Posted on 11/07/2019 4:35:14 PM PST by DoodleBob
I have a confession to make. It's 2019, and I don't know what television is anymore.
Oh, sure, I know what a television—the physical object, the thing you order from Amazon after checking it out at Best Buy—is. I am even reasonably comfortable with the notion of shows or series, those half-hour and one-hour productions that come in sequential, chapter-like installments, much like they did 30 or 40 years ago when a handful of broadcast networks ruled the airwaves and pay cable channels such as HBO and Cinemax were still niche services for well-off movie nuts and people too embarrassed to rent softcore porn at video stores. (Remember those?)
But television? As a concept? As a means of cultural connection, a system for mass entertainment? A way of organizing the world, or at least the weekday hours after dinner and before bedtime? I have no idea what that is. It's too vague, too sprawling, too unwieldy, too individualized and demographic-specific. Yes, there are still broadcast stations, and if you stick an antenna on your window, you can still tune into them over the air. It's like connecting to some ancient cellular network that only has four apps, all of which are basically the same. But when was the last time you watched something that way? Even street people and survivalists have 5G now.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
"Television, that old vehicle for the transmission of common culture, has become a tool for choosing and expressing what makes each one of us singular.
I get his point - there have been several "shared moments" nationally like Who Shot JR?, the final episodes of The Fugitive and Roots and M*A*S*H, the moon landing, and so on. However, I'm happy that the networks don't "organize the world" like they used to.
No wonder I am a curmudgeon, I missed all those shared moments.
You want to feel “ community?”
And you watch TV?
It’s all garbage and people don’t want to pay $200 a month for cable.
President Reagan addresses the nation after the Challenger tragedy
Thus, while non-sports entertainment likely won't be as shared an experience (and I, too, feel a little bummed about that), sports looks like it will continue to unify us (I'm not sure how happy I am about that).
I was binge watching a very good history channel on YouTube recently, Indy Neidell’s WWII in real time. Extremely informative and entertaining at the same time. A real alternative to the 99.9% crap on TV these days.
I’m happy, too. The last really ‘Shared Event’ that I experienced on broadcast television was 9-11.
Nowadays, I can go to the local station almost anywhere in the world, through my ROKU or the Web, and see stuff happening. I’m not stuck to just a few narrow, dictated viewpoints.
And I can often sit here on FR, and see reports and opinions from free - and freethinking - individuals, who are actually in the neighborhoods where events are taking place.
(I imagine that this is somewhat threatening to interests who desire to engineer what everybody thinks...)
On a different note, Fox calling Wisconsin for Trump was a pretty electric, shared moment. Listen to the crowd roar after Meygan Kelly makes the announcement...when I heard that live, I thought it was the roar outside the studio reaching the live mics inside.
I would rather read books, or have actual conversations with live people right in the room with me than watch something on a screen.
Somehow I’ve gotten hooked on Highway Patrol.
Way before me.
Thanks.
L
I love Highway Patrol. Lowlife criminal commits crime, “duly authorized” law enforcement officer blows said lowlife away. There’s always a happy ending. I’d love to get one of those Buick Specials Dan’s always driving.
Kind of reminds me when the History Channel used to show WWII documentaries instead of Ancient Aliens and other trash like that.
Jack Webb’s Dragnet is Masterpiece Theater compared to HP. It’s sort of like vintage Dr. Who, the low budget appearance was part of the appeal.
The cars are really neat to look at even though I’m not big on post war. I like seeing all that open country.
An episode had CJ3B towing one of those tanks up a stretch of mountain road. Go Willys!
At one time for a number of years, the History Channel and History International were my main two channels. Up to the early 00s somewhere.
I miss those days.
The reality and ancient alien dreck is unwatchable.
Been burned too many times on new programming. No way am I investing into a new series only to have it cancelled after 3-4 episodes because ad sales dropped or something.
Lately I wait and see which shows will stick around then binge a season at a time.
You can find Victor Davis Hanson, Andrew Roberts and other historians discussing aspects of WWII if you search their names on YouTube.
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