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Bill Gates explains why Breaking Bad proves the world is getting smarter
Vox.com ^ | January 26, 2015 | Ezra Klein

Posted on 01/26/2015 2:15:50 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

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To: FreedomStar3028
Is he taking into account all the 3rd world countries? Or is he actually saying within 15 years people in say....Somalia will have better lives then someone say in ..... England?

That's not what he said. He said that life will improve more in 3rd world countries compared to where it is now, than it will in advanced countries like Britain. Since they are so much worse off, there's much more room for improvement. He didn't say they would be better off. He's probably right, with the exception of Muslim countries.

21 posted on 01/26/2015 2:50:15 PM PST by Hugin ("Do yourself a favor--first thing, get a firearm!",)
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To: discostu
Breaking Bad is the most recent flag ship of a story telling trend sometimes called “database television”, where the story is so convoluted with so many characters popping in and popping out, and a complete disregard for the “rule of 3” (tell them what you’re going to show them, show them, tell them what they just saw) that used to dominate TV.

What you are describing is suitable for drama. It's what you get in a thick Russian novel. The rule of three, on the other hand, is a good start for a presentation or a training class or an analytic essay.

22 posted on 01/26/2015 2:50:43 PM PST by cynwoody
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
He does have a valid point. TV drama now is more complex and ambivalent and reflects a much "grayer" less "black and white" view of the world. Is there really any argument about that?

Whether it's a good thing for society or not, is another question. Arguably, it's a sign of a much more divided country or world with less consensus about basic values.

A country that can't condemn Walter White or Tony Soprano could have real problems (though long before HBO and AMC, Hollywood took an ambivalent view of mobsters).

Bill's question about why the complexity or ambivalence or nuance isn't reflected in today's politics is also a good one to mull over.

It could be that Bill Gates's thinking is flawed, though: stage drama and film fifty years ago weren't bad at portraying a complex world. Playwrights in the 50 and movie makers in the 70s were no slouches.

Today's teledramas may be better than the television Bill grew up with simply because TV is where the talent went when live theater declined and movies surrendered to the influence of video games.

23 posted on 01/26/2015 3:01:55 PM PST by x
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To: cynwoody

Certainly not poo-pooing the Rule of 3. It has definitely use in and out of story telling. One of the reasons it came to dominate TV drama so much is that they were mostly built under the assumption the viewer would never see the show again. In the age before VCRs and their children, and before the internet, and only some episodes being shown in reruns writers had to assume the viewers would see the show once only and leaving them confused because they coughed during the “big scene” just would not do. You had to give the viewers some level of repetition. There’s a good reason why the first show to really discard (B5) was also the first show to make heavy use of the internet to bring the viewing community together and to have the creators communicate with the viewers. I don’t know any B5 viewer from back in the day who didn’t read Lurkers after every episode, heck I’ve saved copies of every page for when I rewatch the show. The only real problem the rule of 3 has is the execs who forgot why it exists (and it still does, most TV drama still follows it), it’s not because viewers are dumb, it’s because viewers are transient and most shows still don’t get rewatched or analyzed, so you need to make sure the plot works on one viewing.


24 posted on 01/26/2015 3:09:07 PM PST by discostu (The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun)
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To: x
Bill's question about why the complexity or ambivalence or nuance isn't reflected in today's politics is also a good one to mull over.

Simple. The Left's overwhelming use of Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals #5: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon."

Exhibit #1: All conservative arguments are met with the charge of racism.

If all your opponent is ever going to do is call you names, it's hard to raise the dialogue to a higher plane.

25 posted on 01/26/2015 3:29:59 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Government is the religion of the fascists.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Bill Gates: The one problem of great importance that we don't address directly is the quality of governance in poor countries.

Because governance in rich countries is just fine by you, right Bill?

LOL

People who look to Gates for leadership are like cows who look to the slaughterhouse for shelter. Bill Gates wants only one thing, and it's not what you want.

In fact, its not even anything you can imagine wanting, for yourself or anyone else.

26 posted on 01/26/2015 3:34:41 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: re_nortex

He is yet another example of the saying “More money than sense.”


27 posted on 01/26/2015 3:35:50 PM PST by Jean2 (ox)
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To: Talisker

He has a god complex.


28 posted on 01/26/2015 3:38:06 PM PST by riri (Obama's Amerika--Not a fun place.)
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To: Jean2
He [Gates] is yet another example of the saying “More money than sense.”

It's likewise with educated fools who have degrees from so-called “prestigious” institutions. They may have a lot of letters after their names but they lack wisdom and discernment. I'll take an individual educated at Bob Jones, Liberty or Hillsdale over one from Harvard or MIT any day. The Ivy League is comprised of communist indoctrination centers. Their curriculum consists of atheistic, anti-God, anti-American propaganda straight from Karl Marx.

29 posted on 01/26/2015 3:41:12 PM PST by re_nortex (DP - that's what I like about Texas)
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To: FreedomStar3028
much medicine we send them, it makes no difference. Because their culture stays the same.

And that's not likely to change, since the average IQ in Somalia is 68.

http://www.photius.com/rankings/national_iq_scores_country_ranks.html

30 posted on 01/26/2015 3:47:05 PM PST by Veto! (Opinions freely dispensed as advice)
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To: discostu

Interesting. Would you classify “Homeland” as DB TV?


31 posted on 01/26/2015 3:49:17 PM PST by Veto! (Opinions freely dispensed as advice)
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To: Zathras
Clueless, overly complex and without a rudder.

Microsoft?......LOL!

Yea, you're right, they're just a neighborhood software company looking for $$$ to start up.......

32 posted on 01/26/2015 3:57:57 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Man of "non-color" and proud of it)
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To: Hugin

Is it because Bill Gates is going to succeed in euthanizing a ton of 3rd world civilians?


33 posted on 01/26/2015 9:21:03 PM PST by FreedomStar3028 (Somebody has to step forward and do what is right because it is right, otherwise no one will follow.)
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To: Veto!

I haven’t gotten around to watching it yet, but from what I’ve heard yeah. The easy test is to start listing recurring cast, if half an hour later you’ve got a multipage list and you’re still remembering people, definitely database.


34 posted on 01/27/2015 7:08:12 AM PST by discostu (The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun)
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