Television Depravity

[EllenMaksoud]

Last night I was not at home and sat down to watch TV with some friends. I have not had television in my house in about 6 years, so what news, or movies I watch come off the internet.  So here we are watching a TV movie, and here is a young Owen Wilson getting caught masturbating by the couple he is staying with. I objected and they changed the channel to an animated thing where the characters were SWEARING ! They were doing it openly and the people I was with just sat there watching it with out speaking up. When I mentioned that they were swearing, those with me just said yes, they are.

 

With that, I just got up and went to bed. I had been thinking of buying a 3d TV.

 

Is this what people who have cable have to put up with?

[Tacenda]

The regular channels can be just as bad. The only reason cable is good is someone can go to places like the BYU channel, Discovery Channel or places that are like that. But I guess regular t.v. has KUED, and KBYU.

[TAO]

Yeah, TV can be a bit filthy.  You can find a few good shows though that work out nicely though.  As Tacenda said, Discovery, BYU, Science (and sometimes military) tend to be safe.  Hulu is also nice as well for stuff, since you can choose what you want to watch.

[Kenngo1969]

I largely confine myself to watching programming relating to current events and public affairs (which may not be any better than the sort of "art-imitating-'real'-life" TV we're discussing here, but at least when the "bad" stuff is covered in this kind of programming it's in the context of someone actually trying to do something about it [other than simply glorifying it or wallowing in it!]).  Though I've never tried them because of limited finances, Netflix, Hulu, etc., seem to be good options for having more control over what one watches.  (I also hear Roku will allow one to watch programming pulled off the Internet on one's TV.  Anybody tried that?  If so, how is it?)

Edited September 24, 2013 by Kenngo1969

[Iggy]

I haven't had a TV (hooked to cable or dishes) since 1999. When I visit family, the TV is on nearly 24/7. Even when they leave for church, the tv is left on. It is their tv. Their house. Thus when I don't like what it is on, I take out my hearing aids, put in the ear plugs and read my Kindle. 

 

The majority of anything on TV is crude, vulgar and foul. That is the main reason I let the ex- husband have the new 26" TV, & the satellite dish with all of it's accouterments in the divorce settlement.  At home 2nd husband and I have a large screen that is connected to a PC and we subscribe to Netflix. There isn't much on there that is clean either. Within 10 minutes of the start of any movie or program you will know what the language will be. We end the movie/program a lot and search for something else. I also end up removing the hearing aids, putting on my head set and listening to my music selections AND reading my Kindle!

[Garden Girl]

Being alone, I use TV for entertainment... plus reading, drawing, etc.  I can't abide the silliness of situation comedies or reality shows... some of the detective programs are so-so... I have all these channels and I watch probably a half dozen at most... I like HGTV, National Geographic, the history and science channels, BYU-TV has some good programming like American Ride... plus the sports... and the discussion panels on Sunday, etc.  I watch the news, i.e. C-SPAN, CNN, FOX, and local network news...Turner Classic Movies and Encore...

 

I probably watch too much TV.  Several times a day I run in here to see what you all are doing... that's about it.  My sis and I consider TV to be a wasteland really...

 

GG

[Robert F. Smith]

Being alone, I use TV for entertainment... plus reading, drawing, etc.  I can't abide the silliness of situation comedies or reality shows... some of the detective programs are so-so... I have all these channels and I watch probably a half dozen at most... I like HGTV, National Geographic, the history and science channels, BYU-TV has some good programming like American Ride... plus the sports... and the discussion panels on Sunday, etc.  I watch the news, i.e. C-SPAN, CNN, FOX, and local network news...Turner Classic Movies and Encore...

 

I probably watch too much TV.  Several times a day I run in here to see what you all are doing... that's about it.  My sis and I consider TV to be a wasteland really...

 

GG

Yes, the documentaries are often wonderful, and PBS-TV tends to import excellent dramas from England.  If you don't mind subtitles, many Korean and Chinese dramas are still quite innocent -- particularly those set in ancient times -- if the warfare and superb martial arts do not turn one off.  No sex scenes, and even kisses are rare.  Old Japanese films are as advanced (and often more subtle) than American films.  Indeed, Director Akira Kurosawa was considered a god by many Hollywood directors.

 

Yet, if worse comes to worse, there is always the immortal "Casablanca," "The Maltese Falcon," "The Big Sleep," and "Citizen Kane."  Seen any of them lately?

Edited September 25, 2013 by Robert F. Smith

[foster]

cable or satellite tv are soon to become things of the past. For me nothing beats a nice TV with a very high refresh rate and two other options.

 

I would suggest a fast internet connection, most TV show are legally available on the internet and there is Netflix.

[Tacenda]

I am shocked by what is allowed on t.v. now. Last night a new show came on that at first looked pretty decent, I thought I might be able to watch. It involved different families. Well the one set was a couple living with their parents I believe, she was pregnant and he was out of a job. She comes in the bedroom as he is first waking up and sits on the bed saying she wished they could move and he pulled out an ad for a place to live and she gets excited and then proceeds to "take care" of him while the camera shows only their faces. I was shocked, I shouldn't have been, because so many primetime shows out there are similar, all sexual in nature. I guess that's why I'm a watcher of reality shows like The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, Amazing Race, HGTV, The Boss and the like. I've yet to get interested in a particular sitcom that is recent. I wish there was something to do, other than just switching the channel. Not to mention the commercials are worse. Last night there was a Jimmy Johns one where a woman steps out of the shower with a towel on and orders a sandwich. Then 2 seconds later the delivery guy is on the porch and when she reaches to take her order the towel drops and then you see the excitement on his face. I feel so sorry for the youth that didn't grow up with decent shows like most of us did.

