Reality TV...

[Alex]

Countless Reality TV shows are about younguns dating, but all these shows ever do is show couples smothering each other until they have morphed into one jiggily mass of giggling jello.

When do we see boring Reality TV shows about younguns volunteering to help others rather than how far their tongues can reach inside of someone elses mouth?

Should I hold my breathe waiting for a worthwhile Reality TV show? (and in the process miss out on someone sticking their tongue down my throat!)

[La Luna Unita]

Nope. You'll definitely pass out first. ALTHOUGH... the Bravo Channel is having a Circe de Soleil reality series showing how they pick people out and train them and stuff. If I had cable, that's the one I'd watch.

Thing is, nobody wants to watch anything that isn't remotely 1) scandalous, 2) mysterious, or 3) supernatural in some sense. Goody-goodies out helping the world won't work except in a recuiting video.

[soulfilms]

sure i have absolutely no interests in watching random person A smooching random person B.

but a show about goodie goodies doing good for others, i would be doubtful of their intensions. yes, i am just an aging cynic.

[Alex]

The governmental manipulation is so simple it's diabolically perfect.

Ratings.

Simply let TV be ratings driven only, and the worthwhile shows will mostly lose out.

All any government would have to do is mandate either a couple of channels that aren't ratings driven, or that all channels provide an hour or two a day of "non-profit" TV.

But they don't. And the process of dysfunctional selection manifests.

[SHATOUSHKA]

i basically sum it up thusly:
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<font size=30>EWE! EWE! EWE!
BAA! BAA! BAA!</font>

[soulfilms]

you are freakishly funny shats.


over in my country of residence, there are only 5 free to air channels (and a smattering of community TV stations). there is not so much the cable culture as in USA, but it's growing. of the five, there are three commercial stations. these are ratings driven. of the other two government owned/run stations, one is a non commercial station that has an 'ethnic' persuassion, meaning in the morning, it broadcasts news services from around the world in various languages. it shows intellectual current affairs programs, arts programs. it shows 'world movies' (ie. movies not in english) and broadcasts things that other, ratings driven stations are more hesitant to do because of it being a bit more risque. it was the first to pick up South Park, q-u-e-e-r as Folk (this makes it sound like a very 'pop' station, it is not. i only give these examples because i think you will know them, as opposed to small obsure shows). this station is super cool and has a small but dedicated following. the other government run station is one that has a decidedly english flavour running things like The Bill, Ballykissangel, other shows that i'm not very familiar with. it has strong arts programs and has a dedicated older fan base. but its satirical political commedies and mockumentaries are very accurate and can be very scathing.

there are NO government owned tv station in the united states?? not even one??

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 24, 2003 06:34 AM: Message edited by: soulfilms ]</font>

[SHATOUSHKA]

well technically, the government owns everything.
(we are only deluded into thinking otherwise)...
but enough about that...
if you are referring to a government-owned station
similar to what you described, SF, i do not know
of one... at least, one that is funnelled through
to every tv...

i really can't answer this Q....

alex?

[Alex]

Well, PBS would probably be construed as the "cultured" channel in the U.S.

PBS features some really great shows and documentaries. However, I still find it suspicious that our own government hides behind the fracas of freedom and ratings wars as the primary methodology as to what gets aired in this country.

It's video hideous.