TV... A Vast Wasteland

[jpalamar]

FCC chairman, Newton Minnow was quoted for saying this sometime in the '50's: "TV is a vast wasteland". While subject to debate, I believe the Communcations Act of 1934 still is in effect and talks to the issue of the airwaves and public service. Think of some of the items that could be injected as 30 second, or less public service messages, cheaply produced, using animation/graphics/cartoons to do the message:

 

And I will start the list. Feel free to add to it!

 

How to use the acceleration lane to get up to speed.

Turn/directional signals. Why they are put on vehicles.

Does tailgating really make the vehicle in front of you go faster?

 

Let's make this some fun . . . go for it!

[Matts_12GS]

politicians don't care about you after the election

[Dave McReynolds]

Why the mirrors on cars aren't located in more convenient positions to apply makeup.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

politicians don't care about you after the election

 

Or before.

[AnRSguy]

Signal BEFORE you turn not AS you turn.

[Albert]

"An Insiders Guide to Quality Television" (15 seconds or less).

 

"Finding Balanced News Coverage" (a subliminal message inserted into a Rogane commercial will suffice).

 

 

[jpalamar]

It's still fun, but was thinking more about driving a vehicle, but these are great.

 

A slight bit off topic, but, how's about the new laws that require moving over a lane and/or slowing down for stopped law enforcement/emergency vehicles. WHY NOT EVERYONE?

 

And I add to that list, how about truck drivers moving over a lane for other truckers, almost wiping out cars/other trucks, but they only do the 'move' for trucks.

 

But here's one that gets my goat:

 

If someone is attempting to pass speed up so that they either cannot pass and/or are now causing you to REALLY speed!

[Joel]

Keep right, except to pass. Really.

 

Attention seniors: If you can't see over or past the steering wheel, don't get behind it.

 

If that rusting, smoke-belching bucket of bolts you drive won't do the speed limit, get the &*#$%!! off the interstate when a frontage road is available.

 

[90%angel]

I would say:

 

Don't think of lane splitting as unfair, "why should they get there faster than me". Lane splitting DOES help YOU get there faster, as a lane splitting bike is one less vehicle you have to follow. Think if all those bikes going by were in cars clogging up the road even more; or even if they were on the bike, just not splitting; you still have to follow them and make room. I'd rather they go by so I have one less person to deal with.

[Bheckel169]

What tv? I haven't had a tv in 15 years. Haven't missed it and my kids actually learned how to read, talk to us and join us for meals.

Bruce

[PRC]

No stop necessary when turning right onto a side street!

[90%angel]

and my kids actually learned how to read, talk to us and join us for meals.

 

Strange. Cause we had multiple TVs growing up, and somehow, I managed to learn to read, I actually talked to my parents, and we did sit down to meals. Hmmm.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Strange. Cause we had multiple TVs growing up, and somehow, I managed to learn to read, I actually talked to my parents, and we did sit down to meals. Hmmm.

 

Good lord!

 

Sesame Street, Electric Company, and Mister Roger's Neighborhood (the real one, not this place) were instrumental in learning to read! I was way ahead of the curve when I was a little kid, and I'm sure these shows were a part of why. (and yes, I still talked to my folks and we ate as a family; if those things aren't happening, it's not the TV's fault...)

 

Also, some of my earliest exposure to classical music was from watching Bugs Bunny cartoons. It's funny now when I hear classical music and think to myself, "wait a minute, I've heard this before..."

 

There's certainly no shortage of crap being broadcast, but there's good stuff, too; one's task as a viewer (or parent) is to discriminate between the two.

[tallman]

There you go, blaming parents for their kids problems.

Whatever happened to blaming the media, or the schools?

 

TV began as a way to transmit images and sound.

Now, it is supposed to transmit ideas, knowledge, news, and entertainment.

Ananyway, aren't wastelands vast, by definition?

 

[Bheckel169]

I guess my response would be one that's qualitative. Report out recently that says people spend an average of 15 years watching TV. So, I suppose that there are those that learn no matter what they watch, read and listen. But 9 years (A.C. Nielsen)is a giant chunk of time that should be viewed with some alarm. Especially when the educational depth and breadth of our children seems to be diminishing. I understand that not everything can be laid at the threshold of tv but it certainly is contributory and I'm not convinced it's all positive.

Bruce

[lawnchairboy]

I would also have to say the SS, Elec Co., Zoom, many other educational programs contributed very positively to my early years. Now my own kids benefit from some of the same programming and a whole slew of newer programming from discovery and science and history channels. They are very big fans of "how it's made" on the science channel, a great show.

 

chris

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I understand that not everything can be laid at the threshold of tv but it certainly is contributory and I'm not convinced it's all positive.

 

I'd agree with you, but blaming TV for people's dumbness is a bit like blaming fast food for peoples' obesity (see other thread). Ultimately it comes down to the viewer making choices about what they want to watch.

[bakerzdosen]

What tv? I haven't had a tv in 15 years. Haven't missed it and my kids actually learned how to read, talk to us and join us for meals.

Bruce

Uh, that's exactly why we HAVE a tv...

