Television: mind control for the masses?

[jtskinner]

If this sort of topic has been posted before I will happily apologize. Anyways, I think that TV is distracting people from the issues, and lying to them at the same time. When you watch TV you don't need to think, you are told what to think by the program you are watching. The news feed us fear, paranoia, and lies, the reality TV shows give us altered perceptions of what really is happening, and other programs are really making us think we should all want to fit in, be popular, wear whatever or do whatever famous people do, and are turning youth into anti-intellectuals. Our minds are being wasted by television! We must stop this! The same can be said for film but other films are more artful and challenge us to inquire. We need to stop talking about Paris Hilton, she made a sex tape get over it already! Society seems to love this stuff, while they discard books and things that make us think. Television, religion, popular culture, all of it is driving humankind into a nightmarish end. I think we all need to boycott television. Stand strong, and score one for the intellectuals!

[GOD]

TV is what the masses want. Its what the masses get.

The best thing I ever did was ditch my TV. Never regreted it.

Still though, any form of communication can be corrupted... just that books and so forth come from many sources reducing the propensity for it to be skewed.

Biggest problem though with books... is there is so much padding in them... just give me the points of difference, information by exception.

Must admit, I have rekindled my fondnest for books in the last couple of days due to people here mentioning it....

I don't have days of sick from work... why? Daytime television is more of a torture than toughing it out at work.. *;D

[Tuna]

I keep trying to convince my parents to ditch our TV except for basic cable. The internet, iPod, and books provide more than enough entertainment for me.

What I really want to say is: Cry me a river. You take away stupid television, regular people will start burning people at the stake. Or worse, because they're bored out of their minds. The masses need constant visual stimuli, otherwise they'll wise up and realize that the world is corrupted and slowly dying... Heaven forbid they actually open their eyes...

[aelan]

TV is what the masses want. Its what the masses get.
do you think the masses are intelligent enough to make an informed decision as to what they want. *::)

[qwerty]

heh, I have no problem with other people watching TV.
It's like in school when you let someone copy your answers, you're ensuring that you remain the smartest. Encouraging people to watch TV is the same principle. Plus I doubt that many could fill their time if they weren't able to watch it.

I guess the same is true about the internet, if you use it as an entertainment device or study device.

Funnily enough I have a pretty decent home entertainment setup but I switch it on maybe once a week (if I'm having a bad week).

[thegnat]

well....

I've heard from sources that the US has the 44th freest press in the world.

ooh here we go:
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So the masses' information really....isn't not biased. Which I think we all knew. It is a form of brainwashing. Sure. Why not?

Have you seen the kind of psychology that goes into advertisements? I remember hearing about it in high school. They try and send all kinds of subliminal messages.

Having said that, People should be able to distinguish fact from fiction. Either by doing their own research or being smart about things. Having common sense is a start. I think some people really don't have it.

[GOD]

TV is what the masses want. Its what the masses get.
do you think the masses are intelligent enough to make an informed decision as to what they want. *::)

Well, they could read books, talk to their family or many other things... but what are they really interested in?

Well, look at the ratings for various programmes... thats what they want to watch. Look at the uptake for subscriptions to various cable channels (sky etc).

People want entertainment the way they like food... fast, consistent, cheerful and sends them home with a "nice warm feeling".

Have to laugh though, In Britain we have the equivalent of the US casualty programmes... the big difference though... is in the US the patient tends to always live.. And on the British programmes they die... lol... we find all the "elated feelings" of the US versions to be worse than seeing the patient die...

Ahh... but I digress.

[cielo market]

If you think television is a waste, don't watch it. *shrug* Yes, it's a sad fact that people seem more interested in celebrity gossip than intellectual subjects, but just be proud that you're above that. I'm picky about what I watch/read, but I'm not gonna dissmiss mass media all together.

well....

I've heard from sources that the US has the 44th freest press in the world.

ooh here we go:
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

So the masses' information really....isn't not biased. Which I think we all knew. *It is a form of brainwashing. Sure. Why not? *

Have you seen the kind of psychology that goes into advertisements? I remember hearing about it in high school. *They try and send all kinds of subliminal messages.

Having said that, People should be able to distinguish fact from fiction. *Either by doing their own research or being smart about things. *Having common sense is a start. *I think some people really don't have it.

Well said :thumbsup:

[jtskinner]

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Proof enough?

[Epicurus]

I don't think the normal person have any other source of building their intellect than TV. Except newspapers.

In Sweden we got the 7 main ruling populistical political parties wich thereby are raw socialists, even tough most of them were something else before. Swedish media in its tone is almost entirely socialistic and so is the people working there.

