why is TV so awful

Anonus · 2014-09-04 13:59:20

It just seems like so much of it is garbage

I used to love TV but now I hate it and I hate myself for liking it

Wah

Aliroz · 2014-09-04 14:02:18

When RCA got the control of Television, it started it on a dark, dark path.

Anonus · 2014-09-04 14:04:19

There were times when TV had some authenticity and personality to it, but now, the major networks at least are awful and can't crank out anything good.

I don't have pay TV anymore...

Imipolex G · 2014-09-04 14:25:09

TV was always awful, you just didn't realize it before.

Salix Babylonika · 2014-09-04 14:29:08

you have nostalgia glasses for a time period that you were not alive for.

Anonus · 2014-09-04 14:34:30

Mo The Show said:
you have nostalgia glasses for a time period that you were not alive for.

Maybe I do

Or maybe it's easier to recognize the strong traits of things when they get older

But for the record, I can't stand anything produced by D.L. Taffner (e.g. Three's Company, Too Close for Comfort)

Anonus · 2014-09-04 14:36:19

Too Close for Comfort has to have one of the worst theme songs of all time:

Princess Alice · 2014-09-04 14:36:38

What do you consider good tv, AU?

Aliroz · 2014-09-04 14:38:40

Central Avenue said:
What do you consider good tv, AU?

Howdy Doody?

Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood?

lee4hmz · 2014-09-04 14:39:10

Oddly, I always did kind of like the Too Close for Comfort theme.

Princess Alice · 2014-09-04 14:52:24

Oh god, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Fred Rogers is one of few people I'd be willing to describe as a saint

Imipolex G · 2014-09-04 14:53:43

^^it's all right

I mean, I kinda like it, it's not too bad

Anonus · 2014-09-04 15:03:59

I don't have the personal connection to Mister Rogers that most people seem to have

as for good TV, The Twilight Zone, if we're talking live-action

Tre · 2014-09-04 15:06:48

I feel like Regshow out to count for something...

Anonus · 2014-09-04 15:16:49

it's on cable - which is where the good stuff is

Calica · 2014-09-04 16:36:38

who cares where something airs in ad 2014, i mean, it's all on netflix or hulu or the like anyways

Princess Alice · 2014-09-04 18:07:02

Anonus said:
I don't have the personal connection to Mister Rogers that most people seem to have

as for good TV, The Twilight Zone, if we're talking live-action

Did you grow up watching his show?

And yeah, The Twilight Zone was pretty awesome, if a bit hokey at times.

Anonus · 2014-09-04 18:45:15

Lilly said:
who cares where something airs in ad 2014, i mean, it's all on netflix or hulu or the like anyways

I still have a sentimental attachment to linear TV

Central Avenue said:

Anonus said:
I don't have the personal connection to Mister Rogers that most people seem to have
Did you grow up watching his show?

No

Anonus · 2014-09-04 19:58:30

Kraken's thread makes me think: TV has no soul anymore either.

You know the Cartoon Network of old? It had too much of an identity, so of course it would never happen today

LW · 2014-09-04 20:36:17

I think whether or not you believe TV is awful today mostly comes down to subjective personal preferences. For example, a lot of people (including TV critics) seem to like the cable dramas that have been airing lately, but they are apparently not nearly as popular here. While I guess you could just write off those opinions as being terrible ones from sheeple, that sort of elitism seems awfully silly to me.

That said, the only sorts of TV shows I can really comment on these days are children's cartoons and I honestly prefer a number of newer shows (MLP, Gravity Falls, Adventure Time) to the stuff made 10, 20, or 30 years ago. Though I certainly respect other people's fond memories of old cartoons, Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo, and other shows of that sort have never really been my cup of tea.

I think part of that preference comes from being a little frustrated when I was younger by how many cartoons seemed to lack any kind of overarching plot or otherwise have endings that provided closure. The fact that the aforementioned newer series have continuing plots probably explains why I tend to like them and some Japanimation stuff more than retro cartoons.

Anonus · 2014-09-04 20:40:10

Love Tom and Jerry, have less love for Scooby-Doo

(that you picked those two is kind of funny for reasons)

glennmagusharvey · 2014-09-04 20:48:50

Probably because business used to be about taking lots of crazy risks just to see what would stick, but now it's about doing market research and trying to capture the theoretical mainstream audience.

Section42L · 2014-09-04 21:35:18

glennmagusharvey said:
Probably because business used to be about taking lots of crazy risks just to see what would stick, but now it's about doing market research and trying to capture the theoretical mainstream audience.

The first two minutes of this video are relevant to your statement:

One-Winged Eagle · 2014-09-04 21:46:39

TV didn't have soul until now.

What are you talking about?

(also we are discussing an entire artistic medium but only referring to a few shows, and that's a big mistake I feel)

Salix Babylonika · 2014-09-04 22:23:52

glennmagusharvey said:
Probably because business used to be about taking lots of crazy risks just to see what would stick, but now it's about doing market research and trying to capture the theoretical mainstream audience.

I'd argue that both approaches have always existed in roughly equal measure, we just tend to remember the crazy risk stuff more because it tends to be more memorable (either for being a ridiculous success or hilarious failure).

A lot of the middle of the road stuff is....well, well-constructed, but I personally have doubts about its cultural longevity. I don't think too many people will be talking about Breaking Bad 5 years from now.

Bunny · 2014-09-04 22:29:34

glennmagusharvey said:
Probably because business used to be about taking lots of crazy risks just to see what would stick, but now it's about doing market research and trying to capture the theoretical mainstream audience.

There's generally a pretty good reason for that, too. Nowadays, people are used to a much higher standard of quality when it comes to special effects, graphics, acting, and other things of that nature. Budgets keep getting higher and higher, which means studios are risking more and more on each individual product - so they stick to releasing "safe" stuff that will be a guaranteed profit.

Not just a TV thing, either. Applies to movies, games, and I'm sure plenty of other types of media as well.

Mandelbrot · 2014-09-04 23:12:55

most people who review TV for a living think it's better now than it's been at any other point in its history, so this is a pretty weird thing to hear

One-Winged Eagle · 2014-09-04 23:48:25

That's exactly what I mean.

Anonus, you're looking at a very narrow slice of television. I realize that a majority of the things being produced aren't to your interest, and you shouldn't feel obliged to be interested, but at the same time you shouldn't dismiss everything out-of-hand.

Calica · 2014-09-05 06:09:51

Mandelbrot said:
most people who review TV for a living think it's better now than it's been at any other point in its history, so this is a pretty weird thing to hear

well, Anonus restricted himself to broadcast network shows for some reason, even though most of the critically-acclaimed shows are on various cable networks or Netflix-original (have there been any really good ones on other services yet?), so...

Anonus · 2014-09-05 06:12:37

I need to stop making non-nonsense threads when half-asleep

They're never very coherent or pointful

glennmagusharvey · 2014-09-05 06:38:13

i don't really watch tv anyway lol

i watch news and law and order and some documentaries

Imipolex G · 2014-09-05 12:32:07

Thing is, TV might well be better now than at any time in the past, but that doesn't mean it isn't an inherently crappy medium

why is TV so awful

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