balerion Banned Banned

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    Delete
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2014
    Balerion, Mar 21, 2014
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  8. Kittamaru

    Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    Wait... UPS isn't United Parcel Service anymore? When'd that happen? Or is it United Postal Service or something now? Google has given me results on both lol
     
    Kittamaru, Mar 21, 2014
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  9. Balerion

    Balerion Banned Banned

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    They're the same company, the letters just don't stand for anything anymore. Like KFC. When's the last time you saw "Kentucky Fried Chicken" written anywhere?
     
    Balerion, Mar 21, 2014
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  10. Kittamaru

    Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    ... now that I think about it, I'm not sure. I could swear the KFC down the road from us still says Kentucky Fried Chicken on the sign... but to be honest, I haven't really looked at it lately (I don't go there... last few times I tried that place, it gave me some serious gastrointestinal distress... I don't think they cook the chicken long enough)
     
    Kittamaru, Mar 21, 2014
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  11. Ahriman

    Ahriman Registered Member

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    I think the greatest tragedy in history is that in this age of near-instant communication and unlimited knowledge for all most people choose to spend their time watching idiotic shows or worrying about being "hip". If I didn't know better, I would say that human beings want to be led, need to be led. But back to the topic at hand, networks should be obligated to provide educational programming in every package. Since the government pays for much if the infrastructure costs, this is a reasonable expectation.
     
    Ahriman, Mar 21, 2014
    #8
  12. Tiassa

    Tiassa Let us not launch the boat ... Valued Senior Member

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    There's Not a Pocket of Mongoloid Freaks Hidden in American Society ....

    In a way, it ought to be enough to say that this is what the marketplace chooses, but at some point those who have opinions left retch at the possibility.

    This is a very human process, but that is something one ought to recall quite specifically should they advocate unfettered capitalism. Even in our constricted American version of "capitalism", this is the way it goes.
     
    Tiassa, Mar 21, 2014
    #9
  13. cosmictraveler

    cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    History Channel is the same way. It has very little to do with history whatsoever.
     
    cosmictraveler, Mar 21, 2014
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  14. Kittamaru

    Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    It's part of why I like the military channel - shows like Dogfights and "Enterprise" are just amazing... it's touching to hear the stories of people who LIVED these battles!
     
    Kittamaru, Mar 21, 2014
    #11
  15. Fraggle Rocker

    Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    Start by figuring out who gets to define "quality TV shows" and "mindless tripe."

    Last I heard, the USA was still (barely) a representative democracy. This means that the citizens get to decide these things, not some self-appointed cabal of intellectuals who haven't had a good laugh since 1965.

    People tend to take refuge in lowbrow entertainment when the world becomes too frightening, and geeze, the world is certainly frightening today! How many people would like to watch a documentary on the hundred years of religious warfare that we euphemistically refer to as "the Reformation," when the front page of every newspaper reminds us that the Christians, Muslims and Jews are enthusiastically preparing for a Three-Way Nuclear Holy War?

    Right before they chose "Sweet Home ALABAMA" as the theme song for their commercials.

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    Fraggle Rocker, Mar 21, 2014
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  16. quinnsong

    quinnsong Valued Senior Member

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    Ha,a chance to slam your two favorite bitches religion and southerners! We ain't all bad and we did give ya grits, dear.
     
    quinnsong, Mar 21, 2014
    #13
  17. Kittamaru

    Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    Fair enough... but I mean, shows like "Honey BooBoo" "Adventure Time" "Mind Trip" "SuperJail" and just general tripe in which the only humor is, in essence, stupidity for the sake of stupidity at such a level as to make Jackass seem like a high quality investigative journal just... I dunno, it makes me sad that we consider such crap "entertainment". No plot, poor animation, et al... what happened to the days of Bugs Bunny, Ben and Jerry, etc? Where, even if the humor was slapstick, it was at LEAST well drawn and had quality voice acting... now it's just crap all around

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    Kittamaru, Mar 21, 2014
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  18. Motor Daddy

    Motor Daddy Valued Senior Member

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    ...and guns too!
     
