Don't play with it

Is it just me... or has television gone in the wrong direction?

What ever happened to quality, good shows that when you leave and turn off the screen, you leave content, knowledgeable whilst maintaining morals and values. (Don't get me wrong. My concensus is not that ALL shows have gone down the gutter, there are some good shows out there...)

Today, I can't even look at Cartoon Network properly anymore. Who ever thought there would come a time when you'd actually have to go search the TV Guide to find out when Tom & Jerry would be scheduled to show? All the good cartoons have been replaced by... these cartoons, the majority of which i could barely stomach.

No more... Johny Quest, G-Force, Scooby Doo, Flintstones, Pink Panther, The Jetsons... etc

Also, what ever happened to the children shows? Me and a friend of mine, Liz, were discussing this just this morning. Children shows as we know it - are long gone.

'Barney' has changed. It's no longer fun and 'Barney' with a few friends... it's tragically different now. Everytime i look at it, or try to, there's someone new and everything has transformed into something *perks eyebrow, weird gaze* different. Hell, even 'Seasame Street' has transformed into something yucky. 'Arthur', one of my childhood favourites, is not the same. The voices have changed... No more 'Mr. Roger's Neighbourhood. No more 'Wishbone', which was always a delight to watch... who can't help but love a show with man's best friend AND storytelling/re-enacting pieces of history and folklore. No more 'Reading Rainbow'... and 'Shining Time Station'... 'Lamb Chops Playhouse'... 'Theodore Tugboat'... 'Book of Virtue'....'Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?'...

Maybe one or two mentioned above are still running... but it's not the same. This Teletubbies... Could someone please tell me what exactly are children learning from big odd creatures with televisions on their stomachs and a baby in the sun? Are they trying to help children take longer to speak? Thank God i didn't grow up in that time. I was spared the nightmare of it all...

On a slight digression... what about all the shows that created and nurtured a bond between man and animal? Rin tin tin, Lassie, All Dogs Go to Heaven.. *sigh*

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Just look at the values today's shows present?

Remember the good old days of Family Matters where pertinent realistic issues arise, humour is maintained and the moral not missed.

One of today's biggest hits is "Two and a Half Man" which admittedly is funny. But i'm still debating whether or not i truly appreciate the show, or understand and agree to the mixed values it is sending out.

In the show, there are 3 main characters - Charlie, his brother and his nephew. Charlie sleeps around, and that is no secret. He has very little value for women other than their purpose in bed. His brother on the otherhand, tries to bring forth the importance of family, respect and discipline. YET, this is lost because his character has the weakest personality to convince anybody even though he tries. However, his credibility twindles soon as he finds an.... air head (to say the least, for the lack of a better word/phrase) who he sleeps with and tolerates because she likes him (or what he can give her) despite his weak personality. His son, has absolutely no respect for his elders. I remember one episode where Charlie was entrusted with his care, and you would think he could control his nephew. Everytime he told his nephew no, he winded up getting his nephew what he wanted. What ever happened to 'who's the adult and who's the child?'.

That's not the only show that promotes such... there are those that promote promiscuity, drinking, smoking... and MANY of the shows that children get to see contain adult content and suggestive language - like Spongebob Square Pants. Then again, the parents should be doing their duty and being responsible with their children viewing television... i could go on and on about this.. i'll stop now. *sigh*

Wishbone Redemption Wrote:

Personally, even if that is the case, I don't think it matters much. Why? Because what kind of culture are we if our only source of 'traditional morals and family values' comes from the television? If parents already have out-of-control kinds, a sitcom isn't to blame, other factors in their family life are (such as how they were raised themselves.) And if a family is well-adjusted and respectful of one another, it's not because the parents watched TV that reflected common, well-liked values. The media reflect the society; I think you've got it backwards. The show you described isn't encouraging anything, it's merely portraying a common or relatable incident. So our society degenerated the supposed 'values', not the TV show. It's just playing off of that.

Exactly, the media DOES reflect society. However, the media also influences what people condone and what they don't condone. Television in today's society along with the other forms of media is extremely influential on our train of thought with many issues, whether we admit it or not.

But that just proves my point even more. They have the option.. the power.. the ability to convey what is right and not condone and encourage what is wrong... YET they don't.

Saying that the problem is just society and its not the media's fault does justify it. If you're in a position to make something better, change it for the good, shouldn't you do it? Change your thoughts, change the world.

Quote:

*Mitani_Yuki* It's just a sitcom. It's meant to be funny. Aparently, somebody thinks its funny. I think you're overanalyzing the show.

Overanalzing am i? Today's culture is to make important issues seem trivial. Promoting promiscuity is trivial? Hello - there's an increase in teenage pregnancies and all those wonderful delights related to it.

I highly doubt i'm over analyzing it. You can make a joke but you don't have to promote something thats wrong. If you do, then where does that leave us? If we laugh at the wrong things and condone the wrong things as a nation..? As a people?

Then again... i posted a similar topic on Gaia "Values presented in new shows"(excerpt above).. On my poll "TV sitcoms have undermined family" only 27% responded in absolute certainty against such notions... and one of the responses argued that television is a reflection of society.

Shows should have a stronger family value atleast..(like Diamondz said) Kids today are alot more disrespectful to their parents than those of yesterday... If we can't get the family value in real life... can't we not atleast get it on tv before its all extinct?

If that's the case... then i reluctantly admit, it's not tv that's gone down the gutter... it's us.