Television...called "The Idiot Box" and "A Vast Wasteland" in it's earliest years seems to be stuck in place these days. If one watches programming (and I admit I rarely do watch much of it) there seems little creativity in the programming content. Eve the awful, brain killing genre called "reality TV" has been done ( in a more subtle form than the vulgar version seen today) many times before in earlier generations of TV.
What has changed about TV though is the myriad ways viewers can watch programs now, on the device of their choice. At the same time, these revolutionary delivery systems will be transmitting new show that, by and large, nothing more than the same old "stuff". The broadcast networks are programming out sitcoms, soaps, and cop shows that have been ( in a less idiotic and vulgar form than today's shows) on TV in the days before cable.
So the technology of TV is way out in front of the content presented. The biggest change in TV programming content has been the switch from family entertainment, particularly the wholesome situation comedy shows of the early days of TV to the current saturation of the bizarre reality TV show. Reality television has taken over the television airways. It reflects the distortion of reality we see outside of TV, in our daily lives.
That TV can claim the reality shows it programs present reality is possible only in a society that either doesn't know reality anymore or knows it but prefers to hide from it. TV does reflect the society as a whole. And sad to say, the picture one gets of society from watching TV is not a pretty or intelligent one. Society may be able to be visually stimulated better by the technological changes in television, but the program quality of television has changed for the worse. It makes one ask the question, "Are we worse than before too?" And, "Are humans less creative because the technological improvements have hypnotized and captured our us so much"
On the other hand, technology has changed TV for the better. Television has undergone several transformations over the years. From the a small little box that displayed black and white images, to a huge floor model television with the wooden panel that displayed vibrant color images. The changes in television continued to improve with the concept of High Definition television. High definition television was as big an improvement over color television as color television was over black and white television. The special effects we now see on TV were unimaginable long ago, but have they taken precedence over the quality of the content presented on those shows?
I left much of what TV shows long ago, bored by unintelligent and vulgar programming. Today TV is delivered by more technology and by gadgets that excite and make people more expectant of what they see on TV, Trouble is...most of what they see is garbage.
No comments:
Post a Comment