What in your opinion is specifically wrong with modern American Television?

[retire_early]

Cold, icy life? Guess we watched a different show.

That show was crass and stupid. Moronic, too. Sorry, Kate.

 

[NM505StKate]

Modern television rarely shows any good morals anymore. Sex, violence and other such things do not entertain me. Reality tv is just plain stupid.

Morals like the wife stays home and does wife things as the husband does the bread winning, then comes home to drink and both sleep in separate beds? Those kind of morals? Or how about every hero is a white cis male and the majority of villains are horrible stereotypes? I’m not hot on reality TV either but some I could watch.

 

[NM505StKate]

I know! No TV in my house now, but I grew up watching TV so need mindless downtime sometimes. I discovered YouTube and watched all seasons of Route 66. Really liked it. Did all of Bonanza episodes a couple of years back and this past year have been seeing all the Rawhide shows. Seems like the early 60’s had some great shows. At least they tried to show the human condition in a realistic manner and incorporated moral and social values. Nothing like it now.

On the other hand, some reality shows like the ones where they redecorate or remodel homes and the one where they secretly take your junk car and turn it into a cream puff are kind of fun. I saw one where they were driving giant trucks on the Alcan highway, I think? Kind of strange but fun. And those ones where they haul themselves into the fancy bridal salon in New York to choose a dress are entertaining. I only see snippets of these reality shows when I am visiting someone who has a TV. That’s probably enough.

The emphasis is mine. No way. TV has barely showed the human condition in a realistic manner. The 60’s may have been a time of change, due to the Summer of Love, but TV still didn’t show much in terms of changing values. Remember when Fred and Barney smoked cigarettes in a commercial?

 

[edwest2]

The emphasis is mine. No way. TV has barely showed the human condition in a realistic manner. The 60’s may have been a time of change, due to the Summer of Love, but TV still didn’t show much in terms of changing values. Remember when Fred and Barney smoked cigarettes in a commercial?

Summer of Sex during the Sexual - without love - Revolution. Fred and Barney smoking? I don’t recall that. (I did see it on youtube many, many years later.) We watched The Flintstones as a family. Good and wholesome TV.

TV used to be called a “guest in your home,” now it is, in too many cases, a gross, overly sexualized, perverse and debased thing. It is no longer “a guest.” Entertainment needs good role models not corruption. That’s not entertainment, it’s advocating for corruption as good/normal/average. A lot of us don’t live that way. We go to our jobs, come home and want clean, wholesome entertainment. TV, today, provides little of that.

“Those values on which we used to rely.” (from the opening song to the dysfunctional Family Guy) are exactly what Pope Francis is reminding us to know and live.

Ed

 

[AllieT]

That there is a clear agenda to use that medium to promote that which is immoral and to make light of or water down true Christian values and spirituality. TV is a tool to influence the minds of the masses rather than being merely a source of entertainment and relaxation.

 

[JustaServant]

Getting back to the point of the thread.
Obviously different people see different things they perceive as ‘wrong’ with modern television. I have contended the problem is at the center. A lack of creativity and writing talent. Once you have a ‘corporate’ view of entertainment, what you end up with is ‘what sells’. Sex sells, violence sells, evil sells. Writing and ideas become an afterthought, a means to an end, as opposed to the end itself.

 

[Son_of_Niall]

Morals like the wife stays home and does wife things as the husband does the bread winning, then comes home to drink and both sleep in separate beds? Those kind of morals?

I hate to give you a history lesson, but that wasn’t as far from the truth as you portray it.
Men WERE the breadwinners in most households, women DID stay home to raise the kids. The ‘separate beds’ was a hold-over from 1930s films, and not every TV show did that. Most of the time it was ignored.

 

[edwest2]

Getting back to the point of the thread.
Obviously different people see different things they perceive as ‘wrong’ with modern television. I have contended the problem is at the center. A lack of creativity and writing talent. Once you have a ‘corporate’ view of entertainment, what you end up with is ‘what sells’. Sex sells, violence sells, evil sells. Writing and ideas become an afterthought, a means to an end, as opposed to the end itself.

I know people who work in Hollywood. I have met on more than one occasion, with a Script Editor from a name studio, for example. If you look back at TV from the 1950s and 1960s, you’ll find little that is offensive. In fact, you’ll find the exact opposite of what’s on TV today. A review of TV shows from the 1970s shows a little bad, the 1980s, a little more, the 1990s, a lot more, and finally, the 2000s, which have gone into the pit for the most part.

I’ve seen hundreds of manuscripts and contributed to many, many creative projects as a writer. TV, today, does not lack creativity or writing talent, but it is pushing a corrupt agenda. Producers - those who actually approve and fund TV shows - decide what’s next on TV. I watched it all unfold - anybody can. The gradual addition of sexual situations, then profanity, and good working with evil while still being presented as heroic.

The current character template is what I call “the dysfunctionals” and the agenda I’m referring to includes the addition of married gay characters as if no one would notice or care. Issue advocacy is in a lot of TV today, and that includes magazines, for example, that write about TV. They are very keen to point out that a TV show or actor is a “feminist,” LGBT activist," or part of an ideology that includes allowing themselves to be portrayed in situations where casual sex is the norm or average.

