Tv: Is there a point to it?

[Extraordinaire]

Is it just me, or is tv the most passive form of media available?

You watch home decoration programs instead of acctually fixing your home. You start to watch thing like Big Brother, Desperate Housewives and documentaries about other non-perfect people and laugh at them, pretending your perfect. You watch Sienfeld to make yourself not seem to petty. You laugh at someone failing to sing in American Idol, when you're even worse. There is over a hundred programs that allows you to watch other people expose their feelings and feel sorry for them, just to make youself feel better. Vulturization! Why be with friends when you can watch Friends?
And here's a fun thing which I don't know if it exists outside Sweden: Roast.
Roast is when you take a bunch of swedish comedians and celeberties, put them on a stage, and film while they insult eachother, laughing, not because the insults are clever, but because they are so absurd and because "he said something you're not suposed to say in everyday conversations".
Like watching Yhatzee without the wit or the acctual message.

I guess what I'm saying is:
Is TV just poo, bananas and commercial or is there a point in watching it?

 

[El Poncho]

Well I learn stuff alot quicker if I watch it on Tv so thats a good point ot it I guess.

 

[AboveUp]

If you believe Yahtzee actually has an actual message in his videos, than you must've been spending too much time watching home decoration programs.

I stopped watching television a few years ago. Wait, let me rephrase that...
I've become extremely selective with what I watch during the past few years. I often download or buy DVD boxsets of series I want to see. Most of them don't get released on DVD here, so I have to download them, I don't need a lecture about piracy because I know how bad it is, thank you.
The only point there is to watching TV is to relax and numb your mind. People just don't know how to handle it and get addicted.
I never got why an addiction to the internet is evil, while at the same time the people pointing that out sit in front of the TV all day. Hypocrisy at it's best, I suppose.

 

[GodofDisaster]

"Well like games its meant to entertain people, well some people at least."
Personally I hate it myself. Although then again if TV didn't exist what would you play your games on, or how would you watch your favourite DVDS.

 

[ae86gamer]

Its not pointless. Some shows are pointless, but other shows are interesting and educational.

 

[PunchClockVillain]

I guess what I'm saiyng is:
Is TV just poo, bananas and commercial or is there a point in watching it?

Its nice to have around just so I know I'm considered normal compared to whats out there.

 

[sneak_copter]

Yes, I guess it's still one of the best news outlets, far better than the Internet, as anybody can post any old bias rubbish on the internet. Television is written by people who are paid to be unbias (for the most part, as long as you don't go around proclaiming Fox News to be a legitimate news outlet)

But for almost anything else, no. Television is a dying medium, I'm afraid.

 

[Rafe]

huh? that's a silly question.

 

[cobra_ky]

like any other entertainment medium it has its share of crap. although i don't know about sweden, but in america roasts are a tradition going back decades and to be roasted is considered a tremendous honor.

 

[Flying-Emu]

Take away my Scooby Doo and I will fucking end you.

So yes, it does have a point.

 

[Kollega]

TV has some kind of point as long as there are good cartoons (Megas XLR,Phineas & Ferb...).

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

I stopped watching television a few years ago. Wait, let me rephrase that...
I've become extremely selective with what I watch during the past few years.

Yeah, I've done that too. I do find most of it to be kinda crap, but there's always something good too - thank God for selective recording.

 

[Sulu]

The programs you listed are all reality TV shows. You realise that there are many more TV genres than that right?

 

[Kriptonite]

If you believe Yahtzee actually has an actual message in his videos, than you must have been spending too much time watching home decoration programs.

There are some good things about television. It provides a quick means of readily attainable information for those who can't read. Second, not everyone who laughs at a show is trying to make themselves feel/look better, it sometimes is just funny. Alright, I'm not saying that television is 100% awesome-ness but what I am saying is, that it's not all garbage.

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

TV is for entertainment. If there's a show you like, you watch it.

The programs you listed are all reality TV shows. You realise that there are many more TV genres than that right?

And this. Reality TV is definitely not on my watch list. Lucky that it's not the only thing to watch.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

The programs you listed are all reality TV shows. You realise that there are many more TV genres than that right?

And this. Reality TV is definitely not on my watch list. Lucky that it's not the only thing to watch.

Reality television needs to stick its collective head in a trash fire. The primary reason it's still popular is because it panders to base human failings- we all love to watch people try, and fail, so that we feel better about not trying at all.

There are thousands of other shows in dozens of other genres out there to watch, and some of them can be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

House, Dexter, MST3K

/thread

You can't make an omelette without having eggs all over the floor to slip on.

 

[Extraordinaire]

Take away my Scooby Doo and I will fucking end you.

And suddenly I am fully convinced

The programs you listed are all reality TV shows. You realise that there are many more TV genres than that right?

And this. Reality TV is definitely not on my watch list. Lucky that it's not the only thing to watch.

Reality television needs to stick its collective head in a trash fire. The primary reason it's still popular is because it panders to base human failings- we all love to watch people try, and fail, so that we feel better about not trying at all.

There are thousands of other shows in dozens of other genres out there to watch, and some of them can be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Good points. But isn't it intresting, though, that what seems to be the worst is what's acctually called "reality tv".
Makes you wonder... What is the stupid thing: tv's version of reality, or reality itself?

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

Take away my Scooby Doo and I will fucking end you.

And suddenly I am fully convinced

The programs you listed are all reality TV shows. You realise that there are many more TV genres than that right?

And this. Reality TV is definitely not on my watch list. Lucky that it's not the only thing to watch.

Reality television needs to stick its collective head in a trash fire. The primary reason it's still popular is because it panders to base human failings- we all love to watch people try, and fail, so that we feel better about not trying at all.

There are thousands of other shows in dozens of other genres out there to watch, and some of them can be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Good points. But isn't it intresting, though, that what seems to be the worst is what's acctually called "reality tv".
Makes you wonder... What is the stupid thing: tv's version of reality, or reality itself?

How about the people who agree to go on those shows. They get their 15 minutes of fame, but the rest of us are just waiting for them to screw something up. Reality itself is fine, more or less. It's just needlessly cruel.