P
Peace-bwu
Guest
The Great Cable Cord Cut:
I have been reading threads about morally offensive tv programming. Some of those include: ER, The Book of Daniel, Desperate Housewives, South Park, the list goes on.
Sure, we can write letters here and there, complaining about content in programming or commercials, we can turn it off, but it doesnt’ make much of a dent. Are Christians getting what we pay for? Do we continue to pay for it? Do we have a moral obligation to not pay for it?
If we are serious about change? There needs to be an organized boycott throughout the Christian community of cancelling Cable or satellite subscribtions for one year with a carefully chosen list of shows that we would like to see removed, and possibly sold to HBO or Movie channels. They would fit in well with Six Feet Under, The L. Word, etc. If not removed from local channels we will continue the boycott, only to watch acceptable sitcoms, movies etc. on DVD or video. That would seriously hit the pocketbook.
If we really wanted to make a change, we would do that. Are Americans that tough? Could we go without the Boob toob for that long? Can we go without the lulling, hypnotizing, sedating effect of mindless tv, and only rent/ borrow/ buy the DVDs that are thought provoking and morally sound?
There is a market for immoral and God-mocking entertainment, let it be on special cable channels so that we have a choice of whether we want to pay for it. I’m not proposing we burn books or DVDs or Cable boxes. I am proposing that consumers have more choice. I would like to see local programming and basic cable, be less offensive so that we dont’ have to pay for it, let the blatantly offensive material go to special cable providers, if consumers want that programming they can order it. Let the consumer consume what they want, rather than buying it only to turn it off.
I want freedom. Shouldn’t consumers have a say as to what we want to pay for, what we want to promote with our hard- earned dollars? We wouldn’t be forcing censureship, but refusing to promote programming we do not find acceptable or entertaining. That is simply smart shopping.
As many people say, “If you don’t like it, turn it off.” I agree, but I say “If you don’t like it, don’t pay for it.”
As a solution, Perhaps Catholic Video store owners could join forces to create a “netflix” mail order DVD business which carries only Christian- friendly DVDs… And all you people hooked on Soap Operas could give them up for lent… and the folks who like to watch football or other sports would have to invite yourselves over to a friend’s house, LOL. Think of how much more time we would have to spend with family and in the community of we didn’t have endless hours of tv to watch. If I do this I will get my news from the internet, and rent DVDs.
I know many people who actually save money by not paying for Cable or satellite, but rent sitcom series and movies on DVD. They see more of what they actually like, and don’t pay for any of the garbage.
At Catholic Answers in the Family forum, I started a thread about American Girl, several of us members started a boycott, We were effective at contacting other Pro-life, Pro-family groups, and the American Girl boycott went National. I will probably cut the cable on my own, for my own family… would anyone care to join me?
I have two questions:
I have been reading threads about morally offensive tv programming. Some of those include: ER, The Book of Daniel, Desperate Housewives, South Park, the list goes on.
Sure, we can write letters here and there, complaining about content in programming or commercials, we can turn it off, but it doesnt’ make much of a dent. Are Christians getting what we pay for? Do we continue to pay for it? Do we have a moral obligation to not pay for it?
If we are serious about change? There needs to be an organized boycott throughout the Christian community of cancelling Cable or satellite subscribtions for one year with a carefully chosen list of shows that we would like to see removed, and possibly sold to HBO or Movie channels. They would fit in well with Six Feet Under, The L. Word, etc. If not removed from local channels we will continue the boycott, only to watch acceptable sitcoms, movies etc. on DVD or video. That would seriously hit the pocketbook.
If we really wanted to make a change, we would do that. Are Americans that tough? Could we go without the Boob toob for that long? Can we go without the lulling, hypnotizing, sedating effect of mindless tv, and only rent/ borrow/ buy the DVDs that are thought provoking and morally sound?
There is a market for immoral and God-mocking entertainment, let it be on special cable channels so that we have a choice of whether we want to pay for it. I’m not proposing we burn books or DVDs or Cable boxes. I am proposing that consumers have more choice. I would like to see local programming and basic cable, be less offensive so that we dont’ have to pay for it, let the blatantly offensive material go to special cable providers, if consumers want that programming they can order it. Let the consumer consume what they want, rather than buying it only to turn it off.
I want freedom. Shouldn’t consumers have a say as to what we want to pay for, what we want to promote with our hard- earned dollars? We wouldn’t be forcing censureship, but refusing to promote programming we do not find acceptable or entertaining. That is simply smart shopping.
As many people say, “If you don’t like it, turn it off.” I agree, but I say “If you don’t like it, don’t pay for it.”
As a solution, Perhaps Catholic Video store owners could join forces to create a “netflix” mail order DVD business which carries only Christian- friendly DVDs… And all you people hooked on Soap Operas could give them up for lent… and the folks who like to watch football or other sports would have to invite yourselves over to a friend’s house, LOL. Think of how much more time we would have to spend with family and in the community of we didn’t have endless hours of tv to watch. If I do this I will get my news from the internet, and rent DVDs.
I know many people who actually save money by not paying for Cable or satellite, but rent sitcom series and movies on DVD. They see more of what they actually like, and don’t pay for any of the garbage.
At Catholic Answers in the Family forum, I started a thread about American Girl, several of us members started a boycott, We were effective at contacting other Pro-life, Pro-family groups, and the American Girl boycott went National. I will probably cut the cable on my own, for my own family… would anyone care to join me?
I have two questions:
- Would any of you be willing to cut the cord for one year as an experiment?
- Regardless of whether you could do it…What is your top ten list of the tv shows you wish were not on basic cable?
(*not including *shows on HBO, cinamax or the movie channel PayPer View etc.)
) when our contract expires, the Dish and Cable are history!! I am so glad that we put off getting the TiVo for about a month–because then we realized that we didn’t NEED to be able to tape one thing and watch another. And it gave us time to make the decision to ditch the dish and cut the cable when the contract expires.
