Is TV destroying us?

Scooterbug, I actually love these quotes of yours and like you, am nostalgic somewhat for these times as I am old enough to remember them.

We would sit down to dinner as a family and my Dad would hand someone at the table the daily newspaper - one of us (whoever's turn it was) had to pick an article (could be any of our choosing)- politics, sports, entertainment, business, etc...) and then had to summarize it for the others at the table - we fondly called it giving the reader's digest version of it. It was tedious and tiresome growing up but fun and engaging as we got older and I cannot wait to start this with my daughters!

Glad you enjoy! Those times weren't that long ago, I'm haven't even hit 30 yet!

Love the newspaper summaries at the table! With the exception of sunday mornings we weren't allowed to read the paper if food was on the table or others were present, but my mother read books to us every morning at breakfast.

Love the newspaper summaries at the table! With the exception of sunday mornings we weren't allowed to read the paper if food was on the table or others were present, but my mother read books to us every morning at breakfast.

You got books? :idontno: I got the riot act every morning. :funn:

I shudder when I look at the budget for the athletic department of our universities, then compare it with what they spend on the English department.

Only if the English Dept students sold tickets and booze to weekly performances of the Nude version of Much Ado About Nothing, (and sell the DVD's) would they have a chance at competing with the revenues taken in by the Athletic Dept.

Well Gaawwwhhhhlleee (ala Gomer Pyle), I do believe TV has already warped us beyond hope.

See? I couldn?t even address this topic without making TV references, and now I?d like to solve the puzzle, Vanna:

TV shuts down our brains and makes us intellectually passive.

Of course there are some upsides; you know my partner got most of his romantic cues via cheesy sitcoms. To this day, he goes all Gomez on me every time I speak French (or any foreign language for that matter). I can?t hardly order dinner at Coco?s without risk of being molested.

Ah, C?est la vie???.

:floor: :floor: :floor:

Well Gaawwwhhhhlleee (ala Gomer Pyle), I do believe TV has already warped us beyond hope.

See? I couldn’t even address this topic without making TV references, and now I’d like to solve the puzzle, Vanna:

TV shuts down our brains and makes us intellectually passive.

Of course there are some upsides; you know my partner got most of his romantic cues via cheesy sitcoms. To this day, he goes all Gomez on me every time I speak French (or any foreign language for that matter). I can’t hardly order dinner at Coco’s without risk of being molested.

Ah, C’est la vie……….

not one, but two, gems of the day......:clap: :lol:

I think Edward R. Murrow said it best. I paraphrase.....Television is a great new technology which can educate, illuminate, and foster civil and intelligent discourse. But if abused and made totally commercial.......it is just wires and tubes in a box.

I think Edward R. Murrow said it best. I paraphrase.....Television is a great new technology which can educate, illuminate, and foster civil and intelligent discourse. But if abused and made totally commercial.......it is just wires and tubes in a box.

Random line from George Carlin HBO special "You are all diseased".....in response to the observation that "this country is going "down the tubes"....."What tubes"? I don't see any tubes. Where are these tubes everybody is talking about.

After more thought on the subject, I wonder how is tv destroying us? I never hear anyone talking about watching channels other than the Discovery Channel and the History Channel, and the occasional Fox News Channel. If people had the option to pay per channel and select only the channels they wanted, I would guess that most people wouldn't pay for more than about 8-10 channels.

After more thought on the subject, I wonder how is tv destroying us? I never hear anyone talking about watching channels other than the Discovery Channel and the History Channel, and the occasional Fox News Channel. If people had the option to pay per channel and select only the channels they wanted, I would guess that most people wouldn't pay for more than about 8-10 channels.

I think you're right SJ. I watch alot of a very few select channels (channels that are IMO (guess that could be considered subjective) educational. Ole Mediacom
would probably go outta biz if they couldn't bundle us into a bunch of crap we don't care about.

After more thought on the subject, I wonder how is tv destroying us? I never hear anyone talking about watching channels other than the Discovery Channel and the History Channel, and the occasional Fox News Channel. If people had the option to pay per channel and select only the channels they wanted, I would guess that most people wouldn't pay for more than about 8-10 channels.

Very true, but the media vermin would adjust pricing the way the county will play with the millage rate once the state makes it's move on taxes. I'm paying about 60 dollars a month for basic cable and it's on me that I pay that tab each month for a service not worth the fee. I hope one day there's more competition.

I'm paying about 60 dollars a month for basic cable and it's on me that I pay that tab each month for a service not worth the fee. I hope one day there's more competition.

Looked into Netflix? $15/mo gets you more movies than you can watch, and you are not paying an additional $10 in sur charges and taxes on netflix.

Not only are most shows quickly available on DVD, they also show them online at the respective networks' websites.

Not only are most shows quickly available on DVD, they also show them online at the respective networks' websites.

...and the good ones are quickly uploaded to youtube.com