approval from:
madrhino 
guitarzan
| What I'm appalled by is how addicted americans are to tv... If we were to consider all the effects:
the wasted money and time spent vapidly staring at a screen.
the effect of celebrity worship
the warped value system it imparts
the consequence of living in a society awash in softcore porn and use of sexual imagery to constantly manipulate people
we should probably rank it above drug use as the most destructive addiction this country faces. It really should be viewed as a national PROBLEM. |
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| said by asdfdfdfdf :
It really should be viewed as a national PROBLEM.
By who?All the dozens of people who don't watch TV?
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Get Verizon FIOS,The Anti-DIOS |
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 Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | reply to asdfdfdfdf
The same thing could be said about you.....being a problem. There are many, many people/families that watch a lot of tv and are just fine, model citizens. Those people could group people that make comments like yours and say people like you are a problem for assuming that everyone around you is adversely affected by television and its contents. Please think before you start throwing your holier than thou, nose up in the air attitude around. |
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 RockCakePremium
join:2005-07-12
Woodbridge, VA | reply to asdfdfdfdf
Don't forget! New season of American Idol starts January 16!  |
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| reply to Steve B
Maybe Mr/Mrs Anonymous has Tivo envy.  |
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 morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | reply to asdfdfdfdf
said by asdfdfdfdf :
we should probably rank it above drug use as the most destructive addiction this country faces. It really should be viewed as a national PROBLEM.
careful. you are preaching to an angry mob that loves tv. the average person loves tv and watches a ton of it.
is tv useful in controlling people? of course. manipulation by information can be seen all the time. more subtle is the distraction it is to dealing with all the true issues this country and the world has. instead of talking about problem X, people talk about American Idol. tv helps maintain a passive society. |
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| reply to Steve B
I'm not the type to walk around with my nose in the air. I generally keep my head down to protect my face against the cold wind.
You're probably right that I'm a problem but, as madrhino points out, what is a mild temporary case of heartburn compared to what I am talking about?
I wasn't making a personal attack upon you. I didn't say that you were a problem. I said that television is a problem.
I never claimed that all the people who watch tv are socially destructive deviants. I realize many decent people watch tv. I know some of them. I'm related to some of them. I am one of them, as I watch some tv myself.
Many people are exposed to the flu virus and don't get sick. That doesn't necessarily mean that flu viruses are harmless and it doesn't mean that it is healthy to constantly expose yourself to flu viruses.
I just wish people could moderate their exposure to this. There was a person in the article who cancelled cable, because he was so pissed off, and then subscribed again a few days later. At that point, I think we can say this thing has had some kind of profound effect on, and hold over, his life. Most people could live without their friends and families for longer than they could live without television. |
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fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | reply to asdfdfdfdf
What I view as a National Problem is the fact that people still worry about what others wish to do with their time.
Really... if you don't like watching TV - don't!
Maybe some of us view sitting in a park looking at ducks as worthless. Maybe some of us view chasing so-called royalty in England as a COMPLETELY senseless thing to do. I mean, who CARES who prince Charles wants to marry.. or who cares that one of the prices is going to join the military. I wish I had that kind of camera coverage when I went it years ago.
Just because you stare at a TV screen doesn't mean you are shaped and warped by what you see.. if that was the case, we should tell those religious fanatics to stop watching Pat Robertson too, right? TV is the great blame...
Really.. the problem today is not people watching TV, rather, it is people that spend their time worried about what others might do with their time especially if it doesn't match what they feel is 'the best way to spend their time'.. right? Isn't that what you are doing? Usually those people are bored with their own life and should spend more time staring at a TV screen filling their time.
If you ask me.. nosey bodies are ranked MUCH higher than drug use.
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"Wipe out the national deficit over night... Tax the stupid!" - about 50 gMail invites available. PM if you'd like one. |
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| reply to SRFireside
Does this have something to do with that time a woman was sitting with the remote, on my couch, telling me I needed a bigger hard drive? |
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approval from:
guitarzan
| reply to fiberguy
I probably shouldn't answer because it makes me look like I'm more fixated with the subject than I actually am.
The error you are making is in concluding that because what one person does with their time is no one else's business and of no social interest that therefore what hundreds of millions do with their time is no one else's business or of no social interest. What hundreds of millions do tends to have consequences for everyone, not just those hundreds of millions. That's the nature of living in a society rather than as an isolated hermit. The behavior of the majority shapes everything.
If hundreds of millions of people started spending 8 hours a day, every day, in parks looking at ducks I suspect that there would suddenly be a great deal of interest and study of the subject and the effects it was having on society. Since sitting and looking at ducks isn't a major occupation of most people we don't consider it of any significance and don't worry about it. |
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1 edit | reply to fiberguy
said by fiberguy:Maybe some of us view sitting in a park looking at ducks as worthless. Maybe some of us view chasing so-called royalty in England as a COMPLETELY senseless thing to do. I mean, who CARES who prince Charles wants to marry.. or who cares that one of the prices is going to join the military. I wish I had that kind of camera coverage when I went it years ago. What channel was that on, is it syndicated yet?
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Its the Democrats fault. In fact it is the Speaker of House Polosi fault. Everything is the Democrats fault. Everything. Just like Everything was the Republicans Fault when they were in power. |
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Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | reply to asdfdfdfdf
LOL, I never took it as a personal attack on me. I guess the simplest way to put it is that I'm very opinionated? I do have an issue that you seem to think that TV is bad. Your quote backs up that point; "I just wish people could limit their exposure to this." TV is neither good or bad, its what people do with TV or because of TV that is bad or good. Don't blame the TV and act like its some kind of disease. If a person can't handle it, then its their problem, not television. I get so irritated when people play this sick & twisted blame game. In other words, instead of blaming themselves for not having the simplest self control or common sense when it comes to TV, them and others like them want to turn around and say TV is bad. That is just not right. |
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