Assignment 6: Create Your Own Adventure

What interests you? What is your point of exigence?

This week, create the three writing prompts that you find most intriguing. Then, choose one prompt and respond to it.

Ready...

Go!

Due Sunday, October 2 at 11:59 pm

WAIT FOR ITTTTTTTTT!!!

It seems that people today can’t live without television. TV is a major source of communication, advertisement, and entertainment, I’d be lying if I said TV isn’t a key part of my everyday life. I have 4 TVs in my house alone. Even though I rarely have time to actually sit down and watch TV throughout the week, when I do, it’s extremely relaxing (I normally watch the ABC Family dramas, probably because seeing all their problems makes me feel better about my own). TV has become an outlet for many. A way for them to escape the stress of this world and enter into a fantasy one where the characters have more issues than they do.

Having established the fact that TV has it’s advantages, I believe that we tend misuse this privilege. Most people would much rather watch their favorite sitcom to find out whether or not Ricky cheated on Amy than see the terror of what is really going on in the world. Sometimes I think that people don’t watch the news to avoid the understanding that parts of our world are in major depression right now. They refuse to face the guilt they feel when realizing they’re not doing anything to help these suffering people when they could be.

P.S.- Psych is the BEST SHOW EVERRRRRRRRR!!!! It comes on every Wednesday at 10pm on USA and the new season starts October 12th. Watch it if you want your life to be 1232983048203 times better.

sports, television

Television has lost some of its glamour in the recent years, with so much being available in shows and entertainment online, but it still does have some advantages.

Namely, for me, the advantage it has is live sporting events. although it is very true that these are also available online, the fact that i personally have a dinosaur age computer that has encountered so many viruses i can hardly access the internet, and the fact that cable is prepaid for in my home and i do not get charged anything for it, i prefer the TV. being a sports junkie, i do regularly enjoy sitting in front of a 50 in. big screen and watching professionals work. this is and always has been television's most enticing event for me, but i do confess to engaging in occasional crime dramas and episodes of AFV. even though it has gone down in the amount of TV i watch in the past few years, and that i know rarely watch television without multitasking, i'm still one who enjoys TV.

as for the fact emmys are more of a big deal in our country than the nobel peace prize? well, that just shows the direction of our country, becoming more and more centered on trivial entertainments than things in this world that truly matter, but that, my friends, is a whole other post...

#T3cHnoLoGy iz m3h LiF3

What's funny about this writing prompt is that I actually looked it up on my iPhone. If I didn't have my iPhone, I would have no idea what to write about this week. Anyways, I use my iPhone on a daily basis. I don't think I could survive a day if I didn't have it by my side without having withdrawals. Sometimes, on those RARE occasions, when I forget my phone by accident, I curl up in the fetal position and twiddle my thumbs like I'm texting someone until I get my phone back. Yes, I love my phone like a fat kid loves cake. My obsession with my portable cellular device has gotten me into quite a bit of trouble throughout my life. I have gotten it taken away at school, my parents yell at me regularly because I never pay attention to them when I am texting constantly, and I tend to "forget" to do homework assignments because everyone knows facebook is so much more interesting. Even though technology has helped to speed up the process for certain tasks such as contacting people on a moments notice, it has also transformed people into those who freeze up when forced to talk to someone in person, who don't know the meaning of hard work because everything is done for them on a computer, and who wouldn't know what to do if put in a situation where electronics did not exist. We depend on technology so much that it has become unhealthy. The only thing people care about these days is what new gadgets Apple has released or what the hottest celebrity has tweeted. People rarely call anymore and they certainly do not write letters. We have lost that personal touch. Texting and Facebook have become way more convenient. But is convenient worth it if it causes us to become complacent to the world around us?

Television

I don't really care much for television. It doesn't serve any purpose for me except to provide news through the media, and I could use the internet in order to get that if I wanted it. It just seems pointless to me. Sure, it does provide plenty of entertainment, but I've got enough entertainment in my life that I don't need to spend my time watching TV. That's just my personal opinion on the subject; I don't really want someone else to stop watching TV just because I told him or her that it served no purpose. I do believe, however, that television has been abused by the masses to the point where our priorities are no longer set right. As stated, if the masses care more about who won an Emmy than who won a Nobel Prize, then there might be a problem. But, this abuse is just due to human nature, so I can't say that I'm surprised at the whole situation that there is right now.

Spongebob theme song

Okay, so it seems like the conventional introduction to the blog this week would be to say how I don't watch very much TV; but seriously, I don't. I am not going to deny that TV is a very major aspect of my everyday life. There are TVs functioning in the cafeteria at school, between my mom's and dad's house there are a total of 10 TVs, and prime time shows keep the gym less crowded for me. Many of the large chain stores would not be as large without their million dollars of televised advertisement. So I guess TV is important even though I don't put the time aside to make sure I know who won the latest Emmy or whatever.

Television would have been invented no matter how history decided to unfold itself; so I will not go as far as to say its a useless part of life. TV used to be considered inane even when we didnt have thousands of channels; So I think that the fact that I can watch everything I want hours after the airing is an improvement on being LESS inane.

Through the Wormhole is the best show ever created and is the reason I actually enjoy television.

Why Television was Ruined for Me

I'll begin with a rant about the Insight Mini Boxes. That is the single worst creation in the history of technology. That mini box sets us backwards technologically at least 5 years. I've seen universal remotes that control 20 different things and have a touchscreen built into them for $200. What if you're someone with a $200 remote, who's forced to use the world's crappiest television remote with functions that include "Channel Up/Down" and "Info"?

