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Un-Reality TV Part II: We are all going to Hell

 
Desperado
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It's official: We are all going to Hell! (Please take it lightheartedly!)
THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A JOKE. It was said by 'Baba' Walters on ABC TV last night.
Last night in 20/20 Barbara Walters joins the un-reality TV bandwagon in the guise of news.
She solemnly announced that in an upcoming 20/20 (or Primetime) show, in a "reality" TV version of the show, a 16-year old american pregnant girl is going to choose one couple to give her baby to, out of four or five (I forgot) contestants (ok, she didn't use the word contestants and instead used something like prospective parents).
What are they thinking? Sure the biological mother can have a say in who adopts her baby! But ON NATIONAL TV!? How is the child going to feel later in life? What is it of our business? THERE'S A BABY INVOLVED!
I don't care about idiots on TV choosing partners for TV's sake as in getting pseudo-married etc (puke!). That involves only the narcissistic adults looking for their 15 seconds (not minutes) of 'fame'. (I always wondered how self-involved and 'in-love-with-yourself' do you have to be to succumb to that stuff?)
Anyway, that's their prerogative as adults but this "Who Will Win My Baby" contest has passed, IMHO, the boundaries of propriety and good taste.
OK. Having said that, when do we get to see EXECUTIONS on prime time TV?
"Inquiring minds want to know!"
 
town drunk
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When the revolution comes, the first thing we do is burn all the TVs , and put the nogood sumbitches that make their living that way to honest labour: maybe trying to educate school children who's been trained to have .02 second attention spans.
M
 
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Originally posted by Tony Alicea:

OK. Having said that, when do we get to see EXECUTIONS on prime time TV?


I stronly agree with your post, but I did want to point out that executions used to be held in the town square. If we put them on TV, we'll have merely gone back a few centuries. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
 
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While I agree that this process is deplorable, I think it will probably not do permanent damage to the kid. There have been lots of other "famous" kids, like quintuplets, etc. that after a brief moment in the limelight have faded into oblivion for the general public.

A bigger problem in my opinion, is that some people will get the idea that this is an acceptable thing to do. You want to give away your kid, just go on TV and auction them off to the highest bidder.
 
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Its a bit like the strange people that go on Jerry Springer (and all the identical clone shows). If Hank had some personal information to tell cousin Precious (cheating, proposing, sex change, secret hobbit fascination etc) why on earth would he want to do it on TV in front of millions of people. "Hey, I've just ruined your life by telling you about my hobbit habits, but its only infront of 50 million people!".
To all Americans out there: please please please tell me that the guests on Jerry Springer do not represent the average American. I can't believe that there are that many people out there who:
* think that rat's-arse moustaches make them look better
* think mullets are the height of fashion
* are that fat
* live in a trailer park and sleep with their cousin Hank.
* say incomprehensible things like "Yo yo dawg me homies seeyin y'all phat 'tude, n' we diggin. Ya momma!" and actually meaning something by it.
 
Tony Alicea
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UPDATE: "Uri Geller protests ABC adoption show"
So far Jimmy Kimmel (ABC), Jay Leno (NBC) and Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) have made late night jokes about this abomination.
Now, from left field, psychotic (or is that psychic) Uri Geller claims it was his idea and is considering taking legal action against ABC TV.
I personally would pay to keep it hidden if it had been my idea, but I guess showbusiness is not my crap, I mean cup of tea... :roll:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/29/people.geller.reut/index.html
 
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Originally posted by Joe King:
To all Americans out there: please please please tell me that the guests on Jerry Springer do not represent the average American...


