Tv Going Downhill?, Title is self-explanatory

[Spikora]

It seems like reality shows are taking over everywhere while good shows like Angel are canceled and other good shows like Tru Calling are barely hanging on. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Edmonds]

I don't watch TV usually, right? It's kind of hard to without one, but I was at Yunnie's today (a small little fabulous bubble tea restaurant down in the University District) and they had the television on and in full view. Keep in mind I was sitting with my mom, and some dude walked in with a young infant part-way through the show.

First there was a scene where a baby was being pulled out of a woman giving birth. What I found disturbing (other than the total slander on birth) was the fact that they gave the child some, well, an, enormously large *body part*. I felt like puking.

Then it went on to say "motherf*cker" about seven times in a row.

Sometimes you wished they saved the cussing, violence and crap for movies where at least they might (hopefully) do everything artistically.

[Spikora]

Isn't it illegal or something to have a show like that on it a public place (or at a time where kids would still be awake)? That's just ... really disturbing.

[justcallmepip]

TV was never really that good, in the end. Lots of dumb shows. Basically, TV just follows the trends of people. In the beginning (Genisis, if you will ~^), everyone wanted... Cute... things, like Talking Horses (Mr. Ed), kids singing and doing odd physical stunts (Little Rascals/Our Gang, same thing), or a redhead stuffing her face with chocolate (I hope you know what that is.)

Then the cuteness sorta gave way to just plain clean, The Brady Bunch, Facts of Life, Cheers... But that got old.

Of course, there're always bits and peices of the past in television... but soon, with special effects and makeup experts there was Power Rangers, Batman... Power Rangers... Cartoons became a hit and we had Spiderman, Captain Planet, Superman, Batman, Justice League, Scooby Doo... the violent-type stuff. Those kids who liked that sort of stuff started to grow up and we had (not to dis this show in any way, I love it with all my heart) X-Files, Cops, Law and Order, and all the other crime-fighting related shows. We're going now into the reality show era, and things like Angel, with it's... interesting... Makeup... falls behind into the old Power Rangers category. Sorry, I have very little respect for the monsters on that show, they kinda bother me.

Reality shows are starting to take over, kicking old classics like Buffy, Xena (how I hate her), and superhero shows are falling behind. Cop and mystery shows are still a hit, but almost everyone fancies one kind of reality show or other. Be it Trading Spaces, A Wedding Story, or if you go for the more hard-core stuff, like fear factor or Survivor, there's one out there for you.

Keep in mind that by no means so I say that all TV Shows are like this: The novelty of such shows as South Park, Who's Line is it Anyway, M.A.S.H. and I Love Lucy will never wear off.

So is television declining? No. It's just passing into a new era.

Thus ends my essay on the history of television ^^.

[Edmonds]

Novelty? South Park? Is that possible?

[Spikora]

M.A.S.H! I love that show!!!

I have to agree, that's a show which appeals to every generation. Doesn't matter if you have no clue what the Korean War was, you can totally identify with people who are stuck in a war, and don't want to be there; they think the war is stupid, and they all happen to be insane in one way or another.

However, that's over, too ... now it's just on reruns.... the actors are old, some are dead ...

I have to agree with Edmonds, though. Never saw why South Park was so great. Who, besides a group of pre-teen guys, wants to hear swear words as every third word? No offense to South Park fans, it's just, I don't get it.

Sidenote: the reason that the vamps in Buffy and Angel have such extreme stage makeup is that the people who made it didn't want Buffy killing normal-looking people every week.

[justcallmepip]

I don't like South Park either--but it is popular. It is very, very popular. Along with all of the reality TV that we all hate. It's all a matter of opinion, but the majority rules.

The Buffy stage makeup bugs me. Don't ask me why (I'm just a hairy guy)... It just does.

[Edmonds]

*sniggers at Mandy's insertion of lyric*

:/ Sad thing then that the majority is stupid, no? Oh well... suppose it's just a matter of opinion, like ye spoke so wisely.

I want to see Buffy someday. :/