So my point is, the minibox was the last straw when it came to television for me. I was beginning to watch less and less anyway, as television is just too huge a use of time. Nowadays, I watch shows online from whatever source I can find. This way, I watch things on my schedule, rather than sitting through commercials or waiting for a certain show to come on that I want to watch. I mainly watch comedy shows, and some of my favorite are: Futurama, The Venture Bros., Flight of the Conchords, Archer, and Jon Benjamin Has a Van.

As for the actual use of TV, I'd argue that at times it can be all three things- quality entertainment, advertisements attempting to influence the masses, and a fairly useless way to spend your time. Good, well-written television shows are directly comparable to a good movie, albeit in a different format. Anything that is made well can hold artistic and/or entertainment merit, and television isn't an exception simply because it's split into 22 minute segments. It's the advertisements between the shows that are the main problem- 10-30 second flurries of images and company slogans trying to influence people to buy a product or visit a location. They're catered towards small attention spans and designed to essentially brainwash as many people as possible. No matter what you're watching however, the argument could be made that any form of passive entertainment, where everything is given to you, is a waste of time, as opposed to a book or music that allow your imagination to create a world all your own.

The Emmys on television gets higher ratings as opposed to something like the Nobel Prize ceremony because of the audience of people that watch television. TV is not the intellectual's preferred form of entertainment. Most of the people that watch television are the middle class, and it's used primarily as a distraction for them from the hardship of daily lives. Most people don't want to hear about the latest scientific discovery that may improve our lives 20 years from now. They want instant gratification in the form of "what's this celebrity doing RIGHT NOW?" It's not exactly a bad thing, it's just the way society works.

TV in American Society

Do I watch television? In the conventional sense, no. I do, however, watch television programs through other mediums besides the television. Due to the fact that most of my week is filled with schoolwork, this is necessary in order to enjoy my favorite shows. Most of my favorite shows such as Castle, How I met your Mother, and Modern Family are shown on either ABC or NBC. This makes watching them on the weekend quite easy because those networks regularly allow their shows to be uploaded onto Hulu - a blessing to busy television lovers everywhere. For other shows that I enjoy such as Dexter, this convenience is not available. Luckily, however, it broadcasts on Sundays.

I do believe television can provide a good form of entertainment. This is because it allows people to escape from their everyday lives and become immersed in a different story separate from their own. I believe that this is healthy for humans to do at times because it can be beneficial to health by relieving problems such as stress. Although I think television can be a good from of entertainment, I do not believe it is the best form. For me, the best form of entertainment are novels because they offer the same benefits of television while helping to stimulate the brain.

Advertisements are everywhere. They’re in the newspaper, on billboards, and even in magazines. However, nowhere are they more prevalent than in television. Between every commercial break there is usually at least two minutes of them. And more recently, advertisements have even managed to subtly creep into regular television shows and programs. Due to the large viewer audience of television, it is no wonder why advertisers choose to show their advertisements through television. It is the most convenient way to ensure that their advertisements reach a wide audience.

Frankly, I believe that the amount of attention the Emmys garner is worrisome to say the least. This attention shows the priorities of the American people. Instead of being informed of more important topics, such as Noble Prize recipients and new breakthroughs in science, we as a nation have decided that entertainment and celebrities deserve a more prominent position in news and society.

I'd rather debate about who deserved the Nobel Peace Prize this year than who won Best Actor

I really don’t watch TV all that often, I honestly don’t have the time because I’m busy doing things that are just more important to me: studying, homework, various practices, etc. I see TV as not very important; I don’t care who wins an Emmy or an Oscar, I’m not even really sure I know what the difference between those are or what they are for in the first place. 

A few months back I saw a short clip from an Australian experiment on Americans entitled something like “Stupid Americans.” In it they asked questions on geography, American History, political culture, and finally ended with the question “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” Seeing all those people answer all those questions incorrectly and knowing the last shows me that TV is a problem. It is almost entirely fiction, excluding reality TV, the news, and the like, and should not be something people know as well as their school studies or related topics. 

The fact that more people watch the Emmy’s than know who won the Nobel Prize in physics or any other subject also disturbs me. There are six important sections of the Nobel Prizes but I’m sure most people could not name them either. These people are changing the world in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace, and they should be BIG stars for it, not someone like Charlie Sheen. 

That’s not to say I don’t like watching some TV, I keep up with some series on the weekends thanks to DVR; in fact, I think it can be pretty relaxing and provide the needed escape from the stress of school. It offers things that you cannot obtain anywhere else like a library channel for those who want to have a story read to them (I would rather read a book myself), a channel where constituents can watch as their Senate and Congress argues over bills, etc. 

Because there are so many options on the TV, advertisers can practically sell anything they can think of on the various channels. The biggest example of this is the beer commercial explosion during the Super Bowl. People are watching football, they are not going to leave the TV, and they are most likely going to be drinking so these commercials fit the audience perfectly. Another prime example would be the TacoBell or the other fast food businesses that air commercials on primetime TV, they get more business because that is when the most people are going to be watching. 

So yes, TV provides an excellent place for advertisers to sell or show off their products, and yes it provides some entertainment and relaxation to the masses, but no, I do not think it is very important and it is not appropriate for it to be such a large part of modern culture. 

