Disturbing trends in society

I'm curious to know if anyone has noticed some disturbing things popping up on television in the states lately.  I used to love watching the History channel but now it seems that I can find about an hour or two block of real solid historic programming. Maybe I'm crazy but it feels like every time I turn to History in the evening there is some program about ghost's or ghost hunting on, same with several other channels.  I don't know how many of these programs there are right now but I do know that there were not nearly this many a couple of years ago, or even a few months ago. It's not just ghost crap either it's other things, these conspiracy theory shows (One hosted by Mr. Jesse Ventura believe it or not) and alien meddling shows.  So many shows now about paranormal phenomena and other such garbage. I think this is a dangerous trend that I believe is happening for a very specific reason. Maybe I'm paranoid but this can't be healthy.....What do you guys think about all of this?

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Permalink Reply by MightyMateo on January 21, 2011 at 6:09pm
An odd crowd is right. Not the crowd I want to hang with that's for sure. Not a freethinking crowd either....It scares me that this trash is so popular.
Permalink Reply by atheist_swede on January 21, 2011 at 6:44pm

I don't think it's so surprising. It's probably the same effect that keeps giving up Hollywood movies based on popular comic books or TV shows. They need to make money, and the safest way to do that is to go with whatever has gotten good ratings in the past, and there is no denying it - ghost crap gets the ratings.

 

Add to that the fact that it is by far and away the cheapest TV you can make, and the network execs will need no further convincing.

 

This is why public television is not just good, but necessary - public television that is not ratings conscious (transmitting bland garbage - catch the reference :) but charged with producing quality programming

Permalink Reply by MightyMateo on January 21, 2011 at 6:57pm
Lol, TV is going to be like it was in the movie "Idiocracy" Just a bunch of guys getting hit in the balls with random objects over and over all day :p
Permalink Reply by Richard Raymond on January 21, 2011 at 6:52pm
What do you expect from the fact that the U.S. is being taken over by right-wing evangelists?  I used to enjoy horror and the supernatural, but now it seems to be flooding the airwaves!
Permalink Reply by Andrew Bergstrom on January 21, 2011 at 6:56pm

There's only one "positive" I can see coming from this disturbing trend, and that is Hollywood finally giving the green light to "Ghostbusters 3!" While my young children are watching "Ghost Whisperer" I make sure that they understand that "Ghosts" are not real and it is only a TV show. At least the "Reality Show" format makes sure that they are not dragging in any specific religion, but rather that there are some "restless spirits" left on this plane of existence and that folks have have been hallucinating- I mean "sighting ghosts" all throughout recorded history.

 

Granted, I gave the idea of such spirits some thought a while ago, and from a scientific point of view one might argue that the "Law of conservation of matter and energy" might lean towards their actual existence. However, until science can definitively explain exactly what a soul is, measure its presence with instruments, and use such to in turn prove a "ghost" I will remain skeptical. I have an open mind for the truth, but not speculation. I enjoy fiction for entertainment purposes, but I rarely respect anything that pushes a religious agenda...

Permalink Reply by Kirk Holden on January 21, 2011 at 7:19pm
Do you want to see more rodeos? Are we not capitalists? Is the ad revenue not what you expect?  Because that is the only reason moving pictures with sound show up on the TV.
3equ3cp1fsw0nPermalink Reply by 3equ3cp1fsw0n on January 21, 2011 at 7:42pm
I nearly peed my pants laughing when South Park did a parody of one of those ghost hunter shows.
Permalink Reply by MightyMateo on January 21, 2011 at 7:46pm
Lol, yes! great show!
Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on January 21, 2011 at 7:47pm
Our family gave up watching TV years ago, it was just so inane, even my 14 year old son (at the time) didn't miss it, in fact he's the one that said we didn't need it anymore.
Permalink Reply by Becca on January 21, 2011 at 8:53pm
History Channel and Discovery Channel have both been going downhill for quite a few years (at least since the late 90s).... not that they ever were an ideal source of historic/scientific information in the first place. When I'm home sick or have a day off I watch "A Haunting" on Discovery Channel sometimes just becuause it's so hilarious. Unfortunately most people who watch those shows don't watch them just for entertainment they actually believe that stories are true.
Permalink Reply by Dave G on January 21, 2011 at 9:17pm
There is a define trend towards an anti-intelligence, anti-science attitude in the US today. It has always been around, but over the last few decades it has been getting stronger. The pseudo-science and woo-promoting TV shows are just the surface.
Permalink Reply by atheist_swede on January 21, 2011 at 9:52pm

I'm not sure it was always the case. There was a time when Albert Einstein was a celebrity (if that had been today, you can forget about all those posters, no one would have ever heard of him), a time when romantic leading men like Cary Grant could portray intelligent, accomplished people. H.L. Mencken was one of the most popular journalists of his day and Mark Twain was insanely popular. Even as late as my childhood (80s) the right wing consisted of economical conservatives, elitists, and the left was mostly portrayed as hippie "duh" types in their stereotypes.

 

I think the anti-intelligence movement has moved forward greatly in the past 10 or 15 years, to the position it currently commands.

 

Alas, it doesn't so much affect the pseudo-science and woo, that was always around. But the outright anti-science is relatively new

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