Television makes people stupid

I think that's awesome you giving up television for a year. I gave it up earlier this year for 3 and half months till my daughter came for a visit to the Kennedy Space Center.

Checkout this video by my friend Michael Franti back in '92 when he started Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy called TELEVISION: Drug of the Nation.

Television lyrics




One nation
under God
has turned into
one nation under the influence
of one drug
[chorus:]
Television the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)
T.V. it
satellite links
our United States of Unconsciousness
Apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive
The methadone metronome pumping out
150 channels 24 hours a day
you can flip through all of them
and still there's nothing worth watching
T.V. is the reason why less than 10 per cent of our
Nation reads books daily
Why most people think Central Amerika
means Kansas
Socialism means unamerican
and Apartheid is a new headache remedy
absorbed in it's world it's so hard to find us
It shapes our mind the most
maybe the mother of our Nation
should remind us
that we're sitting too close to...
[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)
T.V. is
the stomping ground for political candidates
Where bears in the woods
are chased by Grecian Formula'd
bald eagles
T.V. is mechanized politic's
remote control over the masses
co-sponsored by environmentally safe gases
watch for the PBS special
It's the perpetuation of the two party system
where image takes precedence over wisdom
Where sound bite politics are served to
the fastfood culture
Where straight teeth in your mouth
are more important than the words
that come out of it
Race baiting is the way to get selected
Willie Horton or
Will he not get elected on...
[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)
T.V., is it the reflector or the director ?
Does it imitate us
or do we imitate it
because a child watches 1500 murders before he's
twelve years old and we wonder why we've created
a Jason generation that learns to laugh
rather than to abhor the horror
T.V. is the place where
armchair generals and quarterbacks can
experience first hand
the excitement of warfare
as the theme song is sung in the background
Sugar sweet sitcoms
that leave us with a bad actor taste while
pop stars metamorphosize into soda pop stars
You saw the video
You heard the soundtrack
Well now go buy the soft drink
Well, the onla cola that I support
would be a union C.O.L.A.(Cost Of Living Allowance)
On television
[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)
Back again, "New and improved"
We return to our irregularly programmed schedule
hidden cleverly between heavy breasted
beer and car commercials
CNNESPNABCTNT but mostly B.S.
Where oxymoronic language like
"virtually spotless", "fresh frozen"
"light yet filling" and "military intelligence"
have become standard
T.V. is the place where phrases are redefined
like "recession" to "necessary downturn"
"Crude oil" on a beach to "mousse"
"Civilian death" to "collateral damages"
and being killed by your own Army
is now called "friendly fire"
T.V. is the place where the pursuit
of happiness has become the pursuit of
trivia
Where toothpaste and cars have become
sex objects
Where imagination is sucked out of children
by a cathode ray nipple
T.V. is the only wet nurse
that would create a cripple
[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(4x


Tell me what ya think

Peace

I posted this in another post and I agree television is addictive like a drug, very hard to give up for some. It is something I can do without and the many times I give it up I feel great.

Peace

I'll be honest. I gave up television ten years ago. When I do visit someone who has the tube on I'm amazed at how pathetically stupid the shows are.

Seinfield was a massive hit and when I watched it, I was like "What? This is so stupid. It'd only be funny if I'd previously been dumbed down by the even stupider television shows"

I know there are a lot of Sienfeld fans, but honestly the show is stupid, yet it is one of the least stupid shows on television.

I turned on the TV last night with my rabbit ears to zone out for a few minutes while I had my final smoke before bed. There was like some "First Wave" show on and some other stupid crap. I ended up watching an informercial for "perfect patch" grass seed, because everything else couldn't hold my attention.

Give up television for about a year, then try to watch it, you will find yourself bored out of your skull and feel your brain melt from the stupidity of what's on television. You'll also be disgusted by the gross stereotyping that is inherent in all television programs.

my compulsory tv viewing consists of 30 minutes wednesday night. everything else just slid away from me through my lack of interest and its ability to keep me rivetted.
i feel smarter already.

I am sporadic with my tv addiction.

Right now it bores me shitless and I can't be bothered watching much.
But there are some good shows on the ABC and SBS (supposing I could get reception :rolleyes:) and I'm one for watching it in winter, which is now, or when I'm sick. But I think I watched sooooo much of it last year that I'm a bit over it this year!

Anyway, there are some good programmes I like to watch like:

Time Team

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/

The Worst Jobs In History

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/

Insight

http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/content.php?team=1

Catalyst

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/

Australian Story

http://abc.net.au/austory/

Compass

http://www.abc.net.au/compass/

Sunday Arts

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/sundayarts/

And of course the highlight of my tv week! Spicks and Specks!

http://abc.net.au/tv/spicksandspecks/

I like a bunch of "crappy" tele too like Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and the odd bit of DOOL or B & B oh and CSI. Not that crap Miami or NY but proper CSI with Grissom. But it's not like I die a death if I miss them.

As a kid we weren't allowed to watch tv and we didn't have one in the house.
As an adult I've watched more of it but I find that my tastes have changed and I'm much more likely to watch something informative/documentary now as opposed to drama. Oh and I pretty much avoid the news. Nothing but bad news anyway.
I probably watch an hour a day? Usually in the evening. And not much on the weekends.

I guess I don't think it makes you stupid. Well I've learned a lot of really interesting stuff from tv. I guess it depends on what you're watching, how often and what other things you could be doing that would make better use of your time.

I rarely watch tv anymore. Maybe 1-3 hours total a week....and that would be mostly news or Oprah. It just doesn't interest me. I'd rather spend my "mindless moments" right here on the computer LOL