TV is a thing of the past

I don't always watch TV, but when I do, it's on the Internet. Honestly, the box's purpose in my basement is for little more than video games these days, as I would rather play a game than watch a show any day of the week. Any show I would watch -- or that I wouldn't watch -- can be found rather easily online. If I ever want to watch an episode of Doctor Who, there is a multitude of websites dedicated to posting all episodes from all seasons.

Even so, I don't watch TV shows on the web much either. What is there to watch, apart from old nostalgic shows I've seen time and time again or the token BBC show or some obscure series from the Orient? I could watch MTV or a handful of Fox News programs, but I would rather keep my already dwindling impression of humanity intact. I could watch Adventure Time, which, for some strange reason, has quite the following among my peers. Another show I could watch is one that, I regret to say, has sworn to by a sizable number of guys my age: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Is this really the selection of "entertainment" that I am offered by having a TV?

My point is that TV has, in more ways than one, lost its touch. It is a bit of a thing of the past. It is becoming lost in the Internet's shadow. While the quantity of shows is rising, the quality is falling. Both the featured content and the overall usefulness are less appealing than they were before; TV just isn't what it used to be.

Television

Although I occasionally watch these awards shows (specifically the Grammy's and Oscar's), I am not what you would call an avid fan of TV. I don't hate it, it just doesn't interest me as much as other activities I could be doing. I do, however, like a few programs, and these shows include Doctor Who, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Mighty Boosh, and Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job. While I find it important to keep up on world topics and events, I find that TV is one of the worst places to go for a news resource. Practically every news station these days is biased to a fault, and sometimes it is hard to pick out fact from propaganda. In other words, I see television mostly as a tool for entertainment. Without it, my sense of humor probably wouldn't be shaped to what it is today, and for that I thank it deeply.

recess!

To tell the truth... I don't watch a lot of TV, partly because I don't have cable anymore, but frankly, I just don't have time to. However, occasionally on the weekends I'll go onto hulu.com to catch up on Glee or some other show I like. I like watching TV, though, as rare as I do, because it's a nice way to relax and take a break from all those stressful things like homework. I think it's a good form of entertainment and I definitely wouldn't go as far to say that it's a complete waste of time. It's unhealthy and stressful and tiring to work 24/7. Watching a little television does not make one lazy -- it's perfectly reasonable to take a break.

I think the fact that majority of our society pays more attention to the Emmy's than the announcement of the Nobel Prizes is really sad. It's shallow that people would rather watch celebrities rather than appreciate the people who have really made a change in the world.

I watch television to be entertained. Whether that means laughing at comedy or worrying about the characters on an action show, it's entertainment. I love television. There's a lot of things I hate about it, specifically the commercials, the drivel shows they come out with a lot of the time, and the technical stuff about it (mini-boxes).

Television CAN provide good entertainment depending on what you watch. If you watch cartoons these days, you're likely to beg for a lobotomy. If you watch TNT, NBC, or any other prime time network, you're probably going to be bored to tears with the staggering amount of police shows. Seriously network execs, 14 come in fall, 13 leave by spring.

Commercials suck. They really do. Like ads on an internet site, they're slowly becoming more obnoxious. A few years ago, internet ads waited patiently on the side of the screen, waiting on some unsuspecting elderly person to click on it. Now the ads get right in your face, forcing you to abandon your video to avoid a 30 second Honda commercial. They're louder than the shows by far. They last extremely long (a commercial break during Empire Strikes Back lasted 7 minutes) and even push DVR recordings past their normal timeframes. However, like ads on the internet, they are what supports that network and allow them to continue servicing the viewers.

The Nobel Prizes have never been about showing off who won this year. I have a feeling that if the winner got more attention than what they do now, it would make the Nobel Prizes seem more like a competition rather than an award ceremony. The Emmies are pretty much a competetion. Whose show did better than the others.

Television is great, it can take our mind off of things, we can relax in front of it, we can make connections with other people about it.

TV Dinners and Sex and the City Marathons

Something that I don't get is that no matter how many times we say it, Americans know nothing about enjoying things in moderation. We've all heard of those people who live completely sedentary life styles and watch multiple hours of t.v. a day, eating nothing but junk food. It's these people that give television the bad name! I mean sure, if you sat somewhere staring at something all day sitting on your butt it's likely you're going to gain weight! It is okay to enjoy t.v. as long as you know how to enjoy it!
It's no secret that commercials are what keeps our favorite shows running all year round. My mom complains all the time how commercials are so much louder than the actual show and she's right. The show you are watching is so quiet that you have to turn the volume all the way up and once it hits to commercial break suddenly everyone sounds like Billy Mays! Commercials are expensive with prices during the super bowl for a 30 second ad being close to 3 million dollars! With as many people who own a television set nowadays it's no surprise that there is such a high cost on t.v. ads. Anyway, Home Cooking with Paula Dean is back on so I've got to go!

TV Time

I watch TV as a stress reliever. It’s a time when I don’t have to think whatsoever and can relax on my couch and think about absolutely nothing. Although I watch zero TV during the week (EXCEPT Glee) I can look forward to it on the weekends. I tend to watch a lot of reality TV, but now that I think about it, a lot of shows on TV now are a part of that genre. My favorites include X-factor, the sing-off, and occasionally Jersey Shore. But don’t judge! I only watch Jersey Shore when I’m bored out of my mind, or I got a bad grade on a test and need to make myself feel smarter. My favorite “real” shows are Glee, Pretty Little Liars, Law and Order: SVU, and Modern Family. These shows actually have a storyline and I cannot get enough of Modern Family! (Although I’m not sure if I like the new Lily yet) I cannot stand Biggest Loser, anything on abc family other than PLL, Survivor, and other reality shows that last 2 hours. There’s absolutely no way I will sit down for 2 hours to watch a show, no matter how bored I am.