[keithb]

"What tv? I haven't had a tv in 15 years."

 

Amen Bruce. I only wish I could say the same thing.

[randys]

Drive right, PASS left

[randys]

 

 

Also, some of my earliest exposure to classical music was from watching Bugs Bunny cartoons. It's funny now when I hear classical music and think to myself, "wait a minute, I've heard this before..."

 

 

Kill the wabbit, KILL THE WABBIT!!

[Bheckel169]

I can blame tv. Why can't I blame tv? I can be judgemental. I like being judgemental. I think tv is generally a wasteland. I said it and I'm feeling pretty good about. On the other hand, I don't blame tv for everything, but it seems to me in my humble opinion, that some people can't turn the tv off or choose not to for lots of reasons. It's a great babysitter when you choose not to parent. You can throw in a couple of "educational" shows among the other junk so you can say that not all tv is bad and there are great programs that teach kids. There are. But these people can't all be watching the Discovery Channel for 9 years, can they?

Bruce

[russell_bynum]

I can blame tv. Why can't I blame tv? I can be judgemental. I like being judgemental. I think tv is generally a wasteland. I said it and I'm feeling pretty good about. On the other hand, I don't blame tv for everything, but it seems to me in my humble opinion, that some people can't turn the tv off or choose not to for lots of reasons. It's a great babysitter when you choose not to parent. You can throw in a couple of "educational" shows among the other junk so you can say that not all tv is bad and there are great programs that teach kids. There are. But these people can't all be watching the Discovery Channel for 9 years, can they?

Bruce

 

 

Bah.

 

1. Who says it all has to be educational? There's value in entertainment, too.

 

2. There's plenty of educational stuff out there.

 

3. What's wrong with plopping the kids down in front of the TV for a bit to give the parents a break?

 

 

We also had......... VIDEO GAMES!!!

 

And we rode our bikes, explored the wooded area near our house, went fishing, rode dirt bikes, had a go-cart until my brother crashed it, sailed, went water skiing, and a bunch of other stuff.

 

It's no more the TV's fault that people are too dumb to turn it off than it's McDonald's fault that people are too dumb to stop eating.

[tallman]

Raises an interesting point about values and judging.

Does one need to have personal experience in order to judge something?

 

Or, how about jury duty?

Shouldn't we have convicted felons, who were convicted of similar crimes, compose the jury?

 

If you haven't seen/done something for 15 years, how valid is your judgement?

Is it sufficient to have some experience at some time?

 

If you haven't eaten at a restaurant in 15 years, is your review of the quality relevant?

And, how do we know our children turned out in a certain manner because of X, if there wasn't a control group exposed to X?

Just curious.

[Bheckel169]

I think you're right Russell. People are too dumb to turn off the tv. Seems we're seeing a higher number of dumb around these days.

[Bheckel169]

Valid point, Tallman. I better explain. I have a tv. I just haven't hooked into cable or satellite in 15 years. Basically we'll watch movies on occasion. So, we have seen tv because we've ordered some tv series programs which we find interesting.

I was shocked to get Weeds based on a recommendation and having been away from tv fare for so long I had no idea tv (HBO, Showtime, etc. had gotten so graphic. So, we do watch movies for entertainment. Of course on the occasions when I've traveled for business I've turned on the tv in the hotel and I just keep clicking the remote hoping to find something. Try it sometime. Stop watching tv for 3 years and what a surprise when you come back to it. There doesn't seem to be any limits to the language, sex, drugs, violent stories that are written. In fact it's harder to find programs that are quality programs in spite of the 200 channels or whatever that are out there.

I don't want to get into some kind of a flame war on such a subjective topic. Anybody who wants to watch tv is fine with me. I don't care what anybody watches. I was just talking about my family originally and I found tremendous value for us without the need for cable or satellite tv.

Bruce

[Quinn]

Meanwhile, back at the original subject:

 

If you're in the wrong lane---you go the wrong way. You don't stop traffic, put on your blinkers, back up, or cut people off--you just go the wrong way, turn around when appropriate, and try again.

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I can blame tv. Why can't I blame tv? I can be judgemental. I like being judgemental. I think tv is generally a wasteland.

 

I cite for you now Sturgeon's Revelation:

 

Ninety percent of everything is crap.

 

This is obviously true of television, but it's also true of many, many other things.

 

Restaurants come to mind.

 

Or movies.

 

Or music.

 

Or books. If you had the time to read all of the books in a Barnes & Noble store, I expect you'd find that ninety percent of them are crap, too. The only reason people watch crap-TV (but don't read crap-books) is because it's soooo easy to just sit there and take it.

 

If ninety percent of everything truly is crap, it seems unrealistic to single out television programming as being somehow unique in this regard.

 

BTW, if you ever want to see how crappy television really is, watch "The Soup" on E sometime. It's a half-hour on Friday nights, and they review clips from a whole range of reality TV and talk shows. The Soup makes me laugh, but it amazes me to think that the shows they review are on the air in the first place because people are in fact watching those shows in earnest...

[Dave McReynolds]

Or books. If you had the time to read all of the books in a Barnes & Noble store, I expect you'd find that ninety percent of them are crap, too. The only reason people watch crap-TV (but don't read crap-books) is because it's soooo easy to just sit there and take it.

