Is Television Better Or Worse Now Than When You Were A Kid?

I grew up without cable, so I really don't have much to compare television nowadays to....

 

I agree with this for the most part, but this NBA season was clearly the best season of Basketball there has been since I've been alive.



In regards to football, I don't think it is necessarily the players that have become soft, so much as it is the rules and regulations trying to prevent concussions and all that. A few players have quit playing though as understanding of concussions has progressed.

 

I generally agree, but iirc the big bang theory uses a laugh track and some of the jokes on there are hilarious.

 

I'm so done with movie theaters. Too expensive, too many rude teenagers who won't shut up, too nasty, and now they want me to buy my ticket in advance online! I can find plenty to watch at home on cable, on my big HDTV. I can eat and drink what I want, wear what I want, and pause the show to use my own bathroom. Every good movie is eventually available on demand on PPV for $6.

 

Worse..."reality" shows on every channel. I gave up tv years ago

 

but 3D movies are really trippy when ur stoned.

 

Karen J, Do you mean you can only but tickets online now for some theaters? Next thing you know they will be asking for double fair for anyone who actually shows up rather than just settling for the remote-virtual "experience".

 

I recall television taking a nose-dive in early 1995. Over the next five years the quality wound down until about 2000 for which nothing has changed since. Doubtlessly a reflection of the culture (speaking specifically of American TV and culture).

In the eighties TV and movies started to improve, presumably as a reaction to political correctness, which is what made the shows in the eighties and nineties tolerable. Now if anything has changed substantially in the last 15 years it was any tolerance of going outside of political correctness.

Every show and movie despite supposedly being in vastly different genres and styles all share the common modern social narrative - all specially designated groups of people are equal, and equal, if not slightly better, than the group designated "the majority". All plot lines follow the Christian derived theme of good versus evil, as in weakness versus strength. We even see this theme in the supposedly directionless shows where seemingly all there is is people engaging in senseless hedonism - all those so weak willed as to have nothing better to do than follow the dictates of their animal drives are good, and all those that would even look at them slightly asymmetrically, as if to imply even a hint of a question as to the value of their way of living, are evil. For one who doesn't share that narrative, the modern shows and movies become nothing more than sterile documentaries on modern habits, at best, or gut wrenching contrivances at worst.

Also, one has no business talking about the supposed preferability of large flat screens and high definition when half the time they watch TV on a cell phone; it exposes that most people never really did care about the increased quality that new technology brings, just the social aspect of being seen with new technology.

 

Around here, the most popular show times sell out at least an hour in advance. If you don't want to pay online with a credit card, I guess you could make two trips to the theater.

 

An excellent point.

I often carry a tablet with me to work

But still load the tv shows onto the phone, chiefly cos its easier to hold

And have a big ass tv which hardly gets used, and usually to watch the late night news, which you dont need in high def

 

I was speaking for myself. I don't watch anything on a phone.

 

I never watch TV or movies on a mobile device. It's so much better to settle in front of my 55" HDTV. Also, I like 3D movies. But I never watch reality shows. They exist only because they can be made with low budgets.

 

Ace. You mentioned Big Bang. Now who would hang around with a pompous prick like that endlessly literalist jerk like that character which Jim --what's his name plays? I know--I know--it's just a TV show, but I can't stand know-it-alls, real or not. I would advise someone that did what he does on the show--IRL--to me---that the next time
he would be getting a useful reminder regarding the purpose of nerve endings.

OK-Ok, I sound like dumb-ass a kid. But some characteristics just bug the shit outta' me.

 

It was way more good cartoons back in the day.

 

The shows are better now than they were then, but that doesn't mean I don't miss back then when it didn't matter. The shows were always good for the time that they were in.

 

actually not as much as you think.

Been to a few show taping and the wife and kids have been to LOT'S!
What happens if taping before a live audience and the reaction isn't what is expected, the "cheerleader" guy/girl will ask the audience to laugh louder and stuff and re-shoot OR they will actually do the scene differently or with another joke to get a different reaction. Had to sit through three different renditions of one 3 minute scene once,,, about 25 minutes of bullshit to get 3 minutes they liked!!!!
and one time they just had everyone laugh and recorded it, so technically a "laugh track" but one made by the audience at the taping, so........
That is why taping a 20 minutes show takes 3-4 fucking hours and also why I refuse to go to them anymore.

 

Tons worse. When I was a kid we had all the fun old cartoons and the Simpson's were good.

The only positive now is that more sports are shown.

What really annoys me is, I have no problem with adult TV shows, but Family Guy is on here during afternoons where children would come from school and that's not a kids show. It really isn't. They joke a just rape in this one episode and it was on at 1630hrs.thats not good.