I think TV is a form of entertainment but whether it’s good or bad is determined by the audience. Some make me laugh and emotionally moved while others make me feel like there’s no hope in humanity. It all depends on what is watched and how the audience sees it. I think Modern Family is a great source of entertainment since it brings up issues in the modern family but in a comedic and witty way. Now that there is a thing called DVR, I never watch shows when it first airs. This way, I can just skip over commercials so now I really can’t list ads or recite their jingles. I think more and more people are doing this and eventually it won’t be as effective in the future. But I do see more ads popping up on the computer/websites than I did before. There’s no doubt that TV is a waste of time, but it’s a time that I’m willing to waste. I like staring at the TV on occasion and having a good laugh once in a while. It’s not a matter of how bad or good it is, but about how much time you’re willing to give up.

Hey it's Michael Scott!

Normally I don't watch TV or watch a "show" once a week. If I want to watch a certain show I turn to Netflix in order to bypass the commercials and schedules of TV. It's not that I think TV is evil, it's just hard to keep up with all the scheduled programs, show times, and episodes. It becomes very stressful for me; I feel like I HAVE to watch the episode if I miss it. Plus, if you have a series of shows that you watch, then you could easily spend an entire day just watching your shows. This is why I think TV should be used in moderation. TV is a good way to unwind and just entertain yourself without having to think, but like most things, too much can just make you lazy and boring. Who wants to be friends with the person that spends an ENTIRE day on the couch watching TV?

When we watch TV, we watch in order to relax and thus watch shows that interest us like dramas and comedies. As we watch, we become more and more absorbed into the life and the drama of the show. As this happens, we become attached to certain characters and their lives so we can be entertained without having to think or do anything, thus making the experience even more relaxing. We actually relate to these characters so well that when we see the actors somewhere we don't see Steve Carrell, we see Michael Scott. So when a show like the Emmys comes on, we flock to see whether our favorite characters or shows will win because we have developed a strong bond with those characters.

When the advertising business found out that we love TV characters, they screamed, "Jackpot!" and quickly paid several of these actors to promote certain products. This way when we see the product next to Steve Carrell, we, once again, don't see Steve Carrell, we see Michael Scott next to some product. Now, whenever we see that product we are always reminded of Michael Scott which gives that product a huge advantage over others for being bought.

Unfortunately, the Nobel Prizes are always overshadowed by the Emmys. The public rarely sees or hears of any of these scientists or understand what their work is about. It would require us to do the opposite of what we wanted to in order to watch these awards, think and learn. But most of all, since we don't see the scientists anywhere, we have little reason to watch them win; we have no sympathy with them and do not bond to them in the way that we bond to actors on TV shows. As a result, we don't care that much about what they do or what they win. It's not because our society is lazy or stupid, it's just a matter of preferring to watch your friend win an award than some other random person.

On how I watch practically no television.

Ever since second grade I haven't been allowed to watch TV during the week, or - on the weekends - during the day, until six o'clock, and in the mornings from eight to ten. Friday nights go to football games, Saturday nights I make plans, and Sunday nights I do homework, and don't even have the time to watch TV. So as someone who's week goes on without being interrupted by television beyond some serious and some sensationalist daily news, I am apathetic to whether or not you choose to watch. The only TV shows I really care to watch anyway are Degrassi (which I don't get the channel for) because despite its soap-opera-like style, I think it actually does take situations that could realistically happen to teenagers and give them realistic solutions, even though half of that would NEVER happen to me. I adore watching The Nanny with my mom because we find it incredibly amusing and witty. I also watch Glee, although I couldn't say why. I actually HATE Glee for a variety of reasons, which if I took the time to write them out would take up the majority of this blog. I also HATE Disney Channel. But that's an hour-and-a-half-long rant, not a blog.

I hate advertisements most of the time, but the fact is that advertisements pay for TV. That's all there is to it for me. I just leave the room when I see them on unless I need inspiration for a gift idea, in which case I'll take my chances with the newspaper ads first.

Because of the fact that I don't watch much TV, I could care less about award shows, but I also don't hear announcements about Nobel Prizes and honors like that, so I can't speak of either and the fact that more people watch award shows than hear about the Nobel Prizes and the like. However: if it's sad that people watch more award shows than Nobel Prizes, what does it say about people like me who don't hear about either?

I hate the parental response of "You think this because you saw it on TV" because it insults my belief that I am a strong-minded-enough individual to see past the sensationalist "real-life situations" on shows, but I think there is some merit to the idea that TV shows that try to emulate real life could leave some kind of subconscious scar. All the geeky kids dress the same way and therefore this style of dress is geeky; all the fat girls are unpopular and therefore you can't be popular if you are or are friends with a fat girl; all the actors in zit/clothing/makeup commercials are happy and skinny: try to look like them and think zits are unnatural; all the successful relationships you see are confined to a certain stereotype and so you look for that kind of thing in real life; all the black kids act ghetto, and so if you act ghetto you act black. The kinds of things you see on TV, I think, and you are entitled to disagree, do set a standard for what you expect in real life to a certain degree, and altering your expectations by mindlessly watching TV doesn't help anyone except companies wanting you to buy into them.

