The Amazing Embarrasonic Human Karaoke Machine

[metsuten]

In a visionary flash of 1876, a Boston civil servant named George Carey had dreams of complete television systems. Unified viewing across the world. Releasing drawings of what was called a “selenium camera” to “see by electricity” in 1877, the excitement over the possibility of seeing over a distance became widespread. The start of the surveillance

Comments

[jtomsy]

I'd hate to go against the flow here and oppose everybody's opinions (wait, no I wouldn't ... ) but has nobody here ever picked up a magazine? Or tuned in to any pop radio stations? OR WALKED DOWN THE STREET?!

Television can't be blamed for the way society is, it is HUMANS who are at fault. Advertising (which is what you're mostly getting at here) and Media influence is everywhere, not just on television. There are plenty of programs on plenty of chanels that are educational, inspiring, enlightening and in no way negative or harmful to the human mind (which has pretty much been destroying itself for the last hundred years) and there are news programs, etc. that are a quick and easy way for people to get information that can often be very important.

Is there trash on television? Yes. But, I, personally, choose not to watch most of it. Reality television? Nope, thanks. I am personally able to decipher what should and shouldn't be influencing me, because I am not a mindless drone who can't think for herself. Do I enjoy cheezy sitcoms? Yes, I do. Does that mean I think they reflect real life? Of course not! Do I watch shows that are below me? No doubt, but it doesn't mean my IQ is steadily dropping each time I press the power button. And let's not forget the documentaries and special educational programs that they show on A&E, TLC and Discovery. I very much ENJOY those. But, because they're on television, they're the tool of the devil now?

You can't blame television for society's problem. It's society itself that IS the problem.

[jtomsy]

If you really want to rid yourself and the world of negativity from a social and economical point of view, burn every copy of Cosmopolitan magazine ever made.

Ever.

[metsuten]

What about magazines that branch off from Cosmopolitan in style and word?

Don't forget Elle. But I think that's just me.

[metsuten]

Case in point: "It’s not that TV is doing all of these terrible things to our brains, so on and so forth, but it’s the people that misuse it who are at fault."

Of course, no one can blame anyone else for their personal decision on the subject of why they watch TV; it'd be cruel. Just like how we can change the channel on the television, we're always able to seek out something more meaningful being aired over marketable cartoons and really bad acting. We can't ignore those educational and inspirational tidbits, no. Have you ever heard anyone bashing TLC or A&E?

I guess that while I say
"TV isn't really that great"
and someone says
"what about educational programming?"
then I say
"why can't it all be that way, then?"

we want variety. TV is variety. this is the only reason i can think of. I still dislike mass amounts of advertising, though.

[jtomsy]

Well, you completely ignored the first half of my argument ... and that is that mass amounts of advertising are everywhere. You can't walk down the street downtown without seeing billboards, posters, t-shirts ... I don't know why you're picking on television. It doesn't rot your brain, obviously, because there are millions of very intelligent people who watch T.V. There are millions of very intelligent people who go to movies, read magazines and go shopping. Advertising may be annoying but it isn't poison and people don't get stupider seeing/listening to it.

I LIKE television. I am entertained by it (its main purpose nowadays). It doesn't make me any stupider than any other media form out there, so QUIT PICKING ON IT. I'm sure I could make similar accusations about the things all of you find entertaining and I find it rather offensive that you all have a better-than-thou attitude towards those who enjoy T.V.! It is not Satan, it is not evil. It does its job, just like the radio, movies, magazines, the internet. You all use the internet, yet there's advertising all OVER the internet, but you seem to have no problem with THAT. I wonder why.

[metsuten]

Not I, nor anyone else, said you or anyone was stupid for watching television. You're getting intensely frustrated over a reasonable argument; everyone accepts your opinions, just as much as you should be accepting theirs. And mine.

Anyway, there's no point in trying to make some sort of compromise over this argument; you won't change your mind anymore than I will. This was just an opportunity to voice opinions on what TV means to us. By far, people have shown me its uses. I still continue to watch television even when it's something that I don't particularily want to watch, and I rely on anything with a screen to give me information.

And trust me: I realized the irony of my piece while it was presented on the computer. And I laughed.

[jtomsy]

"This is why I shake hands with anyone who doesn’t watch the stuff."

"TV doesn't allow for much creativity."

"TV can suck out your brain"

I don't know ... maybe it's just me, but those lines sound rather condescending. Not to mention saying that television is bad is in fact saying that one of my choices is bad thereby insulting me in saying that I've made a bad choice and that you are smarter than me for realizing it is a bad choice.

And, technically, you aren't accepting my argument in the sense that you're countering it with your own opinions. Which is the exact same thing I'm doing to you, so I don't understand why you're telling me to accept their arguments.

And I guess you never technically said I or anyone else was stupid for watching television ... You just said that those who don't watch it are better. And sorry, but as a person who watches television, I am offended at being considered lesser.

[metsuten]

And the friggin' beat goes on.

[jtomsy]

Ooo, is it mambo? OR A WALTZ?!

Re: Clashing opinions, oh dear

[metsuten]

(don't mind me, Huxley)

Re: Clashing opinions, oh dear

[jtomsy]

As it turns out, actually, metsuten and I sort of have a history of clashing opinions and we ended up talking (read: arguing) about it last night over msn. I think it's a lot easier to get your point across when the conversation is happening immediately, rather than at a snail's pace. Either way, he explained what he had meant by it and I explained how it could be taken another way and why I was offended. My original intent was really just to add my counterpoint and I think perhaps I got a little too passionate about the debate ... Either way, in those last few comments we're both pretty frustrated and I don't think it really reflects exactly what we meant to say (although I do stand by my point that that could easily be taken the wrong way ... myself as the perfect example). We agreed that I'll try to be less emotional about such silly things and he'd perhaps think of a different way of saying that kind of thing so as to avoid confusion.

And the hobbits did dance and sing ...