They are going to start putting up gaschambers for libertarians soon, and then ban people from having white skincolour, you must be wearing masks instead, just to prevent the evil nazis from getting to the power. Just after what the media is going to show to be the right thing to do.

I really don't watch the news on Tv anymore since its just propaganda. Tough I watch some movies sometimes and a few of the scientifical programs.

[chocky]

heh, I have no problem with other people watching TV.
It's like in school when you let someone copy your answers, you're ensuring that you remain the smartest.

Precisely. The rationale behind mass media is flawless.

Every now and then I get het up about liberating people from stupidity and fantasize about smashing tvs, burning schools etc... but really, after so many generations of selecting for docility and dumbness - put these poor zombies in the wilds of the intellect and they'd perish. It hurts.

And every now and then some throwback NT is born and wonders what the heck?! Where are the real people?

*pats self on back for selling off the tv and wanders away to find a good Ray Bradbury to read*

[HarleyQuinn]

Not everybody who owns a TV watches the news and is mindless :P

I ignore any and all news shows because I just find them so damn depressing and pointless to watch. Even a good story gets a bit of a spin to it rather than just giving the facts and details of the event. I rarely use TV as my source of information on any subject and prefer to use books if I want to find information on a subject.

The shows I watch are either historical shows or have sharp, witty, high end dialogue...
- NCIS
- House
- Ghost Hunters (It's ghost hunting with an aim of disproving hauntings through rationality/logic. Awesome)
- History/Discovery shows
- The Next Great American Band (Don't ask... it's the desire to watch music and critique of said music)
- So You Think You Can Dance (Really neat to see people dancing so well. I find great dancers mesmerizing)

[Rohsiph]

A moderate intellectual could deconstruct a reality-TV program in a way that would prove beneficial to his/her quest for knowledge--

which is to say, TV, like any other kind of culture, won't offer up much without some investment.

That said, I would argue that a lot of what appears on TV in the US isn't worth any investment . . .

but, at the moment, I find myself enjoying Metalocalypse on Cartoon Network, and am looking forward to the next season of LOST in the Spring.

[rubbercorks]

A moderate intellectual could deconstruct a reality-TV program in a way that would prove beneficial to his/her quest for knowledge--

which is to say, TV, like any other kind of culture, won't offer up much without some investment.

That said, I would argue that a lot of what appears on TV in the US isn't worth any investment . . .

but, at the moment, I find myself enjoying Metalocalypse on Cartoon Network, and am looking forward to the next season of LOST in the Spring.

House, Heroes and Avatar, only tv I watch. The shows that are the worst are the ones on MTV, like that dating show where people are hooked up to lie detectors or something or that one show where the boyfriend/girlfriend have to watch their partner go on dates. Those shows are not only fake and contrived, but just plain crappy, but people eat it up :(

[orange]

Not everybody who owns a TV watches the news and is mindless *:P

I ignore any and all news shows because I just find them so damn depressing and pointless to watch. Even a good story gets a bit of a spin to it rather than just giving the facts and details of the event. *I rarely use TV as my source of information on any subject and prefer to use books if I want to find information on a subject.

The shows I watch are either historical shows or have sharp, witty, high end dialogue...


Agreed, the news is crap. NEVER watch it!

I watch a ton of TV (way more than I should) but I know I can't trust anything on it.

list of some of my favorite shows:
-NCIS
-House
-Stargate SG1 (finnaly ended after 10 seasons >:( )
-chuck
-various amimes
-and of course.. the best show ever made that no one ever knew about.. (*drum roll*) Firefly

for those of you who never saw that show it's a Sci-fi/Western and theres only 1 season. Fox canceled it befor the first season was shown (in the wrong order) and by that time it already had a cult fallowing. I didn't see it till SciFi showed it.

[wise]

do you think the masses are intelligent enough to make an informed decision as to what they want. ::)

They should be given the choice to make that decision, instead of having it decided for them. "Are they intelligent enough to..." could be applied in any setting because we obviously don't all think alike. Even INTJ represent many schools of thought. :)

While I do agree that much of television is disposable, I do voluntarily watch some "junk". "House" has been one our favorites, but this season it is getting weird and stupid. I love quiz shows, even when they're silly, I have to admit.

[Bossy Mom]

I like to watch television while I quilt. The television I watch includes the history channel, the Discovery channels, A&E, and good movies. I like my entertainment to be somewhat intelligent. No trash TV like MTV, reality shows, Comedy Central, etc. Sometimes I like to watch Animal Planet or HGTV. Not all television is bad.