 

 

I like Sturgeon's Revelation - a man after my own heart.

 

I haven't watched any TV on a regular basis for many years - since before the term "Reality Show" came into vogue. But like Tim suggested, I'll leave it to those who do to criticize it.

 

I do read a fair amount of books, though. Probably one every week or so. It's hard for me to generalize and say that 90% of the books you might find in a Barnes & Noble are crap. 90% of them might be crap as far as my interests are concerned, but I'm sure that if 90% of them were crap as far as everybody else's interests were concerned, Barnes & Noble would be out of business. The Quilts of Pakistan might be just what the next person in line is looking for.

 

But it does amaze me, within the range of books I am interested in, how a few really crappy ones make it into the store. Let's take adventure novels, which are my substitute for TV. Sometimes an adventure novel comes along that is so bad that I can't finish more than a couple of chapters before I have to quit reading it. The characters are transparent, I can't place myself in the scene, the plot is phony or contrived, etc. I've had daydreams of writing a book myself, and know the hoops you have to jump through even to get a draft read by anyone, let alone accepted for publication. With the amount of manuscripts being submitted and rejected, how is it possible for one as bad as I described to get published?

[Albert]

I haven't watched any TV on a regular basis for many years - since before the term "Reality Show" came into vogue.

 

If they put any more "reality shows" on tv we can all just switch it off and go stand in front of a window. Hell mine are flat panels and they hang on the wall already.

[90%angel]

BTW, if you ever want to see how crappy television really is, watch "The Soup" on E sometime. It's a half-hour on Friday nights, and they review clips from a whole range of reality TV and talk shows. The Soup makes me laugh, but it amazes me to think that the shows they review are on the air in the first place because people are in fact watching those shows in earnest...

 

I love the Soup. Some of them are funnier than others, but most of the time it gets a chuckle. I love when he makes fun of David Caruso from CSI Miami. You're right though; some of the shows they make fun of don't need anyone to make fun of it; it's stand alone stupidity. It's reminicent of Mystery Science Theater 3000...those movies were so bad, they were funny on their own. I think they should have made fun of so called "serious" movies. Maybe that's why I like the Caruso bit so much; that is a show people take so "seriously" but Caruso makes Shatner look like a good actor...c'mon! (no offense to those of you that like CSI Miami, David Caruso, William Shatner, etc., disclaimer, ymmv)

[bakerzdosen]

Oh bite your tongue. Shatner is the BEST Priceline negotiator EVER.

[Bob Palin]

Oh bite your tongue. Shatner is the BEST Priceline negotiator EVER.

Shatner is great in Boston Legal - a very funny show even if gets a bit sappy in later seasons (I'm watching it on DVD)

[90%angel]

I knew I'd get some heat for the Shatner comment! (BTW, I like him alright, but he IS a bit of an over-actor, no?)

 

Actually, if I remember correctly, Shatner won an emmy for Boston Legal a year or two ago.

 

And now I've opened myself up to criticism for watching...award shows...gasp!

 

[upflying]

I can blame tv. Why can't I blame tv? I can be judgemental. I like being judgemental. I think tv is generally a wasteland. I said it and I'm feeling pretty good about. On the other hand, I don't blame tv for everything, but it seems to me in my humble opinion, that some people can't turn the tv off or choose not to for lots of reasons. It's a great babysitter when you choose not to parent. You can throw in a couple of "educational" shows among the other junk so you can say that not all tv is bad and there are great programs that teach kids. There are. But these people can't all be watching the Discovery Channel for 9 years, can they?

Bruce

Being on the receiving end of television's illiterate graduates, I can confirm too many parents sit their kids in front of the boob-tube way too long. These kids grow up with a distorted view of reality. Those distorted morals and values are then imprinted in the young mind. Then everyone wonders why Johnnny can't read, refuses to go to school, refuses to obey parents, joins gangs, commits crime and smokes dope. It all goes back to irresponsible and dysfunctional parents.

[SageRider]

I cite for you now Sturgeon's Revelation:

 

Ninety percent of everything is crap.

 

This is obviously true of television, but it's also true of many, many other things.

 

Restaurants come to mind.

 

Or movies.

 

Or music....

 

Or the threads on this board.

 

(Seemed like such an obvious omission! )

[tallman]

 

"

Ninety percent of everything is crap."

 

One man's crap is another man's fertilizer.

 

 

[Bheckel169]

So what was the original subject?

Bruce

[SageRider]

So what was the original subject?

Bruce

Something to do with ammonium nitrate????

[wolcott]

FCC chairman, Newton Minnow was quoted for saying this sometime in the '50's: "TV is a vast wasteland".

 

No, that's pete townsend or roger daltrey from the WHO singing "Teenage Wasteland".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I love when he makes fun of David Caruso from CSI Miami.

 

Then you'll love this.

[Pilgrim]

Electric Company, and Mister Roger's Neighborhood (the real one, not this place)

 

Don't forget Mr. Wizard, Industry on Parade, and The Saturday Night Fights.

 

Pilgrim