Then again, maybe I'm just a cynic.

Television Changed My Life

I feel as if my childhood was defined by the television I watched. Remember Blue's Clues? I sure do. I cried when Steve left. Remember Rug-Rats? Till this day I fondly recall every episode. Remember Pokemon? I do. I distinctly remember the night in Kindergarten I prayed to God for Pokemon to be real.

Embarrassing. I know.

Nonetheless, my point isn't how Blue's Clues taught us to be top-notch detectives, or demonstrated the immense importance of taking notes. Or how Rug-Rats is the greatest cartoon of all time. Or even how I might've been the weirdest kid in the world. Despite all of these being true, my point is rather how all of us are united by these common bonds television have created. Heck, this past Friday before class I just mentioned an old cartoon and the classroom erupted into discussions of sponges, and who is hotter, Victoria Justice, or Selena Gomez?

And there is a word for the things which unite and bring together distinctly heterogeneous groups of people into single units- it's called culture.

TV is a part of our culture. Just as national identities are composed of the works of great authors, great poets, photographers, or painters, sculptors or architects, American culture is truly comprised of television. Heck, we may not have made the great American novel yet, but we have sure as hell made Two-and-a-Half Men.

And just as a bestselling book can be a piece of paper-back smut (Twilight, anyone?), or a famous picture a piece of pornography, so too can television be absolutely devoid of any value whatsoever. For example, Jersey-Shore.

Now, why must TV carry such a negative stigma, while other pieces of culture, like literature, get off scot-free?

Because television is such a new medium. Yes, its been around for the better part of a century, but compared to its cultural-counterparts, it is truly an infant. For example, when Shakespeare was making plays, theater was a dirty and guilty pleasure. Yet 500 years later, we consider it fine-art, and English-professors make there livings portraying Shakespeare as a genius. Furthermore, around the advent of vernacular literature, like Boccaccio's Decameron, Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, these works were considered junk. Today we consider them master-pieces.

Thus, I bet my bottom dollar that hundreds of years from now, people will hold some of the television programs we have today to the equal esteem to which we now hold Shakespeare. However, today television is just too omnipresent and common for people with hipster tendencies not to hate it and consider it degrading. This is reflected in a lot of people's blog posts today, and it's totally understandable.

Ultimately, television is like any other medium. Some of it is good. Some of it is very bad. Some of it will consume you. Some of it will inspire you. Some of it will instruct you (heck, I've learned more on History, National-Geographic, and Discovery than I have in school). Some of it will debase your intellect (again Jersey-Shore). Thus, I conclude in saying that however you want to spin it, television has changed the world. And most surely, it has changed my life.

The Television Trap

"They put an off button on the TV for a reason. Turn it off. . ." - George W. Bush
Basically, this quote tells you all you need to know about television. T.V.'s can be a great source of information but it is the amount of television that's bad. The main purpose of a T.V. should be to communicate events that are going on in the world and to inform the viewer. Too many people spend their time watching reality shows and programs whose main purpose is to entertain. Many of these shows are unrealistic and should not be taken as accurate portrayals of life. Young children can be influenced by these shows because they don't know any better.
Everyone needs to be aware of the messages sent out by these shows in order to avoid thinking that is how people actually live.
I do not watch much T.V, but the reason for this is I don't have time. Each night I get home pretty late and by the time I get my homework done, it is already past the time I would what to go to sleep. If I had more time, I would definitely fall into the trap and watch more television. When I do have time, I tend to watch shows such as Covert Affairs, Suits, How I Met Your Mother, and others.
The Emmy Awards are a lot more advertised than the Nobel Prizes which is sad, but shows how viewers are. The Emmy Awards have more famous people who are recognizable to the general public than the Nobel Prizes. This automatically draws people in because audiences want to watch people they have heard of. The majority of people do not really care about who receives Nobel Peace Prizes. The focus of today's world is bad because people have lost interest in the things that really matter and replaced then with silly events that will not be important in years to come.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Television watching has its pros and cons, similar to any activity. The subject matter of the television show makes it either beneficial or a complete waste of time. The Jersey Shore is such a bad show that it makes me feel embarrassed that the idiots on that show represent the United States of America. All of the cast members of that show should disappear into a large hole and never be seen again. That being said, other shows are worth watching. Most programs on PBS are educationally enriching and teach its viewers about a subject they probably did not know about. Television itself is not evil, it is just abused. If most of the children of the United States read one book for every twenty-four hours of television they watched, the learning gap between the children of the United States and other highly developed nations would be so much closer.

Real Life vs. TV

In the past week I have probably watched about 2 hours of TV. This is not by choice; between school and soccer and homework i have no time to watch TV or any of my shows. Yes I just said "my shows" I am that type of person who religiously watches shows every week and am extremely upset when I don't get to watch them on their premiering night. I have designated shows for each school night and it is a very relaxing escape from reality when I watch them. On Sunday nights I like to watch Deserate Housewives or Game of Thrones; Monday is The Lying Games; Tuesday is Glee; Wednesday is Modern Family; and Thursday is Grey's Anatomy. I love watch shows that have hardly any realism in them and lots of drama and exaggerations of everything. I don't want to sit down and waste my time with something that could actually happen. I like unrealistically dramatic shows becuase real life is never nearly this dramatic and entertaining, and even if it is, you never see it first hand or create an emotional attachment to the person.