[Calm]

Last night there was a Jimmy Johns one where a woman steps out of the shower with a towel on and orders a sandwich. Then 2 seconds later the delivery guy is on the porch and when she reaches to take her order the towel drops and then you see the excitement on his face. I feel so sorry for the youth that didn't grow up with decent shows like most of us did.

That was so flagrantly unnecessary for the advertisement that if I had ever been a customer of Jimmy Johns, I would no longer be one.  It had nothing to do with the food itself.  It was completely mindless.  It was pure sexual exploitation/objectification of the woman for turning on men, probably teens and early twenties even since they are the ones most likely to have such jobs and such fantasies.  I spent several minutes expressing my disgust to my husband.  I can only hope that due to having such a strong sexual impact, the message about the food is totally lost, there is no connection made in people's minds that promotes the food as something desirable and so it was a total waste of money for the company.

[strappinglad]

Which is worse murder or fornication? I am really getting tired of shows where guns are being pointed all the time. Violent video games and TV shows have desensitized us to death and destruction. The same is happening with sex wherein it is portrayed as normal to jump into bed after the briefest of encounters. As for the ad , it is meant to give name recognition to Jimmy Johns not to promote the food. As such it apparently succeeded.

[cinepro]

Which is worse murder or fornication? I am really getting tired of shows where guns are being pointed all the time. Violent video games and TV shows have desensitized us to death and destruction. The same is happening with sex wherein it is portrayed as normal to jump into bed after the briefest of encounters. As for the ad , it is meant to give name recognition to Jimmy Johns not to promote the food. As such it apparently succeeded.

 

I strongly suspect that "desensitization" to violence is largely a myth.  We know that TV/Movie violence is "fake", and it doesn't change our reactions to "real" violence.  I've seen "Die Hard" 50 times, but I was still shocked and appalled by the mall massacre in Kenya.  If I watched "Die Hard" another 200 times and were another mall shooting to occur, I would still be just as appalled.  I could watch this YouTube video 1,000 times and I'd still be seriously disturbed if I saw someone get punched on the sidewalk in front of me.

 

If anything, I find myself becoming more sensitive to violence as I get older.  There are movies I might have watched 20 years ago that I won't watch now. 

 

Sex and nudity is a different matter, of course, because if you see a naked woman in a movie, you're actually seeing a real naked woman.  That's why we treat nudity/sex differently than fake violence in media.

Edited September 25, 2013 by cinepro

[EllenMaksoud]

By the replies, it seems that not having TV is perhaps a benefit to me.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Last night I was not at home and sat down to watch TV with some friends. I have not had television in my house in about 6 years, so what news, or movies I watch come off the internet.  So here we are watching a TV movie, and here is a young Owen Wilson getting caught masturbating by the couple he is staying with. I objected and they changed the channel to an animated thing where the characters were SWEARING ! They were doing it openly and the people I was with just sat there watching it with out speaking up. When I mentioned that they were swearing, those with me just said yes, they are.

 

With that, I just got up and went to bed. I had been thinking of buying a 3d TV.

 

Is this what people who have cable have to put up with?

Animation has become like the secret weapon, animated to please the kids and adult humor and language to please the parents.

[cinepro]

Animation has become like the secret weapon, animated to please the kids and adult humor and language to please the parents.

 

 

There are many animated shows on TV that are strictly for adults.  They are not intended for kids at all (and most aren't great for adults either).

Edited September 26, 2013 by cinepro

[sweetpotatoh]

If you have an ipad or iphone and an apple tv you can stream BYU Tv to your tv. Which is what we do. We cut the cable a couple of years ago. We do have internet, Netflix and Hulu. Stil cheaper then cable.

[EllenMaksoud]

If you have an ipad or iphone and an apple tv you can stream BYU Tv to your tv. Which is what we do. We cut the cable a couple of years ago. We do have internet, Netflix and Hulu. Stil cheaper then cable.

I have Samsung S 4 and use T Mobile. Can I do the same thing?

[Duncan]

I strongly suspect that "desensitization" to violence is largely a myth.  We know that TV/Movie violence is "fake", and it doesn't change our reactions to "real" violence.  I've seen "Die Hard" 50 times, but I was still shocked and appalled by the mall massacre in Kenya.  If I watched "Die Hard" another 200 times and were another mall shooting to occur, I would still be just as appalled.  I could watch this YouTube video 1,000 times and I'd still be seriously disturbed if I saw someone get punched on the sidewalk in front of me.

 

If anything, I find myself becoming more sensitive to violence as I get older.  There are movies I might have watched 20 years ago that I won't watch now. 

 

Sex and nudity is a different matter, of course, because if you see a naked woman in a movie, you're actually seeing a real naked woman.  That's why we treat nudity/sex differently than fake violence in media.

 

 

never in my life have I ever listened to Motley Crue-now I have listened to that song like 6 times, hope you're happy

[EllenMaksoud]

It is disappointing to find that so many have programming that is abhorrent to Heavenly Father.

[Tacenda]

I'm starting to think the world's going to hell in a handbasket Ellen.

[Garden Girl]

 

Yet, if worse comes to worse, there is always the immortal "Casablanca," "The Maltese Falcon," "The Big Sleep," and "Citizen Kane."  Seen any of them lately?

As a matter of fact, yes... Citizen Kane...

I have quite a film library and appreciate the older films because of the lack of language and in your face violence.  Plus the dialog and overall story line were in most cases above today's...

 

GG