Crap on TV. Turn off the TV.

Luvnlife · Lion King Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 1192 Location: US

Ana;

I have read the passages you quoted before but I re-read them tonight and was particularly struck with Hsa 13:16 Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

Do you realize how often pregnant women have been bludgeoned, stabbed, beaten or shot to death over the past few years? Have you heard some of the horrible child abuse stories that are happening more & more frequently? Children being put in to hot ovens and microwaves, children being tazed, children being thrown or beaten to death? Re-reading both of the verses you quoted made chills run up my spine. If what's happening today is not fulfillment of biblical prophecy, I don't know what is.

It's a sad commentary of our time but it has come about unfortunately because of mankinds poor decisions and was foretold by a book some don't even believe in thousands of years ago.

Luv
_________________
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Biblegateway Christian Viewpoints

lone-traveler · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject:

TV...they have those smart tv's that can censor the programs you don't want your children to see. So even if your in another room they can't "flip" into something inappropriate. I don't get to watch tv all that often. Mostly we listen to the radio. We have sirius sateliite radio and mostly we listen to the old classic stories like..
the green hornet, the twilight zone, gunsmoke, have gun will travel, dragnet, inner sanctum....
But hubby get's into a quirk now and then and he likes to listen to Bubba the love sponge... Rolling Eyes

talk about offensive..it's worse than the playboy channel.
If we stop for any length of time, usually we get a dvd. But it's still hard to find anything of any "value" on the tube.

If I had cable I think I would jump between the food network..I love to try new recipes, and the learning channel.

But why do you suppose there is so much "crap" on tv?
Does it reflect the truth about our society? Is tv a true representation of what the world "outside" our little world is really like?
Do they write the shows so we become "desensitized" to the madness around us?
If people didn't like it they wouldn't get the ratings and they would write programs about other stuff. But I think that the majority of people actually can "relate" to the shows and that's why they watch them.
Maybe their looking for answers to their dilemmas by watching how others cope with them through these shows?

We usually get two stations on the tv when we're on the road. And it always seems that one is M.A.S.H. and the other is CSI. In the daytime all there is is soaps. And most of them are so "unreal" it isn't funny. I mean, how many times can one person get killed and come back to life again? Or have amnesia or run over by a car, shot, poisoned, or in a coma on their death bed?
And still get remarried for the 6th time in the next season..lol...

anywho...tv is the communication guru of our times. And the only way it's going to change..is not to watch it..LOL..
But if we don't watch it sometimes, then we get "out of touch" with what's happening to some degree in other peoples lives. So watch it, but don't believe everything you see and hear on it. And the kids somehow have to learn to make informed decisions too. So, if you do come across programs that are unsuitable for children and they watch it and have questions...which they will, they always do...then try to be as open and honest as possible. Because a lot of tv does reflect the real world around us, and it can be a scary thing to have no knowledge of it and then be let loose into a world gone mad when we are grown up.
There's a lot of things my parents "sheltered" me from growing up...was that a good thing?
I look around the world and think, how can people do the things they do or think the way they think? Have they become so hardened by what they see on tv that they feel no compassion or remorse?
Or is tv just a reflection of the reality in the world?

Maybe it's a little of both.

just ramblin..on and on..lol...

hugs to all
lone

atoz · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:33 am Post subject:

lone-traveler · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject:

I wonder if we were to go back through tv history could we tell when things were going to change. Like, I remember father knows best and leave it to beaver, then star trek and lost in space, the brady bunch, the partridge family...and as time goes on the shows become more violent, more sex, drugs...and then they kind of come back to the family scene.
By watching tv, can we fortell the trends of the times by observing it?

I miss you guys too.
hugs
lone

Luvnlife · Lion King Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 1192 Location: US

Hey, AtoZ, I'm with you!

I really have missed Lone! I'm so glad you're back, Lone.

I still miss TSS too, we see him so rarely!

AtoZ, one thing I don't agree with you on is if a child makes poor decisions, it all reflects back on the parents. I made my own decisions. Some were based on how I grew up and traumas in my life but some I made because of peer pressure or I just was growing up and seeing the world on my terms. I made some mistakes. Some were related to my raising. Others were purely me making bad decisions, nothing to do with Mom or Dad.

Lone: I always say to my hubby "Whatever happened to Leave it to Beaver?"

I remember when I was young, there was no swearing on TV. The first swearword I remember hearing even at the movies was on "John Wayne and the Cowboys" I think. It was also the first flick I remember John Wayne, the hero dying in. The few swearwords in that movie left a lasting impression because I'd never heard that in a movie.

I remember when swearwords came to TV. It was subtle at first. Back then, networks could be fined for swearing. Then words like d**n or he** started sneaking in. Pretty soon, networks started pushiing the limits. We started seeing shows about unwed mothers. More swearing. More double entendre' and more offensive language, more violence, more sexually explicit shows.

Local channels were still pretty tame. That has changed too. I kid you not, flip through the local channels about 7 or 8 pm at night. Time yourself for five minutes. In that period of time, count the number of times there is some kind of sexual comment, violent action, rude comment or some kind of drug or drinking reference. You may be shocked. That's why I have started tuning out more. I miss Bewitched and Looney Tunes and The Andy Griffith Show. I miss I Love Lucy and Rocky and Bullwinkle. I miss the innocence our nation has lost.

Luv
_________________
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Biblegateway Christian Viewpoints

Evee · Moderator Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 638

I agree w/you Luv that it doesn't necessarily reflect back on the parents. I was like you -- did some things on my own & some things were a reflection of how I was raised. And I admire you for tuning out if things bother you. If more people would do that instead of just complaining & whining but not taking a stand, maybe we wouldn't have so much of the crap on TV.

