Turn Off the Box

Adam's Apple

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Apr 25, 2004
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Interesting quote from Edward R. Murrow about television at end of this article.

Think Simon's a Cad? Just Turn Him off
By Kelly Jones-Sharp, The Indianapolis Star
March 11, 2006

Nowadays slings and arrows are standard fare -- prime time, daytime, all the time. "American Idol" isn't the first or only uncivil television show. But it marks the highest low point of a decades-long trend as we have increasingly allowed our airwaves to be populated by broadcasts that insult our intelligence, manipulate our pocketbooks and usher into our homes irrational fears.

I was recently reminded of how bad things have become by a bit of history shown in the acclaimed film "Good Night, and Good Luck." In a speech, legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow, played by David Strathairn, discussed the state of television in 1958 and warned: "Our history will be what we make it. And if there are any historians about 50 or 100 years from now . . . they will . . . find recorded in black and white, or color, evidence of decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live. . . "

Well, here we are, decades of decadence later, trading "Gunsmoke" for "CSI," and "I Love Lucy," "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" for "Fear Factor," "The Biggest Loser" and "Wife Swap." More than twice the number of viewers tuned into "American Idol" than the 2006 Olympic Games, and it's a good bet significantly more people know the names of the 12 final "AI" contestants than our nine U.S. Supreme Court justices or the handful of lawmakers who represent them at home and in our nation's capital.

Why parents would tune their tots into "Idol" or any number of other equally trashy "reality" shows rather than "Nova" or "Nature" or "Masterpiece Theatre" is beyond me. If kids really do emulate television behavior, we are potentially looking at a generation of ill-tempered brutes.

for full article:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060311/OPINION/603110332/1002
 
Shattered said:
Have to agree. Then again there was the Great Writer's series on C-Span and some awesome programs on History Channel. Crossing on A & E. Really there is a lot of great programming, certainly better than Hollyweird gives, but the masses choose nasty stuff.
 
DEATH TO REALITY TV!

I want to see more out of the History Channel. They used to have some really good stuff, but now all they seem to do is recycle shows :/
 
Kagom said:
DEATH TO REALITY TV!

I want to see more out of the History Channel. They used to have some really good stuff, but now all they seem to do is recycle shows :/

Well either I caught something new last night or missed something earlier. Really cool on Romans v. Barbarians, led by a woman v. Suetonius. Enough to make a summer project for me!
 
Kagom said:
DEATH TO REALITY TV!

I want to see more out of the History Channel. They used to have some really good stuff, but now all they seem to do is recycle shows :/


I want to see a study on Coptic Christians as well as more on the Gnostics and other less understood sects. I find religion fascinating. A good study on the history of Islam would be a great inclusion...

As well as my personal favorite, the Buddha.
 
i hate most tv shows, and don't watch more than 3 on a regular basis-Simpsons, Raymond, and The War at Home.

I wish that the cable company(ies) offered an a' la carte, where I could choose which channels I want, and only pay for those. I don't have more than the super-basic for reception quality only cable, which includes a few extra channels other than the locals. I don't want to pay $60+/month for 90% of the stations that I don't want to and refuse to watch. The only ones I would want are Bravo, History, Discovery, & Animal Planet. The rest are a waste of money IMO.
 
Kathianne said:
Well either I caught something new last night or missed something earlier. Really cool on Romans v. Barbarians, led by a woman v. Suetonius. Enough to make a summer project for me!

Was that the show about Bodacia? My husband was watching that, and told me a litte bit about it. She sounded fascinating. Apparently, her name became the root of the word "Bodacious"!?
 
Abbey Normal said:
Was that the show about Bodacia? My husband was watching that, and told me a litte bit about it. She sounded fascinating. Apparently, her name became the root of the word "Bodacious"!?

Was she a Tartar? ;)
 
dilloduck said:
Nope--but I watched it too--in spite of some poor acting the story was new and interesting to me.

Ahh... I thought it might have been the story of the "Bodacious Tartars". :laugh:
 
Abbey Normal said:
Was that the show about Bodacia? My husband was watching that, and told me a litte bit about it. She sounded fascinating. Apparently, her name became the root of the word "Bodacious"!?
YES! It was so interesting, watching the Dark Ages coming into existence with the invading hoards, she didn't win, but it was a matter of time...
 
Kathianne said:
YES! It was so interesting, watching the Dark Ages coming into existence with the invading hoards, she didn't win, but it was a matter of time...

I heard that she really knew how to get revenge for harming her daughters. :dev1:
 

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