Why do people care about the lives of actors that play characters unlike themselves? My younger sister is just downright obsessed with imaginary tv characters. I become very irritated to think that she could be so enthraled with tv characters. I get irritated when I would like to watch educational public television, the news, etc., as long as it is about reality or teaches something about history but the sibling is totally against it. She is so persistent in her making her desires known to watch these soap operas that she annoys everyone else until I just have to leave the room to avoid slapping her across the face. I despise all those shows about fake people doing fake things. Why dont some people get it! Why the **** do they persist in watching these mindless, meat-head entertainment television shows. What can we possibly learn that is anything of value? Maybe I am not really capable of looking objectively at the situation because I am letting circumstances dictate my emotions. I typically despise fiction that has no basis in reality. At least when people READ fiction, they can learn some technical aspects of writing and become better at doing such an integral task. Watching fiction on tv seems utterly useless to me. It is a passive, mind-melting, waste of electricity in my opinion. I dont see how fake tv (television, btw) shows can make you a better person, help you to think more efficiently, or help perfect your views on the world. I feel very biased right now by writing this. What do you think about fictional tv? Is fictional tv thoroughly profitless?
I think people use fictional characters to identify with, in order to expand their own identity. Usually, they look for what makes that character superior in their opinion, and they wish to mimic that way of being.
I enjoy characters in books, for sure. But I, too, get irritated by what other people watch on tv and often criticize them in my own mind. Then I wonder why to care so much what other people entertain themselves with. It does bother me, but I wish I could ignore it, instead.
Like anything else, TV in moderation is fine. While I’m not a fan of television, I know several very intelligent people who absolutely love TV. The trick is to use it like any other mental vacation (drugs, alcohol, masterbation, ect.) and to watch in moderation while keeping in mind that it is not real.
After reading 30+ abstracts and settling on reading 10 full papers, the last thing I want to do is come home and do anything even remotely intellectual. In my case, I play computer games, drink delicious beer, and surf the web (usually either spewing my particular brand of poop on this website, or reading up on brewing and craft beers).
Other people go home and watch Friends or some other show.
Nothing wrong with getting lost in a narrative. It is fun.
As for the general distain of fiction, may I ask why? That is a little too Puritan for my taste. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and part of that enjoyment is a pleasant escape now-and-again.
Personally, I think people obsessing over stars and whatnot are far more dangerous to one’s mental condition than obsessing over fictional characters.
As for wanting to watch something educational on TV, you are aware that there is nothing education on TV, right? At this point, all news programs have really become a glorified version of the Daily Show and the History/Discovery channel air the most watered down, worthless programs I’ve ever seen. I could gain more knowledge in 5 minutes with the book and/or internet than in an hour of watching those programs. Infotainment is just as bad as raw-fiction.
For me, I tend to use TV as background noise. I’m usually doing something else that I find more relaxing than watching TV for its own sake when I have the TV on (usually kind of daydreaming, not paying attention to the TV or playing my guitar).
There’s no way I could use it as a PURE source of enjoyment though. I am often engrossed by the History Channel or an episode of Seinfeld or The Daily Show, but I can’t be engaged with sitcoms or reality TV. It just doesn’t work for me.
I have a very strange behavior when it comes to televised media. I cannot laugh at TV or movies. I’ll get the jokes perfectly, but I find myself unable to laugh. I’ll sometimes smile, but I CANNOT laugh at TV entertainment.
Also, one of my professors this summer at Northwestern remarked that even if one chose to never watch TV themselves, they still exist in a culture inundated by TV. Even if a person has never watched TV, TV still affects them indirectly through the society they live in. It’s ubiquitous; there’s no escape.
TV is not reality, therefore it is good, it is mind numbing and legal. It allows you to think with out thinking, it is perfect for being a sheep. It shepards you to oblivion and kindly reminds you of bedtime when a nightly comedy/drama show comes on aka the news.
It is a good friend because when you yell at it, it does not yell back, It is always there for you with out question. It makes you laugh, cry and feel good just as friends should. it won’t betray you, hurt you and bore you. You are not really alone in a dark room if you have your T.V. friend, you are safe.
I think it depends greatly on exactly what kind of fictional television is in question. For this reason, I did not vote. For example, a show like Law & Order is fictional although some episodes may be based on actual events. That is a fictional show, but it does a great job of illustrating how the American legal system deals with some very difficult subjects of society.
Of course, if your bias is on the basis of something completely stupid like… MTV’s Real World… then I would agree with your assessment of fictional (stupid) T.V. being something wholely lacking of value.
in my mind,there is virtually no comparison between star trek(fiction) and a soap opera(fiction).
watch an hour of star trek and then an hour of the young and the restless,then write a review. after being processed in this way,we can begin to see about how much content (junk) entertainment virtually has!
i had to vote no. there is profit in fictional television, if all it is is a cheap repeatable laugh for the rest of the day. we, as a species, as we grow up we laugh less and less. no wonder we live in unhappy times, we are generally unhappy by virtue of acting unhappy. a simple well-placed quote from family guy can brighten up someone’s day, especially if it sparks a friendly conversation, and that is profit enough.
I think you have capped yourself into error there Drift… Being a fan of Star Trek (not a fanatical trekkie, just a regular fan), I find some value in the attempt of the writers of various ST series to genuinely make it a show of science fiction as often as possible. This is especially the case for The Next Generation (TNG) which has covered many different subjects ranging through practically every sphere of science. It even has a merit of philosophy to it… to some degree from time to time.
Unto this, I find soap operas detestable and repugnant and utterly cannot begin to fathom how you would compare the two as equal. Please illustrate how soap operas have taken any means whatsoever to delve into any facet of science or intelligent thought, and I will consider what you have claimed a probability.
If it so happens to be a “fact”, rest assured, it will be a partial “fact”; a slice of the planetary pie – to enduce more ratings, terror, guilt, pity, lust or esteem of thy masters.[/b]
