Television

[philothea]

It's been probably 7 years since I watched any broadcast TV... and on the rare occasion when I see network shows nowadays I am [i]shocked[/i] at how explicit they are.

I'm sure the change has been gradual, but over a multi-year gap, it's very pronounced.

[ktbeth]

Well, I said that I only watch movies, but there are times when I do watch TV. For example when the Olympics were on. But I never watch any 'shows'; they're all dumb and a waste of time.

[journeyman]

I really wanted to say "on the curb" . . . but that was six months ago

[Fidei Defensor]

I watch the news, EWTN, and Gilmore Girls. Thats about it.

[Dust's Sister]

The main thing I watch on tv is EWTN. I stay home all day with my mom since I help her with her business at home, and we got EWTN on all day in the living room.

EWTN, is pretty much the only thing I watch besides..

AMERICAN IDOL
WifeSwap
Nanny 911
MakeOver Home Edition; and now that new show
and sometimes the old sitcoms like Full House, Boy Meets World, Fresh Prince, Bill Cosby, Home Improvement-- you know; the good shows?

I use to watch MTV and BET and VH1 but nothing on those stations interest me anymore. Everytime I see a music video it makes me kinda sick....

Edited March 15, 2006 by Dust's Sister

[Sailahína]

I watch movies.
Although every Sunday my family watches Extreme Makeover home edition. (making sure to turn off the comercials that my 6 yr. old brother shouldn't see)

Thats about it.

[RascalJones]

OK, I myself watch very little. But the TV is on pretty much from 7 AM to midnight, every day. Most of the time it's just noise, but there are 3 other people in my house that watch tv/movies.

Of course, my TV watching will change here in a few weeks with the birth of the new baseball season.....assuming my cable provider shows the Indians this year.

GO TRIBE!

[RascalJones]

[quote name='Sailahína' date='Mar 14 2006, 11:01 PM']I watch movies.
Although every Sunday my family watches Extreme Makeover home edition. (making sure to turn off the comercials that my 6 yr. old brother shouldn't see)

Thats about it.
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We used to watch that show, but have given up on it. I myself call it EXPLOIT Home Makeover. Those families are getting a great gift, but what about the cost of utilities to run some of the monsters they build? What about all the new property taxes?

That, and I'm tired of hearing all the sob stories that they edit to make "good television".

bah.


Don't get me wrong, the homes they build are amazing, and I'd probably watch the show if it wasn't for the "human interest" angle. Doing it just to do it, would be cool, but USING the families to sell your show, just seems wrong to me.

[Proud2BCatholic139]

I wouldn't say TV is the problem, I think now a days it is the internet. It's not that I am looking at bad stuff, but it's is just like, most of my stuff has to be done for school on the internet. I don't watch TV ever. If I do, it will be like 3 times a week for one hour.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Mar 14 2006, 02:36 PM']I'm confused as to why movies are inherently better than a TV show.... I mean, there are tv shows that are better than some movies.
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I'd say the top reasons movies are better than TV:

1. Commercials. Probably 50% of the problem. They are often very explicit. At least, they were when I watched TV regularly in high school, I can't imagine how bad they are now.
2. You can know what you are going to see if you watch a movie and get recommendations before hand. Ratings also help. USCCB website helps. With TV you just never know.
3. Once you own a movie you own it. No huge monthly fees.
4. Movies have some resale value.
5. It is easier to find catechetical value in movies than it is on TV.
6. 90% of your bill goes to programming you don't watch.
7. I watched my mom flip through what had to be over 100 channels about 3 times and then declare "there is nothing on, lets watch a movie".

[Cow of Shame]

I don't watch nearly enough tv. When I think about all those Magnum, PI, M*A*S*H, and Law & Order reruns being sent through the airwaves, reaching the dark and unwelcoming tube in my home, I nearly cry. Don't lose hope, Mr. Selleck! Mr. Watterson! Mr. Alda! My carefree college days may be over, I may no longer be able to do daily homage to your glory, but you live forever in my heart!

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Cow of Shame' date='Mar 21 2006, 10:05 PM']I don't watch nearly enough tv.  When I think about all those Magnum, PI, M*A*S*H,  and Law & Order reruns being sent through the airwaves, reaching the dark and unwelcoming tube in my home, I nearly cry.  Don't lose hope, Mr. Selleck!  Mr. Watterson!  Mr. Alda!  My carefree college days may be over, I may no longer be able to do daily homage to your glory, but you live forever in my heart!
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[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

im a recovoring tv addict.

im trying to stop.

i like true crime shows, law and order, ewtn, mythbusters, any crime show.

[Peccator]

I was living in Cape Town for a year after I left school...and while I was there I could not afford to buy a television in the beginning, and oneday I woke up and realised I havent watched television in 6 months, and I didn't even notice it!

