The general decline in standards today

[LoveMyHats2]

Yeah, but with TV you sit and watch show after show for hours. On here you can get up and leave and come back to it even a month later. I should know..... I had to leave for three weeks and was barely on and although I wondered what was going on, I was fine. This coming from an FL addict too

All that time for you to visit the Vic Tanny salon!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Radio until about 1945 hadn't yet descended into formula, and by that time it had less than a decade left of active life as a serious entertainment medium. It didn't live long enough to become as irredeemably horrible as television has become today.

(Although if you count what radio devolved into in the years since the mid-fifties, you could argue that it has turned into an even deeper, more feculent cesspool than TV.)

Radio had its critics, though -- as early as 1939 the women's magazines, especially, were seething with complaints about the trashy, worthless serials that filled their kids with blood and thunder nonsense every afternoon. Jack Armstrong, despoiler of a generation.

Amos and Andy, "Holy mackeral, there Kingfish"!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I dunno about that. I find that for me the bigger time thief is this here Interwebby thingybob.

You are very correct again. It is addictive to say the least!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Radio didn't have a remote control. They just took what they were stuck with.

I know in my home at the time period I have no doubt that even if I was not "born" yet, that there was no need to have the remote....(there was always the "plug" to get pulled)!

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Old time radio had its less than stellar moments as well but it wasn't eviscerated as television is today. Whining was not as prevalent back then as it is today.

I have an old saying when I hear someone "whine" too much, "ya want some cheese to go with that"?

 

[Tomasso]

I have an old saying when I hear someone "whine" too much, "ya want some cheese to go with that"?

Yep, this is a cheesy thread.....

 

[LoveMyHats2]

the whole theme of this thread is a hate on standards. Whatcha expect?

I think in general, to the best of my observation, the factor of HATE is not really where this thread is at. It really deals more with the dislike of the fall of what most consider good, decent values and how those things have declined, period. That to me is the theme. Further, a general theme is to not have some agenda of trying so very hard to see if someone has dotted an "I", or crossed a "T" properly and to then front them off about it, as you seem to do so often. I am puzzled as to the nature of how or why you wish to find some small yet unimportant "crack" in what anyone may say and just run with it? I just don't get it? I dislike having to even say all this but geez, what is wrong with your "social skills"?

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Yep, this is a cheesy thread.....

But it does surface some interesting things from most that post!

 

[Pompidou]

Nowadays, with 300+ channels to choose from, it can't possibly be harder to find something worth watching than back in the day. That is, if it's true that back in the day there were three channels - one per network. Now, I agree with the general premise that it's really hard to find something worth watching on TV. To me, the "golden era" of television was the 80s - cartoons were never better. I don't really watch TV anymore, though. The internet has replaced TV in my life.

From what I can gather on watching TV in its infancy, watching TV was something of a family event. Since there was by and large nothing worth watching, people didn't sit around it so much. Now, if astronauts were landing on the moon, or the president was making an address, then everyone would huddle around. That's the image I have in my head as put forward by shows like The Wonder Years. I'm not sure if the state of TV is in decline or ascent.

Nothing to watch vs nothing good to watch: At the end of the day, you're not happy watching TV. Seems like an even break at best.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I can agree with that for the most part, which in fact gave me something positive as a product if it all, I picked up books more to spend my time rather than to watch television!

Quite right. If life hands ya lemons,(TV) make lemonade,(read books). :eusa_clap

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Nowadays, with 300+ channels to choose from, it can't possibly be harder to find something worth watching than back in the day. That is, if it's true that back in the day there were three channels - one per network. Now, I agree with the general premise that it's really hard to find something worth watching on TV. To me, the "golden era" of television was the 80s - cartoons were never better. I don't really watch TV anymore, though. The internet has replaced TV in my life.

From what I can gather on watching TV in its infancy, watching TV was something of a family event. Since there was by and large nothing worth watching, people didn't sit around it so much. Now, if astronauts were landing on the moon, or the president was making an address, then everyone would huddle around. That's the image I have in my head as put forward by shows like The Wonder Years. I'm not sure if the state of TV is in decline or ascent.

Nothing to watch vs nothing good to watch: At the end of the day, you're not happy watching TV. Seems like an even break at best.

You do surface much to chew on for sure. But in my home, I do not have the 300 plus channels, and really the television programs are just not that attractive to me. My wife may watch some things I would never watch, and she actually watches the television more than I do. But it never is on for more than perhaps a total of 2 hours per day, if that.

Things I would have an interest in are topics of real facts in a show, travel, art, music, history, nature, etc. Now true there are some shows that deal with this, but just not enough for me. The "sitcoms" are not anything I have an interest in at all. I could change my viewpoint, if I had the 300 channels to cruise and see but it just does hold enough attraction for me to do that.

Now as you also state the Internet has more of a place in your life, some of that is also very much an application I can subscribe to as well.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Quite right. If life hands ya lemons,(TV) make lemonade,(read books). :eusa_clap

Amen!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Nowadays, with 300+ channels to choose from, it can't possibly be harder to find something worth watching than back in the day. That is, if it's true that back in the day there were three channels - one per network. Now, I agree with the general premise that it's really hard to find something worth watching on TV. To me, the "golden era" of television was the 80s - cartoons were never better. I don't really watch TV anymore, though. The internet has replaced TV in my life.


