A quick glance through any TV guide will reveal a whole host of rather mindless and purile programmes. Although, not the only culprit, ITV seem especially guilty with exessive soaps and dreadful shows like Celebrity Love Island.

I am not wanting to insult those who enjoy these programmes but rather the TV companies who dream them up.

Certain channels I think are "dumbo channels", ITV and SKY1 for example.

Some, like George Ritzer, have argued that culture itself is 'dumbing down'. We live in an age of performativity, where the only knowledge worth preserving has a utilitarian function, i.e, unless it is 'relevant' to 'real life' it will be ignored or forgotten. Egalitarianism has been stretched to the point where anything classed as 'high art' is viewed as elitist, and thus highly suspect. We are offered instead, bite-sized chunks of popular 'culcha', endless dreary 'soaps', moronic nobodies elevated to 'celebrity' status etc.

I think the people tuning in to Davina McCall, Ant and Dec etc deserve to be criticised, not just the television companies for thinking up the stupid dross in the first place. These regular viewers of fatuous 'reality tv', and third-rate twaddle are slack-jawed, incurious genetic refuse. They deserve to be mocked and ridiculed because they are perpetuating the situation, and paying the wages of the likes of dreadful Davina. I cannot believe that charmless, utterly talentless people like the previously mentioned, plus the likes of Sarah 'Can someone please translate' Cox, Zoe Ball etc actually have careers in broadcating. It is down to unutterably dense members of the public that they do!

There was a time when the only people who could afford a TV were the middle and upper classes. To appear on TV you had to have an Oxbridge degree. The programme content was aimed at those with intelligence....

No comment :suspect: I'll be hung, drawn and quartered :D

There is some absolute rubbish and SKY seems to have channels of rubbish but there are the occasional gems.

Watched something last week that I had no intention of watching as I thought it would be pants but was totally engrossed. It was not Celeb Love Island but a programme on BBC 1 about Britains Landscape and painters.
Not my usual cup of tea but was brill. Probably helped cos' it had Ilkley Moor bah tat on so felt homesick.

There's a lot of rubbish on these days, of that there is no doubt. There's also a lot of good stuff, too, and more channels than ever from which to cherry-pick the kind of things that appeal to each individual viewer.

Originally posted by Greenback
more channels than ever from which to cherry-pick the kind of things that appeal to each individual viewer.

Thats is the only thing that keeps me paying for cable TV, the food channel, the Discovery channels, the gardening channel, the Sci-Fi channel, I hardly have to venture into "normal" TV anymore.

But even the programmes that have interesting titles are reduced to the potted version of events. It's all too 'primary school' for my liking :suspect:

Even the OU programmes seem to be aimed at a different group of people to 20 years ago :mad:

Actually, Strix, you have given me an idea. When my New League of Empire Loyalists come to power [as surely they must?], I might reintroduce a variation on that theme. The only people allowed to watch television will be those who possess a Degree of Upper Second Class standard, from a traditional University. Degrees from the 'new' Universities [former Polytechnics] will not gain applicants access to the service. Let us return to a society that is more hierarchical, where only the 'beautiful people' may experience the pleasure and instruction that television can bring.

The rest, especially the working classes, may 'make their own entertainment', as their impoverished, bandy-legged ancestors were wont to boast of doing. Doubtless there will be plaintive, tremulous cries of, 'We can't doo weeart t' telleh'. We will ignore them. The lumpen masses will soon rediscover their old pleasures; dog-fighting, bear-baiting, 'shuv-a-penny', gurning, cut-pursery, gin-sodden rough merriment etc. Yes, television for the educated! What a splendid idea!

One news channel I am finding amusing at the moment is Fox News. The presenters keep reiterating that their news coverage is 'fair and balanced', which it certainly is not

I have no objection to channels putting forward a particular viewpoint - I just find it a little odd that the presenters can say the words 'fair and balanced' whilst keeping a straight face.

I'm having difficulty deciding how to take that thread Timo :suspect:

In reality I'd have no objection to tripe TV if the alternative were still available. I cannot count how nmany times I have been disappionted by the content of a programme that looked promising.

And somebody went and changed the name of my chosen educational establishment whilst I was in the middle of my degree :suspect: That seems to have been diluted too since :mad:

I agree that there is some good stuff on. BBC2 seems in particular to punch above its weight in this way considering it is supposed to be a minority channel. I'm not saying there should be more excessively 'highbrow' programming on TV. I wouldn't want wall to wall opera for example but perhaps more interesting documentries and current affairs and less reality TV. All those shows like Kilroy etc where people go on to discuss their private lives - who cares.

A goog example of what I mean is 'Who want's to be a MIllionaire?'. This is a well thought out and sometimes gripping quiz but some of the early questions are stupidly easy and a waste of time. Why not go stright in at £1000 and leave the silly questions out. Also Chris Tarrent spends more and more time talking to the contestants and less time actually playing the game. Who cares what they will spend the money on or who they are about to marry etc - just get on with the game.

Also the excess of soap operas. I know people who watch them say they are well written drama but do we really need so many hours of prime time devoted to them? Once Coronation Street was on for two half hours a week and Emmerdale Farm also (with a break for the summer). This seems looking back much more in proportion.