Needless to say, since then I have to say my TV habits have stayed the same...I watch maybe 2 hours a month, if its even that much.

[Paladin D]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Mar 14 2006, 11:42 AM']OK. My television viewing habits have changed over the years. I've gone from hardly ever watching it to the current watching something like an hour a day. I've gone from having no cable to having basic cable to now having full cable with HBO.

While I currently have more cable than I have had in the past, and I watch it, my addendum is that if I didn't have a housemate who considers TV a "necessary luxury item" I would not have it. But such are the compromises we make.

My close friends range from having no cable to basic cable to deluxe cable like mine, and their views on television are just as varied. I have a handful of shows I enjoy watching if I'm home and not doing anything and they're on -- Law & Order re-runs, House, Desperate Housewives, The Daily Show, the Colbert Report, Injustice. I also watch movies on a fairly regular basis.

I view television as pure entertainment. I typically don't look to it for news, although I do watch the news from time to time. I don't look to it for religious education. It's mind candy ... things that make me laugh or are interesting stories.

I've been interested to see so many people recently posting about how they're getting rid of their TVs or contemplating doing so ... particularly people who've said they think it could be a sin to pay for cable. So let's discuss this ... is television inherently immoral?
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I pretty much on the same boat as you are, except I have basic cable. I enjoy watching TV, despite how many sitcoms these days are utter carp to begin with. A list of shows I do follow however are [b]Everybody Loves Raymond[/b], [b]Prison Break[/b], [b]24[/b], and [b]Who's Line Is It Anyway[/b]. Occasionally I will have the TV on in the background, with either Fox News, MSNBC, or the Weather channel playing.

In my view, television isn't "evil", it's a great technological achievement that God inspired man to create; unfortunately, much of it has been used wrongfully. However, there are still many enjoyable programs to watch, despite many of the programs that seem to be filled with a lot of sexual immortality.

Some of you may think I'm a little biased, since my career goal is the film/media industry, but I think the industry is improving, slowly. On one end of the spectrum, you have new shows being produced that seem to be morally worse than their predecessors; on the other end however, you have new programs coming out that are promoting basic moral values and aren't filled with unnecessary garbage.

So instead of one side dominating the industry with programs that are somewhat offensive, you now have a confrontation between two factions that are going against each other, thus producing more extreme shows on both sides of the spectrum. Though as more Christians in our generation (or anyone who is fed up with the current state of the industry) begin impacting the industry, which they are starting to do, we can expect to see a slow change not only on our television sets, but also in the cinemas.

This doesn't mean we'll be having summer blockbuster Bible films, such as [b]Fire & Brimstone[/b], [b]Commandment Man[/b], or [b]David's Big Bully[/b] (God help us if we did), but we'll be having films (and television programs) that promote basic moral values, instead of advertising immoral behavior.


[b]EDIT:[/b] If people want to throw away their TV's, I won't stop you, it's your choice. However, I don't believe that'll solve the problem, because then that is one less person they have to deal with who disagrees with their agenda. The best way to counter it, is to keep your TV's and tune into the programs that promote basic moral values. This will show up in the ratings, and it'll pressure the television (and film) industries to change their programming.

[OLAM Dad]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Mar 14 2006, 02:36 PM']I'm confused as to why movies are inherently better than a TV show.... I mean, there are tv shows that are better than some movies.
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I don't think anybody is claiming that movies are inherently better, because they aren't. As a parent though, I can control what movies my kids watch, whether I'm paying attention to them or not. With cable or dish I can't.

[Cow of Shame]

[quote name='OLAM Dad' date='Mar 29 2006, 09:01 AM']I don't think anybody is claiming that movies are inherently better, because they aren't.  As a parent though, I can control what movies my kids watch, whether I'm paying attention to them or not.  With cable or dish I can't.
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I thought dish had locks on it so kids can't watch certain shows.

[OLAM Dad]

You might be right.

Regardless, I don't know how they could possibly work very well. If they are anything like movie ratings then they are probably useless. There are some PG movies that I wouldn't let my kids watch and some PG-13 ones that are just fine.

[Cow of Shame]

[quote name='OLAM Dad' date='Mar 29 2006, 09:41 AM']You might be right. 

Regardless, I don't know how they could possibly work very well.  If they are anything like movie ratings then they are probably useless.  There are some PG movies that I wouldn't let my kids watch and some PG-13 ones that are just fine.
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I've only glanced at the locks on mine since it's not needed, but it seems like it's a pretty flexible system.

[Paladin]

I gave up TV for Lent and don't regret it at all. I really hardly miss it, unless my roommate is watching something.

I don't watch a lot, really. CSI, King of Queens, sometimes ER.