From what I can gather on watching TV in its infancy, watching TV was something of a family event. Since there was by and large nothing worth watching, people didn't sit around it so much. Now, if astronauts were landing on the moon, or the president was making an address, then everyone would huddle around. That's the image I have in my head as put forward by shows like The Wonder Years. I'm not sure if the state of TV is in decline or ascent.

Nothing to watch vs nothing good to watch: At the end of the day, you're not happy watching TV. Seems like an even break at best.

TV in general was much more wholesome and really fit for family viewing back in the day. TV wasn't sleezy back then as it is today. Maybe not as much "reality" then, but it was entertaining and quite addictive, even in it's early years. Witness this satire by Ken Nordine from the mid 50's.
[video=youtube;mwtCptBaYL8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwtCptBaYL8[/video]
It was quite a novelty at it's inception, just like any technological breakthrough is.

 

[Pompidou]

You do surface much to chew on for sure. But in my home, I do not have the 300 plus channels, and really the television programs are just not that attractive to me. My wife may watch some things I would never watch, and she actually watches the television more than I do. But it never is on for more than perhaps a total of 2 hours per day, if that.

Things I would have an interest in are topics of real facts in a show, travel, art, music, history, nature, etc. Now true there are some shows that deal with this, but just not enough for me. The "sitcoms" are not anything I have an interest in at all. I could change my viewpoint, if I had the 300 channels to cruise and see but it just does hold enough attraction for me to do that.

Now as you also state the Internet has more of a place in your life, some of that is also very much an application I can subscribe to as well.

I'd love an actual history channel. I quickly grew disenfranchised with the one that's currently available, because, even when it did have history programming, it was nothing but WWII and Vietnam - interviews with vets. That's sort of heresy to say here, but at the time, I was in the middle of, and graduating from, a BA in history with a focus on medieval and renaissance. With 24 hours in a day, a good history channel could feature 48 historical time periods with a program to each. That's sort of what I was hoping to get.

 

[ButteMT61]

Amen.
Just comes into every thread to get a wedge in. Nothing of substance, or inline with the spirit of any threads.
Take a jab, run.

I think in general, to the best of my observation, the factor of HATE is not really where this thread is at. It really deals more with the dislike of the fall of what most consider good, decent values and how those things have declined, period. That to me is the theme. Further, a general theme is to not have some agenda of trying so very hard to see if someone has dotted an "I", or crossed a "T" properly and to then front them off about it, as you seem to do so often. I am puzzled as to the nature of how or why you wish to find some small yet unimportant "crack" in what anyone may say and just run with it? I just don't get it? I dislike having to even say all this but geez, what is wrong with your "social skills"?

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I'd love an actual history channel. I quickly grew disenfranchised with the one that's currently available, because, even when it did have history programming, it was nothing but WWII and Vietnam - interviews with vets. That's sort of heresy to say here, but at the time, I was in the middle of, and graduating from, a BA in history with a focus on medieval and renaissance. With 24 hours in a day, a good history channel could feature 48 historical time periods with a program to each. That's sort of what I was hoping to get.

We always referred to it as "The Hitler Channel".:rofl:

 

[LoveMyHats2]

We always referred to it as "The Hitler Channel".:rofl:

I love that label for it for sure!

 

[Tango Yankee]

We always referred to it as "The Hitler Channel".:rofl:

That's what my English friends called it when I was stationed over there.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Now this man was a prophet.

Stan Freberg -- Tele-Vee-Shun

[video=youtube;tvBiufbKdfE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvBiufbKdfE[/video]

Hey, Mr. General Public, do you realize?
That we got a generation here of staring eyes
The women never bother getting housework done
They just sit around gawking at Tele-vee-shun
Kiddies never run and playing out of door
And top of that they never reading books no more
You ask them who's de father of our country, Mon
They say it's either Walt Disney or Ed Sullivan

Tele-vee-shun. Tele-vee-shun
I'm sick from looking on tele-vee-shun
I got weak in the eyes, weak in the head likewise
From sitting and looking on tele-vee-shun

The burglar comes sneaking in and breaks de latch
While grandma she is looking on de wrestling match
She throws him on the floor although she is ninety-years-old
She says "I got him with a step over toehold"
I turn on Elvis Presley and my daughter scream
I fear she have a nervous breakdown cause' of heem
I wonder why he wiggle waggle to the beat
As a boy he must have had a loose bicycle seat

De children of de country eat their dinner, you bet
But they eat it sitting in front of the TV set
They got pudding in their ears from de north to de south
From eating while watching and missing their mouth
Last night de very unusual thing occurred
De baby he is saying his very first word
I have him on my shoulder for to make him burp
Instead he open his mouth and say "Wyatt Earp"

I watch de late late movie and I climb de stairs
Get into bed and have tele-vee-shun nightmares
Complete with bad commercials that repeat all night
Both in compatible color and black-and-white
Someday my son grow up and want to go to sea
So he probably go and try to join US Navy
He get an aptitude test, Mon, now here's de rub
They find him best suited for watching Mickey Mouse Club!

 

[Effingham]

I'd love an actual history channel. I quickly grew disenfranchised with the one that's currently available, because, even when it did have history programming, it was nothing but WWII and Vietnam - interviews with vets. That's sort of heresy to say here, but at the time, I was in the middle of, and graduating from, a BA in history with a focus on medieval and renaissance. With 24 hours in a day, a good history channel could feature 48 historical time periods with a program to each. That's sort of what I was hoping to get.

I'm particularly tired of "alien inventions" type shows on the History Channel. It demeans historians everywhere.