[oceanicon]

and that's why I watch television almost never.
screw television :P

[RedM]

I'm speaking as a person who is in the process of pursuing a media production/screenwriting degree in hopes of one day working on television. I think anyone here will agree it is the most powerful medium for dispersing information, second only to the Internet. I, ironically, don't watch any television, literally. I do watch quite a few programs that air on TV, but without what is the worst part about television, commercials. The commercialism in this country runs rampant and that's because everyone wants flashy lights and sexy broads, parties and nice cars. The psychology is pretty transparent. Buy shit and you'll be happy. I chuckle to my self every time I see someone listening to an iPod or drinking a Bud. These scenes are typically follow or precede scenes of beautiful women (and men, I assume). That's the reason so much television is so bad. They try to get you horny and get you to want stuff. Care of Quality never becomes a concern. (Politically, this appears as slanted news, pushing certain individuals agendas.)
But it's unfair to categorize all television together, and though most is 'terrifying', brainwashing trash, that doesn't mean all television is. Personally, I enjoy a quality comedy (in addition to scientific or historical programs and, yes, sport, thought this is probably the worst when it come to what I'm talking about), because aside from having to just look and hear, you have to watch and listen, both higher mental activities. But even these are sometimes pulled into the Lemmings abyss (see sport), but I also tend to avoid those, just as I avoid the celebrity shit and The Domestic/International Terror Threat @ 8 with any number of white faces (and a few other colors).

Some shows I watch:
-Arrested Development
-It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
-Curb Your Enthusiasm

Not so proud of myself, but enjoy beyond the typical viewer, I think
-Entourage
-30 Rock
-Scrubs

There are others. I dunno. Maybe I've just been brainwashed, but it seems like the commercialism is so blatant, that anyone could see it. Just see how often that buying something is equated with happiness or sex, and you'll see why certain groups of people put as much trash on the the tube as they do.

Shortly on films, there is definably still a commercialism issue, but what raises it above TV is the active use of ones brain while watching it. Typically, longer plots and deeper characters prevent the "commercials" from being anything but props, subtle and, at times, subliminal, but not nearly as harmful as 30 seconds attention span destroyers.

I think if less importance is placed on making money, and more importance is placed on making quality, engaging and entertaining, thought provoking television, clearly there will be less celebrity gossip and the government won't need to scare us into mall to pay taxes.

Kinda strange thought/belief I've had recently: Within the next 15-20 years the only thing this country(US) will be exporting to the world is food(need) and entertainment(want). But we'll be importing in a whole lot of other bullshit that we don't need at all, except energy(need), but no one will be able to afford it.

My final word would be don't just look and hear, watch and listen. Then think. TV ain't all bad, but it ain't all good. Thank god there's plenty of ways to get around commercials (for free, pm). If that's against the rules, I apologize in advance. Didn't read the rules. Why read when the movie's twice as fast? Hey, maybe I'm just one of the zombies.

[Sevs]

Personally I must say TV is not really my thing.
I mean most of the time there is nothing good anyway and if then its pestered by the fact that adverts come on every 30 minutes. Also I grew up without TV my parents made that decision as they said it would only "stupify" me, I think this might actually be part reason why I turned out the way I did. Since I did not have a TV I was forced to entertain myself otherwise namely reading books and playing around on the computer.
I think if i were to have children I'll ban TV for at least the first 12 years too.

Also yes I agree TV is just another way of keeping the masses busy so they don't realize about the REAL problems in this world, and thus no one asks "uncomfortable questions" or at least the few people that do can be controlled easily and even discredited on TV for everyone to see what an idiot that person is and all they say isn't true.

The only things I actually watch on TV are:
Scrubs, Simpsons (sometimes), Prison break , Heroes

Fortunately there is this marvelous invention called the internet that will let me watch all this comfortably from my PC without annoying adverts and whenever I want to so really I do not understand why anyone would want a TV.

[Rick]

Seems that I'm seeing a minor trend here in that INTJ's aren't huge TV fans.

I do not own a TV anymore, by choice. At work, when people are talking about one celebrity or another, usually I have to ask who that person is. I get the strangest looks, particularly if I ask whether that person is a new employee (having never heard of them). Same when most contemporary artists or sports stars are being discussed. I have almost zero interest.

It has become sort of game with me to scan the tabloids at the supermarket checkouts. I calculate the ratio of people I recognize versus those I haven't, and that ratio keeps getting closer to zero.

[Figmentum]

CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, ABC, are all great TV series of fiction, loosely based around fact.

[brewmaster]

CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, ABC, are all great TV series of fiction, loosely based around fact.

holy shit, I think I actually laughed out loud at this, my labmates probably think I've finally truly lost it.

I turned on CNN HLN yesterday morning for the first time in about 3 months, just to see if they changed at all. 30 seconds was all it took for me to turn it back to the weather channel. Won't make that mistake again.