And while I am at it isn't the term 'celebrity' devalued now? Some of these people on celebrity reality shows are barley household names in their own house hold. If their only claim to fame is masterbating a pig on channel five for example it is a pretrty sorry state of affairs. The worst of them are only famous for who they have slept with. pathetic.

:rant:

The TV people will only put on programs that we'll watch? Or do they just stick random rubbish on and hope for the best?

You mean to say, Lord C, that there is even a news channel for foxes now?! Well things have come to a pretty bloody pass when chicken-slaughtering vermin like that are catered for! Fox News! What next, Sportsnight with Gerbils?

Actually, I can think of a way of livening up Celebrity Love Island. Why not allow the 'celebrities' to share their jacuzzies with electric eels? Or perhaps have a 'reality' tv series in which the 'celebrities' are injected with the flesh-rotting Ebola virus, and the public votes on which one is to die in the most abject agony? Well, I would happily pay double my licence fee to see that.

Originally posted by timo


The rest, especially the working classes, may 'make their own entertainment', as their impoverished, bandy-legged ancestors were wont to boast of doing. Doubtless there will be plaintive, tremulous cries of, 'We can't doo weeart t' telleh'. We will ignore them. The lumpen masses will soon rediscover their old pleasures; dog-fighting, bear-baiting, 'shuv-a-penny', gurning, cut-pursery, gin-sodden rough merriment etc.

Sounds like a typical episode of Eastender or perhaps Big Brother.:heyhey:

Originally posted by timo
You mean to say, Lord C, that there is even a news channel for foxes now?! Well things have come to a pretty bloody pass when chicken-slaughtering vermin like that are catered for! Fox News! What next, Sportsnight with Gerbils?

Do you know what timo, you are closer to the mark than you could possibly imagine.

I give you "Gerbil Roulette', as shown on Avago TV (Sky Channel 235).

Please don't ask me how I know of such a programme ;)

And don't forget the 'News Bunny' on, I think, Live TV some years ago. A large rabbit used to appear behind the presenter and put his thumbs up if the news was good and down if it was bad. What do we need Jeremy Paxman for?

Good Lord! This is worse than I could have possibly imagined! Who is behind all this beast-oriented television? Is it down to infiltration by America's 'Zoo community'? On second thoughts, let us not pursue that line of enquiry on what is a family forum...

Originally posted by Greenback
Do you know what timo, you are closer to the mark than you could possibly imagine.

I give you "Gerbil Roulette', as shown on Avago TV (Sky Channel 235).

Please don't ask me how I know of such a programme ;)

Hey Greenback,

Loving your avatar! :thumbsup: Nice one!

StarSparkle :)

PS Not the best shot ever of The Wire, though! :D

I think televsision is a form of escape from reality, much like drinking etc. Read books if you want intelligent thought.

But yes, in answer to the question it is dumbing down but so it would appear is the general polulations thirst for knowledge.

it went dumb years ago. look at the product of it's influence.
todays 'culture' *cough*

Originally posted by timo
Some, like George Ritzer, have argued that culture itself is 'dumbing down'. We live in an age of performativity, where the only knowledge worth preserving has a utilitarian function, i.e, unless it is 'relevant' to 'real life' it will be ignored or forgotten. Egalitarianism has been stretched to the point where anything classed as 'high art' is viewed as elitist, and thus highly suspect. We are offered instead, bite-sized chunks of popular 'culcha', endless dreary 'soaps', moronic nobodies elevated to 'celebrity' status etc.

I think the people tuning in to Davina McCall, Ant and Dec etc deserve to be criticised, not just the television companies for thinking up the stupid dross in the first place. These regular viewers of fatuous 'reality tv', and third-rate twaddle are slack-jawed, incurious genetic refuse. They deserve to be mocked and ridiculed because they are perpetuating the situation, and paying the wages of the likes of dreadful Davina. I cannot believe that charmless, utterly talentless people like the previously mentioned, plus the likes of Sarah 'Can someone please translate' Cox, Zoe Ball etc actually have careers in broadcating. It is down to unutterably dense members of the public that they do!

I whole heartedly agree with you there, timo.

I suppose they have to have these silly "reality TV" programmes to please the masses.

I have dubbed this modern tripe as "Tabloid TV".

:)

Personally, I can't wait for the new series of "Celebrity Origami",, although whether it will surpass "Formation Yogurt stirring" is a moot point.

Celebrity Mine-Sweeping would cause me great pleasure.

Or perhaps "Celebrity Pain via Medievel Torture Devices"? A ratings winner for sure.

PS. Cheers StarSparkle!

If they did away with Trash TV, then all these chavs would have to get off their backsides, get jobs and mix with the rest of us.

Do we want that? NO!

Let's keep trash TV - it keeps the scum off the streets.

Well, Abdul does have a point there with his functionalist analysis of the situation. The moronic rubbish can keep our friends in Kappa gear occupied for a while.

However, I fear it can also give them ideas . They see their own kind elevated to celebrity status, for example, the Bermondsey grotesque, Jade Goody. They watch exploitative programmes like 'Trisha' and wonder why their ridiculous lives and dysfunctional relationships should not be matters of national interest too.