Was boob tube e'er this bad? Yea , I'm afraid it was.
We are staying inwards a campground , in addition to I idea I would run across what is on television. We convey a small-scale flip-down video histrion inwards the camper , which I bought on eBay for $150. It plays DVDs in addition to such , but does non have off-the-air TV.
Another camper was throwing away a new-in-the-box digital boob tube converter (the sort you lot could purchase amongst a authorities coupon , dorsum when they made the switch). I dug it out of the trash in addition to hooked it upwardly to the A/V input on the flip-down television. Voila , TeeVee!
You tin larn a lot of channels off-the-air these days , it seems , although most of them are garbage. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of religious channels (send us your money) in addition to a few play one-time boob tube shows (I dream of Jeannie , Bewitched , that sort of thing) amongst frequent commercials.
The commercials are fascinating. One tells you lot that you lot convey roughly undiagnosed illness in addition to you lot should "ask your doctor" close TRAFLYPTIX once-a-day medication. The side past times side advertizement is from a police push clit theatre advertising that "if you lot took TRAFLYPTIX in addition to had side effects , you lot may hold upwardly eligible for damages!"
It is the old something-for-nothing game. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pill volition alter your life. If it doesn't , good , you lot win at litigation lottery.
Other pitches were for "diet supplements" that would brand you lot experience "decades younger" in addition to eliminate wrinkles , etc. Or , you lot tin larn your pilus dorsum (two dissimilar companies , hither , but I suspect they are the same). Eat an acacia berry. Or larn your ain costless (or "nearly free") back-brace , if you lot telephone phone this number inwards the side past times side 10 minutes!
Also , interestingly plenty , are a lot of pitches for charities. The ASPCA has a long , long spot amongst pictures of deplorable pooches (mostly pit-bull roteweiller mixes) that convey been abused. They desire you lot to pledge $18.99 a calendar month (!!!!) to assist their charity. All I could yell upwardly was , "Gee , that's a lot of money" in addition to "That boob tube advertizement must convey toll a lot of dough!"
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 similar advertizement for the wounded warrior project. Noble causes? Yes. Money spent on boob tube ads? Staggering.
But it reflects the statistics on charities - poor people volition donate far to a greater extent than of their coin to charities than the rich , every bit a percent of income. And oftentimes these poor folks donate to questionable charities that convey rattling high overheads in addition to rattling high salaries for their cardinal employees. Charity is a fine affair in addition to all , but investigate the companionship (and it is a company) you lot are giving coin to. If they tin afford ads that toll tens of thousands of dollars a infinitesimal , you lot convey to inquire yourself where the coin is going.
Of course of teaching , the Jesus channels , staffed past times sweaty , overweight white men (or sweaty overweight dark men) , who set the fright of God into you lot , inquire for $1000 from "40 people" to purchase a novel fiber optic cable to spread the give-and-take of God to Muslims (!!!). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 M bucks! Gee , that makes the ASPCA await pretty inexpensive past times comparison. Of course of teaching , the Jesus channel needs to a greater extent than coin every bit they broadcast 24/7 , non but inwards 30-second spots.
It struck me that the ads were all aimed at poor people in addition to people who had a victim mentality in addition to were sympathetic to the victim mentality. If you lot are overweight in addition to experience similar shit , it isn't your fault. All you lot demand is a uncomplicated pill! And when that pill causes your boy to grow breasts (I am non making this up) you lot tin sue for damages! In the meantime , you lot tin latch onto the side past times side cure for a illness you lot don't convey , or assist rescue a rotweiller mix from roughly white trash who tried to crunch it to "make it a hateful guard dog!" Dang puppies , e'er beingness thus goofy in addition to cute! Need to toughen them up!
But sadly , the number of rednecks inwards the basis who determine they convey to convey a hateful domestic dog is apparently infinite. Go to whatever shelter in addition to you lot volition run across cage afterward cage of these inbred mutts , all amongst brusk muzzles in addition to large heads , bred for fighting in addition to non much else. They don't brand practiced pets , thus don't bother trying to "save" one. An elderly friend of mine tried that , in addition to it did non travel out well. The domestic dog was basically untrainable in addition to wild , in addition to when he saw a squirrel , he bolted , pulling my friend off their feet thus that they broke their hip.
You can't relieve the basis - especially if you lot don't relieve yourself first.
It got me to thinking , though. Was boob tube e'er this bad? So chock total of poor normative cues? So utterly stupid?
Well , yea.
The off-the-air programs were one-time sitcoms from the 1960's in addition to 1970's. While dreck similar I Dream of Jennie in addition to Bewitched in addition to other "Screen Gems" were manifestly stupid (and recycled the same plot from calendar week to week) , fifty-fifty the "progressive" intellectual shows of the 1970's such every bit All inwards the Family in addition to Maude (and other Norman Lear dreck) were actually idiotic in addition to written at an eighth flat floor , if that. Back thus , they were "groundbreaking , thought-provoking" shows because they oftentimes dealt amongst trendy issues. But the writing in addition to the jokes were lame beyond belief. You endeavour to sentinel them today in addition to you lot but shudder.
Television has e'er been stupid , I'm afraid. And only stupid people sentinel it. If you lot are non stupid , in addition to begin watching it , you volition travel stupid inwards brusk order. You can't assist it - you lot are beingness barraged amongst an information stream of information that hits your cerebral cortex at the speed of lite , without your encephalon beingness able to filter or procedure it , first.
Sadly , at that spot is rattling piddling media these days which is analytical , thoughtful , intellectual , or rational. Most media is designed to capture eyeballs , whether it is sensationalist journalism or explosion movies. News programs are heavily biased to the correct or left , amongst piddling in-between. And sadly , fifty-fifty the newspapers (which are instantly websites) are resorting to sensationalism to generate clicks in addition to capture eyeballs.
I am non certain what the response is , other than to unplug solely in addition to read a practiced book.
I am non certain what the response is , other than to unplug solely in addition to read a practiced book.
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