Not the guests, no, but think about it... this show (and the other horrible shows) wouldn't be ON unless a whole lotta people want it. THAT's the scary part for me--the fact that so many people watch this stuff that it's worth producing (and worth advertising dollars). Yikes. So the VIEWERS of these shows represent the average American, and that's horrifying
Bert and I got rid of our television several years ago (the kids survived just fine) and many of our friends have done the same. We saw a sticker recently, "Television promotes illiteracy" but I think it goes way past that. What do people do if they have no television? Read, listen to (and create) music, exercise, etc. at the least, spend more time on the internet, sure, but that's an *active* process instead of the passive tv thing, and even playing video games and surfing the net are much more engaging than television. I'd rather have my kids playing video games than watching reality TV (or worse -- television news!) and commercials any day.
Studies show so many negative effects of television, not the least of which is that sitting on the couch watching tv burns LESS calories than if you just sit on the couch and do nothing *without* tv on. It's scary what tv does to your brain waves and metabolism, and that's without even considering the CONTENT of what's on.
scientific american article on tv
When Bert and I want to freak ourselves out a little (a fun hobby we have), we just walk around the block about 8:00 PM on any night, and watch the faint blue glow coming from inside every single house on the block. It's like a horror/sci-fi movie where everyone is being brainwashed at the same time. Now, I'm sure that some of these folks are watching good movies, or maybe an educational program, but it's more fun (and scary) for us to imagine them slack-jawed, eyes glazed over, drooling slightly, with that flickering glow washing across them.
I wonder what America would be like if one day we walked around the block and found most of the people reading ("hey, there's a guy sitting by the fire with a book"), or exercising, or playing chess (oops--I mean GO) with their kids, or... ANYTHING but watching television. And having television going in the background doesn't count--you can't get into a flow state on an activity (because you can't become fully engaged) if the tv is on in the background. And if you're not paying attention to it, then why have it? There's no such thing as just video wallpaper. If you want sound, put on music--something proven to have *beneficial* effects on the brain and body.
So, KILL YOUR TELEVISION.
turnoffyourtv.com
cheers,
Kathy
 
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I watched TV a lot in Russia. Since I moved here I lost this addictive habit and I don't regret about it. You won't believe how much your life can improve if you don't watch TV. Heck, you even have a chance to become yourself.
 
Tony Alicea
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About 12 years ago TIME magazine had a cover article on this type of show and asked (and answered) that same question:
"Why on earth would he want to do it on TV in front of millions of people?"
The answer the author of the article gave was that for the people involved (the participants), it is worth airing their dirty laundry on the air in exchange for an all expenses paid trip to a major city including nice hotel and limo rides for a weekend.
Presumably these people lived in, ..., modest circumstances and that type of outing, for some, may be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
No kiddin', that's essentially what the article said.
It also had a matrix with "attributes" like 'slept with sister' in one row, while a column would read 'is transvestite' that I will try to reproduce from memory which was very humorous. This weekend.
The purpose of the matrix was that you could create your own show or the theme for one show by using the matrix. Hilarious!
[ April 29, 2004: Message edited by: Tony Alicea ]
 
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Originally posted by Tony Alicea:
...OK. Having said that, when do we get to see EXECUTIONS on prime time TV?
"Inquiring minds want to know!"


Saw some earlier in the year on CBC ( Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ). It was actually a documentary on a female living in Afghanistan. She attended a public execution that the government held in a soccer stadium. It showed 3 people being executed. I can't remember exactly why they were being executed, but I seem to recall one person stole, and another was a female adulterer.
I believe the tape was from before the "war on terror" in Afghanistan.
 
Tony Alicea
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I saw that clip a few times in articles about the former Taliban regime.
 
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Originally posted by Kathy Sierra:
... So, KILL YOUR TELEVISION...
Not having a TV is classed as deviant behaviour. In the UK you would be subject to letters demanding you sign a letter to that fact or risk a visit the TV fuzz !
I listen to the radio more than I watch TV. I can listen to the radio lying down with my eyes closed instead of having to keep myself upright and my eyes open and directed at one spot, which after six hours gets quite tiring.
 
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I agree tv is evil, but without it, how can I watch football? I need football. Go Giants!
Anyway, I currently don't have a tv because I don't want the distraction while in school although I think I waste just as much time using the internet.
 
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What is TV
 
Tony Alicea
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NEW YORK � Barbara Walters says ABC News was "overly zealous" in its promotion of this week's "20/20" that involves five couples interviewed as potential adoptive parents.
Viewers were upset that the process, which involved a 16-year-old girl putting her baby up for adoption, had been likened to a television reality show.
----
My take: She was the first one to suggest it!!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,118559,00.html
[ April 30, 2004: Message edited by: Tony Alicea ]
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
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