Ed

 

[edwest2]

I hate to give you a history lesson, but that wasn’t as far from the truth as you portray it.
Men WERE the breadwinners in most households, women DID stay home to raise the kids. The ‘separate beds’ was a hold-over from 1930s films, and not every TV show did that. Most of the time it was ignored.

That’s the way it actually was in the 1950s and 1960s. I was there.

Ed

 

[JustaServant]

I know people who work in Hollywood. I have met on more than one occasion, with a Script Editor from a name studio, for example. If you look back at TV from the 1950s and 1960s, you’ll find little that is offensive. In fact, you’ll find the exact opposite of what’s on TV today. A review of TV shows from the 1970s shows a little bad, the 1980s, a little more, the 1990s, a lot more, and finally, the 2000s, which have gone into the pit for the most part.

I’ve seen hundreds of manuscripts and contributed to many, many creative projects as a writer. TV, today, does not lack creativity or writing talent, but it is pushing a corrupt agenda. Producers - those who actually approve and fund TV shows - decide what’s next on TV. I watched it all unfold - anybody can. The gradual addition of sexual situations, then profanity, and good working with evil while still being presented as heroic.

The current character template is what I call “the dysfunctionals” and the agenda I’m referring to includes the addition of married gay characters as if no one would notice or care. Issue advocacy is in a lot of TV today, and that includes magazines, for example, that write about TV. They are very keen to point out that a TV show or actor is a “feminist,” LGBT activist," or part of an ideology that includes allowing themselves to be portrayed in situations where casual sex is the norm or average.

Ed

You work closer to the situation, I’m just a viewer. Maybe there is talent out there that just isn’t being displayed. Where do these people go then to use that creativity and talent?

 

[JustaServant]

Morals like the wife stays home and does wife things as the husband does the bread winning, then comes home to drink and both sleep in separate beds?

That wasn’t universally true.
Just off the top of my head:
I Love Lucy: Early seasons, same bed. Later seasons, separate.
Bewitched: Same bed.
The Munsters (yeah I know): Same bed.
The Brady Bunch: Same bed.
Green Acres: Same bed.
Dick Van ****: Separate beds.
The Addams Family: Same bed.
Get Smart: Same bed after Smart and 99 marry.

There were an awful lot of widows and widowers on TV in those days.

 

[retire_early]

The emphasis is mine. No way. TV has barely showed the human condition in a realistic manner. The 60’s may have been a time of change, due to the Summer of Love, but TV still didn’t show much in terms of changing values. Remember when Fred and Barney smoked cigarettes in a commercial?

You’re too young. You missed it.

 

[HarveyL]

For me it’s the long and occurring too often advertisements on some of the channels I view. I am strongly considering, and researching, the alternatives to television and have already compiled bookmarks for the stations I prefer that can be seen, without ads, on any of my several laptops. I also realize that there are many other ways to deal with this issue.

As far as content, I choose what I watch, so to me, it doesn’t matter what content is available as I simply choose what I prefer to view. I think that any and all content should be available and it should be up to each individual to choose what they prefer to see.

 

[Kay_Cee]

I judge a show mostly by this:

If I were watching TV and the doorbell rang, and it was Jesus asking to come in and watch with me, would I be comfortable with that?

If not, I’m either changing the channel or turning the set off.

 

[stanncie]

I judge a show mostly by this:

If I were watching TV and the doorbell rang, and it was Jesus asking to come in and watch with me, would I be comfortable with that?

If not, I’m either changing the channel or turning the set off.

I think this is a pretty good rule of thumb

 

[HarveyL]

Maybe Jesus would be comfortable with any and every show, meaning, He was well aware of mankind’s flaws and strengths and accepting of them in the sense of deep understanding. His was not to judge, right?

I judge a show mostly by this:

If I were watching TV and the doorbell rang, and it was Jesus asking to come in and watch with me, would I be comfortable with that?

If not, I’m either changing the channel or turning the set off.

 

[edwest2]

Maybe Jesus would be comfortable with any and every show, meaning, He was well aware of mankind’s flaws and strengths and accepting of them in the sense of deep understanding. His was not to judge, right?

God is merciful and just.

Luke 5:32

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Nothing in the Bible supports immorality.

Ed

 

[Sarcelle]

I did not read all the posts on this thread. Has anyone ever mentioned that television shows glorify bullying? I see this all the time especially in reality shows.

 

[Crown_of_Stars]

I hate to give you a history lesson, but that wasn’t as far from the truth as you portray it.
Men WERE the breadwinners in most households, women DID stay home to raise the kids. The ‘separate beds’ was a hold-over from 1930s films, and not every TV show did that. Most of the time it was ignored.

The separate beds thing I’ve always found to be rather ridiculous. The husband and wife were married. Actually, to show two separate beds drew more attention to the obvious than one bed would have, simply because it looked so ridiculous. A husband and a wife share one bed. The way God intended.

 

[Kay_Cee]

Maybe Jesus would be comfortable with any and every show, meaning, He was well aware of mankind’s flaws and strengths and accepting of them in the sense of deep understanding. His was not to judge, right?

I highly doubt Jesus is comfortable with sin. I especially think He wasn’t comfortable with it when He was hanging in agony on the cross because of our sins.