T.V

Everyday before school, and every day after school I take some time to relax, to get myself together, to do whatever I need to do take on the world. It also keeps me uptodate on all the happenings with news broadcastings. It can even allow me to be there at the game with all my favorite teams to support them. T.V even offers some educational value with stations like discovery channel and animal planet. People do abuse it, but like all good things it comes with a level of responsibility.

Television

Now a days most families own a television, multiple in fact. Television is an amazing piece of technology that has increased connectivity between all kinds of people. With all new technological advances comes the ability for abuse. Many people might say "oh television rots your brain" but with a little moderation and self control television can be an effective form of communication and entertainment. I feel like this topic is very similar to the phone topic in a previous week. Many people take what their technology does for them for granted. Being able to just flip on the tv and see the weather forecast for the entire country is an incredible luxury. While some people might abuse it and watch tv all day, you don't have to do that to use it effectively.

I used to watch more tv than I do now mainly because I watch shows instantly on netflix or hulu. Now I just dvr all the sports games I want to watch and view them at my leisure. Other than that I might watch Tosh.O or my favorite show of all time, The Daily Show on comedy central. While ads are a huge part of television, if you record the show you can fast forward through the commercials so they aren't a huge deal. The reason the Emmy's are more widely viewed than the nobel prize is that they have a larger audience. Your average joe doesn't have a clue what any of the science achievements of the year are, but they know all the actors in the business. I don't find this to be a huge issue, because the people that care about sciences are gonna know who won the nobel prize.

I feel that its a little sad when people are missing out on so much other things due to their concern with celebrities and drama yet I think that it is understandable that these programs and shows would be more interesting to the vast majority of people. While one is definitely more important than the other, I think most would agree, people don't want to get on TV and watch something serious one would much rather watch the glitz and the glam of the Emmy's and this should be allowed.

I know that I watch TV to get away from everything else that is going on and submerge myself in a whole other story. Yet I feel without TV I would be much less distracted from other things such as school work.

Overall I don't think its the TV that is the problem; I think it is the way we use the TV that is harming our society. The violence that is so entertaining on TV is also desensitizing the youth that is watching it even if it is not immediately noticed. Yet there are shows that strengthen the society through learning programs for toddler and children that broaden their learning.

The little black boxes from Insight are stupid

I love watching TV because it takes my mind off of what’s going on with me and takes me to a whole new place, depending on the show I’m watching. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a world without television because I rely on it show much. Since my dad bought the Roku box, we have been watching shows on Netflix every single night. One of the shows my family and I grew to love is Mad Men. I love the times of the 1960’s, there are so many aspects of it depending on how you look at it and that’s the time period this is based off of. You get an idea of the other aspects more in the 4th Season with Peggy and her new friends, but in every season you see drinking, smoking, and fidelity-all the things I am against at this age-but the show is just so intriguing. A show that I like on live television though is Anderson Cooper 360. This is a guy who is passionate about what he is a journalist and knows what he is talking about, too.

Some shows do anger me though, such as FOX network. But, I’m not going to go on a rant about that station in this blog because it wouldn’t be pretty. I just cringe whenever I see any of those reporters, always blaming the President about the problems in the US, just because he is affiliated with a different party than them. Other shows out there that aren’t that great are any crime shows. They are nice every once in a while, but they are definitely over played on the television.

confessions of a moderate television watcher

I do watch TV, but not as often as most. Because I like to read a lot and I’m always busy, I don’t really have the opportunity to catch a show that I like unless I DVR it (and I only watch 2-3 shows because I haven’t had time to discover others). Shows that I like usually involve something semi-mysterious and they make the audience think and arrive at conclusions themselves. Yes TV does provide a good form of entertainment (when used properly and constructively) but it is also a convenient way for advertisers to get their message across.

When taking into consideration what our society is composed of, we have people who actually like shows like Jersey Shore and Pregnant Teenager and I live with the Kardashians. Many of those people do not care that there are other hard workers among them who are being awarded for their actions and accomplishments. The Emmy’s also have a lot of glitz because of how it affects the mass audience. If you think about it, the music at the Emmy’s is the same music that is considered mainstream. Naturally, people care about what they know and can relate to (that is why the Emmy’s are more “glitzy” because more of those previously mentioned people can understand what is going on better than if they watched someone who invented the cure for lynphomanomiatic syndrome get a prize).

Saturday Morning Cartoons

I believe that my generation grew up during a period when the best cartoons were being aired; Duck Tales, Talespin, Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, Animaniacs, and Batman the Animated series were all memorable shows that I'd regularly watch as a kid setting the precedent of watching Saturday morning cartoons. Outside of a few live action comedies, I still only watch cartoons. Hence, any form of award show is completely foreign territory for me. When I watch TV, I have the goal of being entertained by ridiculous impossible situations, and award shows aren't entertaining for me. Futurama, ThunderCats, Batman: Brave and the Bold, and Star Wars are shows I frequently view; I no longer watch all my cartoons on Saturday, however. The day I watch TV is basically the only part of my TV experience that's changed from my youth, and perhaps that's why I still watch cartoons. Maybe I just want to be a little kid sitting in front of the TV in my pajamas again.