I also agree w/Lone though. A lot of the stuff on TV reflects real life situations & that's why I *do* tune in to a lot of it. I loved the show 7th Heaven so I watch the reruns all the time. I also love Touched by an Angel reruns. At night, I usually don't watch the sitcoms as much anymore. My shows usually consist of watching the reruns of older, canceled shows; game shows & my Law & Orders whenever they're on (L&O is my addiction! lol).

What you describe Luv between 7 & 8 pm on the local channels is the reflection of real life. Back in the 50's in the shows you mentioned, a lot of the sitcoms weren't a reflection of what went on in real life. Not every family was like Leave it to Beaver (I doubt very many). I Love Lucy didn't even reflect a married couple sleeping in the same bed because it was too riske. It was more an escape into another world that people could go to to get away from the realities of this world.
_________________
Don't get caught in the trap of thinking you know everything God has to say b/c you've read the Bible. Remember, God is STILL speaking. And surprisingly, through people we DON'T expect.

atoz · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject:

Luvnlife · Lion King Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 1192 Location: US

Hi AtoZ;

I get your point. I'm not saying that parents attitudes don't affect children but I stand by my assertion that many of the things children do they do not because of their parents or the way they were raised. I know that parents actions and reactions to circumstances and situations does affect children. But here's what I find odd: in my family there were 6 children who survived to adulthood. The age span between the oldest and youngest was 11 years. My mother had 5 kids in 7 years (then the baby 4 years later). My point is we were close in age, all raised in the same household by the same mother. 5 of us are still close but we are all very different people and we handled the stresses we experienced growing up very differently. I cannot blame my mother for most of the mistakes I have made though she does share the blame for some of them. So in a way, though I don't think you are completely right, after thinking about it, I believe you are partly correct.

Evee! I almost forgot about Touched by an Angel! I confess I loved that show. I also used to watch the Waltons and Little House on the Prairie.

I hope what's portrayed on TV isn't what most peoples home life is like. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones. My home life (these days) is very good. I feel blessed.

Right now my baby (who is 9) is sitting here watching 'Snow Dogs.'

Luv
_________________
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Biblegateway Christian Viewpoints

wilber · Banned Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 581

I'm wondering if I'm a bit weird because I can tolerate a fair amount of explicit material - sex and violence (though the sex can be a distraction from the plot) but its the more subtle underlying message that I find much more worrying.
To give an example, some years ago everyone in the uk raved about the film '4 weddings and a funural' - the funniest and best film ever.
I saw it and thought it was the most corrupt amoral and depressing film I'd seen in years.
On the other hand, if anyone's seen '2 days in the valley' its extremely explicit with a horrible depiction of murder right at the start, but I would say its message is far more worthy than most of the rubbish produced.
Over here in the uk we seem besieged by US comedies: Ugly Betty, Will & Grace, Desperate Housewives, Friends etc.
I can't stand them, though they are adored by my daughters.
Aaaaaargh!
I don't know if you have the reality show 'Big Brother' in the states.
My initial reaction was I didn't want to be in the room when it was on, but after a while I became engrossed because I saw myself in these people struggling to cope with each other. All their weaknesses and failings magnified were mine. It is a real social commentry. Not easy viewing but a depiction of the world we live in and where we're going.

yehu said:

atoz · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:35 am Post subject:

Evee · Moderator Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 638

atoz · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:53 pm Post subject:

W and Evee!

We are all a bit or a lot weird!smile

Love makes that weird wired!smile

With the Love that makes weird a Love-word,
Atoz

Luvnlife · Lion King Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 1192 Location: US

'House' is interesting but he could work on his bedside manner a bit! (LOL)!

Evee; I know that a lot of what we see on TV is a reflection of a lot of things that happen in real life but there are a couple of things that really bother me:

1) Saturation : Our sets are flooded with this crap. You can go through dozens and dozens of channels and have swearing, explicit sexual content, violence, lewd humor and much more.

2) Condensation: There is so much drama, violence, cussing etc... neatly packaged in to a relatively small amount of time (like a 1/2 hour sitcom or a 2 hour movie).

I remember when swearing wasn't allowed on TV or the radio. I remember when bands and singers started swearing on the radio and the cusswords were bleeped.

I think what we have come to today is sad. Whether it's reality or not doesn't mean it should be played out in our living rooms every day. I also think it's partly a self-fulfilling prophecy. I think it fuels peoples bad attitudes and behaviors. The more they see it, the more they do it, the more acceptable it becomes. The more acceptable it becomes, the more it's shown on TV and the more it's shown, the more they see it and the more people act it out. It's a vicious cycle.

I have been in the Customer Service field at this company or that company for over 20 years. Peoples behaviors and attitudes are getting more disrespectful and hateful. Over the past five years or so, I have been cursed, called names, hung up on, threatened and yelled at more than all the other years I have been in Customer Service. I have been called worse names, I've been accused of bizarre things and I'm not alone. Everyone in the group I work with has experienced the same types of problems. I work with some pretty tough cookies and I have seen several of them in tears, upset or angry and on the verge of quitting because of problem customers. I had one guy in the office who was about 2 times my size screaming at me, his face red, the veins in his head popping out and spittle coming out of his mouth as he spoke to me (2 feet away just across the desk). All this because he neglected to pay his bill for 2 or 3 months and his phone got shut off.

There are cartoons I forbid my 9 year old to watch because they are mouthy, sassy, unappreciative and mannerless. She started acting like the characters she had been watching on cartoons so I put an end to her watching certain ones.

I believe that people who have poor thought processes or evil on their mind anyway may get ideas from some of the things they see on TV.

Luv Rolling Eyes

_________________
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Biblegateway Christian Viewpoints