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Most TV is shit because most of all content is shit. Most movies are shit. Most novels are shit. Most one act plays are shit. Most music is shit. Most webs

by Steko 15y ago

Most TV is shit because most of all content is shit. Most movies are shit. Most novels are shit. Most one act plays are shit. Most music is shit. Most websites are shit. Most HN submissions are shit and let's not even get into comments. OTOH there's a lot of tv that is great, and I say that as someone who cancelled his cable almost 2 years ago. Some of this is available in other formats. "Saving" people $50 a month telling them to cancel cable tv and torrent everything they want isn't going to save the underclass. Yes get off the high horse.

danilocampos 15y ago
There's a difference between bad and empty. Even "bad" storytelling can require historical context or reasonable attention span to consume. On the other hand, celebrity reporting and the rise of reality TV require absolutely no mental commitment or understanding of anything outside of what is immediately presented. I assert that, as the number of people whose economic circumstances prevent any sort of useful education grows, demand for empty content grows accordingly. There just won't be enough people with enough mental furniture to make use of anything more sophisticated.
- ksgant 15y ago
  So? Who are we to say that people who want to watch Celebrity Apprentice or some celebrity reporting are watching the wrong type of programming and you are watching the right type of programming? Or even saying that no programming at all is what we should strive for? This indeed is a "high horse" attitude. I guarantee you that whatever you do in your leisure time I can find fault with also. Of course, you won't agree with my opinions at all, but it still doesn't take away from my point. Which is that it's easy to point the finger and say someone is wrong for doing something. And make not mistake, you are saying that people that watch "empty" television are wrong. And in the long run, what does it matter? We'll all on a path to oblivion anyway. If everyone stopped doing what they're doing at the very second and followed your way of thinking, it still won't stave off the inevitable. Time will devour us all, so it really doesn't matter if someone wishes to watch Jersey Shore instead of...well...instead of whatever it is you do personally.

by Steko 15y ago

danilocampos 15y ago

There's a difference between bad and empty. Even "bad" storytelling can require historical context or reasonable attention span to consume. On the other hand, celebrity reporting and the rise of reality TV require absolutely no mental commitment or understanding of anything outside of what is immediately presented. I assert that, as the number of people whose economic circumstances prevent any sort of useful education grows, demand for empty content grows accordingly. There just won't be enough people with enough mental furniture to make use of anything more sophisticated.

ksgant 15y ago
So? Who are we to say that people who want to watch Celebrity Apprentice or some celebrity reporting are watching the wrong type of programming and you are watching the right type of programming? Or even saying that no programming at all is what we should strive for? This indeed is a "high horse" attitude. I guarantee you that whatever you do in your leisure time I can find fault with also. Of course, you won't agree with my opinions at all, but it still doesn't take away from my point. Which is that it's easy to point the finger and say someone is wrong for doing something. And make not mistake, you are saying that people that watch "empty" television are wrong. And in the long run, what does it matter? We'll all on a path to oblivion anyway. If everyone stopped doing what they're doing at the very second and followed your way of thinking, it still won't stave off the inevitable. Time will devour us all, so it really doesn't matter if someone wishes to watch Jersey Shore instead of...well...instead of whatever it is you do personally.