Giant, Man-eating ants have infested Europe (post unrelated)

TV has become a very popular form of entertainment. In my opinion, television is not a good form of entertainment compared to other recreational activities. Not only is TV a convenient medium for advertisers to get their messages to us, it is also the most passive form of entertainment around, which is why it is so popular. Unlike other forms of entertainment, which stimulate your brain by making you think, most TV watching requires no thinking at all. The reason TV is so popular is that most people don't want to think; they are more than happy to sit and watch their shows depicting trite love and the lives of shallow people.

Similarly, people care more about watching reward shows for the latest pop-culture icons than they do about the development of knowledge and of the human race as a whole. And the reason for this, I suppose, is the same as the reason people watch TV so much: not much thinking is involved. The reason people don't care about nobel prizes in physics and similar intellectual awards is that they would have trouble understanding what the award is for (most people can't understand even basic physics, much less the complex modern physic that wins someone a nobel prize) and don't want to take the time and effort to try. It's much easier to watch an award for things you understand (so and so starred in your favorite low-brow entertainment program). This just shows that people in our society, like people in the past and probably people in the future, are lazy and don't want to think.

EXTERMINATE!

Personally I have nothing at all against television. I certainly think there are better uses of my time, but watching TV on occasion can be entertaining. A lot of people just flip through channels when they're trying to sleep, but I never had a TV in my room so now I don't ever turn it on unless there is a specific show I want to watch. Furthermore the number of shows that I actually follow that even air on TV is very small. Most of the time there is only one running at a time; right now it's Doctor Who, but soon season two of the Walking Dead and I'll probably watch that. Probably. That's another thing about TV, I don't desperately have to catch every one of "my programs" as my grandma says. There are oftentimes other things to do, so I can always catch up when I have some spare time. That's the magic of the internet, which I much prefer to TV. Shows that I hate: anything new on Nickelodeon. Spongebob used to be decent, but trying to watch it now is like stabbing myself repeatedly in the nostalgia gland with a butter knife.

On the topic of the Emmys, I don't even pay attention to any of it. The Emmys, the VMA, the Golden Globes, the Super Bowl, the Toilet Bowl: none of them matter to me and I've never seen them. I'd just get them jumbled up anyway Now, I didn't watch the Nobel Prizes either, but I would much rather watch them than any of those other award shows. I do find it appalling that so many people decided to watch famous people clap for each other rather than learn about the real greatest people on Earth. (I can avoid being a hypocrite if I didn't watch either of them, see?)

TV Controversy (It rhymes, you see? :D)

I watch TV when I want to relax after a long day of band and school, but I only watch it every now and then. Maybe once every two weeks, if that. I mostly watch Netflix on my computer. I love reality shows. Baking shows, like cake boss; animal shows, like Animal Cops and River Monsters; and Glee are my favorite shows to watch. Occasionally I’ll flip to nick and watch some SpongeBob or iCarly, but only rarely. As for commercials… I don’t have to deal with them. That is one of the many wonders of TiVo. No commercials. I think that TV is extremely unproductive and a waste of time, but if one has time to kill and wants to do something totally mindless, TV is a good choice.

Assignment 5: For the Love and Hate of Television

The Emmy Awards are kind of a big deal. Not a big deal in that life altering kind of a way, but a big deal in the sense that a lot of celebrities dress up, that a lot of companies pay more money in advertisements, and a lot of people stop watching reruns.

The Emmys are not the only award extravaganza of the season though. During the first week of October, without the advertising, paparazzi, or celebrities, the Nobel Prizes are announced. But how many people are listening? With the Emmys comes television's fall lineup, but what does the common person get after the announcement of the Nobel Prize in physics?

So, what are your thoughts?

Why do you watch TV? Why do you not? What shows do you love or hate?

Does TV provide a good form of entertainment? Is it just a convenient delivery system for advertisers to send their messages to the masses? Is it an inane use of time? Can it be all three?

What does it say about our society that the Emmy's have so much glitz and attention and the Nobel Prizes are quietly announced in the news? Is this bad? Good? Appropriate?

Check out these sites for more information:

Turn Off Your TV

Television and Health

Positive Benefits of TV on Toddlers and Children

Due, Sunday, September 25 at 11:59 pm.

Anything boys can do, girls can do better

This picture was taken on August 26, 1920, otherwise known as the day women received the right to vote. The women in the picture are rejoicing because they finally won the ongoing battle to get women another right. The first attempts at getting the right to vote for women were in 1848 at a Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls. Two women organized the event: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. They set in motion a series of events that would change the way the world viewed women forever and neither of them even got to reap the benefits of their works. What is truly amazing is the fact that all the women who were involved in women’s suffrage gave up everything they had in order to see women receive the rights that they deserved, knowing that they would probably never live to see it happen. They possessed such a passion for the rights of women that they sacrificed all their time for that one goal. If some of us today had even a fraction of that fire for what we believed in, I can’t even begin to imagine how different the world would be. Their zealous attitudes gave women the right to have a say in the make up of this wonderful country we live in and I believe that women today should continually thank these women who fought for their rights because if it wasn’t for them, women wouldn’t have any of the privileges they do today.

Subjectivity, Part Two: Pictures

From What I've seen in these past blog posts, the only topics covered have been tragedy and great invention. I don't understand what exactly is meant to meant to make a statement or provoke something from these pictures. Sure, they're meant to educate, but I really think that you only need to be given one picture of a war to understand exactly how you feel about it. It's not necessary to elaborate on arguments given in war, at least in my opinion. Therefore, I give to you a picture of something that has changed the way that I think very recently: a simple piece of nature.