    Motor Daddy, Mar 21, 2014
    #15
  19. Fraggle Rocker

    Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    Ben and Jerry are doing quite well with their ice cream business. Tom and Jerry, on the other hand, don't seem to be regarded as "classic" animation like the Disney and WB cartoons are.

    But considering the nature of your diatribe, I cannot for the life of me understand why you consider those old theatrical-release cartoons to be superior to the average fare on TV today. They were 99% violence! How many times do you have to watch a roadrunner drop an anvil on a coyote before you wake up and say, "Do I really want my children to see this?" And would it be any better if, finally, in the closing episode, the coyote got to eat the roadrunner?

    I remember the TV shows of the 1950s quite well. They were just as stooopid as today's. And just like today, there were a few that were considerably better.

    People like to laugh at stupid people because it makes them feel superior, after spending all day taking orders from them--or worse yet, watching them attempt to run a country.

    Cartooning goes through phases like every other aspect of culture. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a tremendous renaissance of high-quality Saturday morning cartoons. Mrs. Fraggle and I, then in our late 40s, taped several shows and watched them. "Doug," "Rugrats," "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," "Mighty Mouse"... I can't even remember all their names. Not to mention a few astounding live-action shows like "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and "Hey Vern, It's Ernest."

    There were even a few great animated shows in prime time. "Duckman" comes to mind, one of the most incisive commentaries on contemporary culture and politics ever to air. "The Simpsons" and "South Park" started out good, but like all comic strips and animated cartoons that refuse to allow the characters to age, they became trapped in their own inertia, recycling old gags endlessly. "Beavis and Butt-Head" were clearly for stoners, but their spinoff "Daria" was great commentary with bittersweet laughter.

    There's been an explosion of TV stations since cable and FIOS took over the airwaves. Sure, a lot of them are crap. But the market will prevail like it always does. In the meantime Americans are so beguiled by the choices that they'll keep channel-surfing the crap for a few more years. In the meantime, Jon Stewart is a beacon of sanity, satire and incisive commentary, disguised as humor to make it go down easier. I'm not very fond of Stephen Colbert, but I'm looking forward to John Oliver's gig.

    And who can ignore the vast contribution of the Jim Henson organization to our culture? "Fraggle Rock" and "Dinosaurs!" were, IMHO, the best TV entertainment of the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Talk about commentary on politics and culture! The closing episode of "Dinosaurs!" still makes me cry whenever it comes to mind.

    "They left your Daddy in charge of the world, and I guess he didn't take very good care of it." That explained the mass extinction.

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    Fraggle Rocker, Mar 21, 2014
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  20. AlexG

    AlexG Like nailing Jello to a tree Valued Senior Member

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    You're thinking of Tom and Jerry. Ben and Jerry is an ice cream.
     
    AlexG, Mar 21, 2014
    #17
  21. Kittamaru

    Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    bwahaha, wow... I am tired to make that mistake. Yes, I meant Tom and Jerry... my bad XD

    As to why I think they were superior - mostly, just the animation and voice acting. Many of todays cartoons are so badly drawn that it makes me wonder how and why they are even on air at all heh.

    Though, there are some I dearly miss... Aquarion, Zoids, and Big-O being chief among them

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    And yeah, Jon Stewart is a refreshing take on news... I like Colbert as well, again mostly for his satire hehe
     
    Kittamaru, Mar 21, 2014
    #18
  22. quinnsong

    quinnsong Valued Senior Member

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    Too many guns, can we dial back on the guns.
     
    quinnsong, Mar 21, 2014
    #19
  23. Motor Daddy

    Motor Daddy Valued Senior Member

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    Is that a white flag I see?
     
    Motor Daddy, Mar 21, 2014
    #20
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