This be an interesting study.
Over the years I've seen this obsession. People will say "Why watch that crap" responded by "It's better than watching nothing" I can honestly say I don't believe MTV or any of those other programmings really care what this does to people.
I've dated girls that were obsessed with looking like someone on TV. It reminded me of what this old man told me many years ago "Americans are too busy trying to act like what they see on the TV" and even where I work around there is a young girl that tries to make her hair look like Snookie from Jersey Shore.
Anyone that has truly sat down with this programming knows where I am coming from. I have never seen people in my life get such a kick out of garbage. The Hills, Kardashians, Operation Repo, Lizard Lick Towing, Jersey Shore, Skins, Teen Mom, do these shows really help society?
I have a family member that watches Teen Mom and the moment I said the show was wrong, she jumped down my throat cause she had a kid at age 19, so she put herself on that level to defend those girls that are making thousands of dollars from MTV, where she didn't when she had her kid at 19. Don't you think they need to stop encouraging teenage pregnancy? This is a good show! You insult me!
Probably my favorite moment is when someone I knew was watching 'The Hills', classic from MTV. I went on to say how scripted the show seemed cause everything is just perfect for these idiots, "No it's not! This is real! How dare you talk about them like that!"
When seeing that TLC (The Learning Channel) is showing such garbage like Sister Wives and Toddlers and Tiares, and Kate Plus 8 I have to really question why they are called The Learning Channel cause where does all this do any good?
I think reality TV truly is making the country stupider. If MTV stands for music television, they should be showing music videos, documentaries, and educating kids, trying to get them into music. Play some educational programming to encourage them to pick up musical instruments and not plastic surgery barbie girls and constant partying and drinking and sex. If you ask a teenager today who Miles Davis or John Coltrane is, more than likely he don't know a thing about who they are, or what music they played, but he'll name a bunch of modern stars, and of course Elvis and The Beatles. Everyone still knows who they are, but what about anyone else? Why isn't MTV honoring the past legends who changed music forever?
As for "The Learning Channel" why not show educational things that are actually LEARNING? How much are people learning from Sister Wives that can be useful in life?
Is Reality TV dumbing people down?
Re: Is Reality TV dumbing people down?
Hey JuniorMan
I definitely agree that MTV and the rest of the TV industry does not care about the effects of TV on it's audience. People spending their lives divided between watching actors live pretend lives on TV, and doing their very best to imitate those pretend lives (and of course having to buy lots of crap to keep up with the TV lifestyle).
Thank god for music, books and art. I hope you live in a city or town where the arts are still thriving and practiced for fun.
Terry
I definitely agree that MTV and the rest of the TV industry does not care about the effects of TV on it's audience. People spending their lives divided between watching actors live pretend lives on TV, and doing their very best to imitate those pretend lives (and of course having to buy lots of crap to keep up with the TV lifestyle).
Thank god for music, books and art. I hope you live in a city or town where the arts are still thriving and practiced for fun.
Terry
Re: Is Reality TV dumbing people down?
Amen to Music, it's the one thing that helped me get through so much pain in life. I could talk about music for hours and never grow tired. It's a whole new world of imagination.
Sadly my town thrives on small music conventions...only good ones worth a while are 6 hours from town, and of course the lovely little Jazz Festival every summer, only for the blazing heat it's a fascinating experience if you can get passed that. Of course NO ONE has ever went with me as they will find any excuse from racist jokes about black musicians to how horn bands suck so they can remain closed minded to the world of music outside of their heavy metal or pop choices.
Yesterday I heard about something called "Honey Boo Boo" that really surprised me when I got home and had to look up what it is "Who on earth would watch this garbage?" oh and it raked in millions of viewers earlier this week. It's shows like this that make me hate cable all together when I have to hear how we're all "white trash" down here in the South.
Sadly my town thrives on small music conventions...only good ones worth a while are 6 hours from town, and of course the lovely little Jazz Festival every summer, only for the blazing heat it's a fascinating experience if you can get passed that. Of course NO ONE has ever went with me as they will find any excuse from racist jokes about black musicians to how horn bands suck so they can remain closed minded to the world of music outside of their heavy metal or pop choices.
Yesterday I heard about something called "Honey Boo Boo" that really surprised me when I got home and had to look up what it is "Who on earth would watch this garbage?" oh and it raked in millions of viewers earlier this week. It's shows like this that make me hate cable all together when I have to hear how we're all "white trash" down here in the South.