There's really not much to describe about this picture. It is but a mere snapshot of a beach, and cannot be perceived as much else. It's the interpretation of the picture that really matters. In the given circumstances, what I think about when looking at this picture (along with all other pictures for this assignment) is why other people can't see beauty in simplicity. I am not saying that others have a wrong standpoint on the topic, I just can't understand it in my head. Just for what's been published, everybody so far has described an important event or war in history. Specifically for me, however, I can't really see much of an emotional impact on historical events, solely on the basis that I wasn't there, and I didn't know what things were like before then. Sure, events like that are important, and require appreciation (or at least notice), but I can't bring myself to be too inspired what other people have done.

I am a firm believer that inspiration should be self-driven, and not given by others. I don't have anybody that I really want to be like except myself. Most of my inspiration comes from attention of things that really don't get observed too often, such as this beach. I see beauty out of simple things such as nature. The fact that I have resources that I can use to my benefit and that I can see myself doing something good is what drives me to work hard and is what provides most of my inspiration. I like looking at simple structures and admiring the beauty that they provide for me. Every time I see a new object or place that I think is beautiful, it changes the way that I think in such a way that I question as to how I didn't notice that earlier.

Rescue of the Chilean Miners

On August 5th, 2010, 33 miners were trapped 2,300 ft down in the Copiapó mine in San Jose. Luis Urzúa, shown here, was the leader of the miners and the last one to be rescued from the mine shaft after its collapse. For 69 day Luis and the rest of his crew were trapped, originally thought to be dead based on the mine's history.

The rescue of these workers was an incredibly inspirational and uplifting event for Chile. Only 6 months before had been the Chilean earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed. The nation needed something like this to get back on its feet and restore hope to the people. Nearly every major government helped with the effort, and a sense of unity was created across the world, with everyone working together.

Woodstock

In 1969, one of the most culturally unthinkable events happened. Two young men put their heads together to create an event that would forever embody the cultural revolution of that era. I'm of course talking about Woodstock, the concert that attracted over 500,000 listeners.

While the event is known mostly for its musical aspects, the reason I chose this as my picture is because it truly shows how so many different people can unite together as one for a common cause, that cause being peace.

Katrina, the unexpected

Could anyone have ever expected so much destruction? so much raw power of mother nature to be mercilessly released upon New Orleans and its surroundings? the large number of people who decided to remain in New Orleans and brave the storm certainly didn't.

the rest of America was extremely shocked and horrified at the remnants of the lively city after one of the worst natural disasters to hit this country in its history. everyone can recall scenes of the numerous refugees huddling inside the Saint's home arena, struggling to find shelter from flood waters that engulfed the city. with thousands upon thousands of homes destroyed and lives ruined (along with ones that were sadly ended), relief was immediately rushed to the areas effected by this tragedy. Now, the City has made a successful comeback to return to its splendor and glory that was previously maintained before this disastrous storm, but now with citizens that have a newfound respect for mother nature, and hopefully are much more wary of oncoming tropical storms and hurricanes.

Death of a Father

My photo was taken at John F. Kennedy’s funeral of 3-year-old John Jr. saluting his father’s casket. This is a very famous photo from JFK’s funeral and it doesn’t feature his casket at all. Instead, it captures the somber atmosphere from the many facial expressions, and the focal point: John Jr. Compared to the all-black everyone is wearing, he has a light jacket on and only stands to everyone’s hips.

I think this is very cute but at the same time heartbreaking knowing that this 3-year-old just lost his father. It shows the naivety of the boy because he seems too young to understand that his father died but at the same time, he’s copying the men around him saluting his father. I think that in itself shows the tragedy of death at such a young age, and the loss of a parent to such a young child.

The Ideal Scientist

This picture is one of the most iconic pictures of the famous inventor and engineer Nikola Telsa in front of his high frequency transformer in New York City. During his time, Tesla went mostly unnoticed, his inventions were discredited or stolen, and he faced tremendous rivalry with Thomas Edison. But, Tesla paved the road to the way we use electricity and mechanics today and had a much larger influence on the future of electricity than any other scientist. While Edison was making the light bulb, Tesla was transmitting the alternating current wirelessly across vast distances in hopes to achieve his lifetime goal, free energy. He made multiple contributions to science including the alternating current, wireless energy, and even the radio. Unfortunately, his competitors were able to convince the masses that Tesla's works were dangerous and harmful causing Tesla to die alone, poor, and without his patents. It wouldn't be until after his death that the U.S Supreme Court would uphold his patents on the radio.

This picture depicts Tesla in front of his own invention reading a book by the scientist Rudjer Boscovich. In his days, this picture showed people what it shows me today, a symbol for integrity, intelligence, and a natural curiosity for the scientific world. It is of a man who continued experimentation in the field of science despite being ridiculed and degraded by his peers. It is of a man who went into the field of science because he had natural curiosity for the way things worked, not because he could make a living. And despite losing every penny he owned and falling into extreme debt, he continued to work on his projects for the sake of science. He didn't need the appreciation of his peers, the glamor of fame, or the shine of money to keep himself motivated; all he had to keep him motivated was a desire to know and discover more. When we look at this picture, we are not just reminded of who the ideal scientist is, but also of the kind of person we would all like to be.