The Situation? Snooki Is No Lady Going Gaga Over Perpetual Partying While Lilo Gets A 5 Finger Disco

The "Real" situation is that these folks are considered role models to many children.

Where does that leave society in the next few decades?

I realize that as parents we have to be responsible for what are children watch and do. My daughter does not watch Jersey Shore or anything of that ilk, but she still knows every person on the show. From seeing it on the news and hearing about it from school she is aware of Snooki, Jwoww, etc. These folks have hit the media circuit big time.

I must confess that I have watched it. It is sometimes a guilty pleasure. One in which I pray no one ever looks through my window and catches me partaking in. I am usually left thinking WTH? None of these folks seem to pause and think about what this looks and how it will look to their future children.

I am not one who thinks music and video games are making our children murderers etc. But I have noticed that Snooki, Lindsey Lohan, et al are being almost glamorized by our society. They garner tons of attention for doing some of the most idiotic things I have ever seen. Children tend to notice this.

Beaver Cleaver, and Patty Duke would never have survived in today's world. Lessons about stealing, drinking etc. have been traded in for one night stands, fist fighting, and puking in the streets.

I am not ancient. I am not a prude. I just can't help but to think about what this constant barrage of "I do what I want and consequences be damned" is doing to future generations. Real life doesn't work that way. Atleast for those of us who do not get cast to star in these shows.

So in all seriousness, do you think this even has an effect on our society now or in the future? Even if we try to keep our children away from it, they still know about it. We can't lock them up, nor should we want to. We raise them the best we can, but outside influences tend to do just that at times... influence.

What are your thoughts?

Jersey Shore is an abomination to atheists even.

House wives are poor examples of humans.

Your post is right on.

Reality TV is an example of what not to do.

Why then does everyone do what they see?

Eh ?!

Is this an American thing ?

I know who Lindsay Lohan is, but I have no idea about all the other stuff you mention.

Please explain to the non-American viewers of ATS...


Also, ''5 finger discount'' and ''beaver cleaver'' conjure up unprintable images that are best left to my own imagination.

reply to post by Sherlock Holmes


Edited to add a link about Jersey Shore just in case. There are also tons of youtube videos that show the finest points. I would post them but I am on my cell.

en.wikipedia.org...(TV_series)

Sorry about that. I forget sometimes...

Five finger discoint explained here:

www.urbandictionary.com...

Leave it to Beaver here:

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by zroth


Good point.

I guess maybe children who have tvs for baby sitters have a harder time realizing they shouldn't emulate everything these folks do. If it's all they are seeing I suppose they sadly consider it the norm.

I'll try not to rant.

I think the infamous Kellie Pickler video of her not knowing Hungary existed sums up where America, at least, is going. It's an embarrassment that triviality is financially rewarded and forgiven while education and intelligent is seen as being "nerdy", "geeky" or any other derogatory word one think of. But I'd like to think that the awful selection of television shows is more of a reflection on the decline good television as opposed to being a reflection on society but if it is the latter, then pray for us all. I believe reality shows exemplify the lack of quality television we have nowadays due to the ever-rising entertain industry manufacturing the junk without any effort. In fact, I recall reading somewhere the writers of the Simpsons said "The reason why we have lasted so long is because we lowered the quality. Made the show more extreme and ridiculous." That should give you some sense of where we're going.





Too bad we don't have shows like Phil Donahue debating with Milton Friedman or Ayn Rand anymore.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


LOL.

Thanks for the clarification.

My apologies for not catching on sooner.


I'm guessing you're bemoaning the proliferation of ''reality TV'' shows, and their influence on a younger, more impressionable audience. I wasn't aware of most of the ones that you mentioned, which is why I was initially confused.


But I guess it becomes a chicken and egg question, doesn't it ?

Are inane and - arguably - irresponsible reality shows and celebrities being pushed upon the TV schedule against people's wishes ? Or are people generally malleable, who will watch and get involved in whatever guff they decide to show them on the TV ?

Sadly, I favour the latter conclusion.

OK, not to sound off my rocker but I do think that people in control of the media devise these baseless distractions to nullify people and really push their advertising agendas. The dumber we become, the more susceptible we are to ad campaigns pushing this toxin or that poison. Take it from someone involved in marketing...it's all very much devised and very intentional. People like Lady Gaga and Nikki Minaj are scarcely anything more than really good actors. There are countless people employed to conceptualize what their personas should be, what they should say, what they wear. The way I see it, they are not real people but art projects....a collaborative effort. In truth, they aren't even allowed to release "candid" photos without first being retouched to high hell. Anyways, that was a bit more of a rant than I imagine was called for.

Gym, Tan, Laundry!!!

In all seriousness they are an abomination of the human species. Alas, there is still far worse examples of the perversion of humanity out there in the MSM. It's a constant campaign on the human psyche, everything on MTV is a great example of what not to do with your life.

Parker and Stone got it; "Muff Cabbage"

reply to post by Sherlock Holmes


No problem. I forget sometimes the audience goes beyond the US. Your beaver cleaver innuendo had me I didn't even think what that may sound like.

The networks are giving people what they want while drawing in huge revenues. Loads of people fall all over it, and that is the issue. Just a decade or two ago most of this would not have been allowed to air. The fact that people suck this stuff up does not bode well IMO.

reply to post by DevilJin


That moment was classically sad for sure. I can't begrudge the companies wanting to make a profit off of the shows, but a lot of the advertisements are (a lot of times) aimed at younger children/adults. Then they display a viewer warning knowing most don't pay attention to it or what their children are watching.

I tuned in to "Skins" the other night and nearly swallowed my tongue.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


I think some of these US reality shows are probably available here ( in Britain ) on satellite and cable television, but I don't really watch that too often, so I'm unaware of too many of these programmes...

Although, when flipping through some channels one evening, I caught a reality show that featured Kim Kardashian and her sister ( don't know her name ), who I believe are famous in the US; it was one of the most ridiculous shows that I'd ever seen !


I'm still not sure that people wouldn't have lapped this stuff up two decades ago... That'd be, what, 1990, and I still think that if something was put on the telly at primetime, then people would still watch it in those days, regardless of content.

I do believe that popular shows on television are like snowballs, which get larger and larger through a process of media publicity, word of mouth, and social pressure.

I wouldn't be too surprised that these inane shows are so popular, as they appear to be just the thing that so many people ''want'' to watch...

reply to post by LadySkadi


You are correct. Too much of anything is not a good thing. Reality tv has definitely ballooned to ridiculous numbers. More of us could do without a tv. Me included.

In all seriousness they are an abomination of the human species.

Well, they are from toxic dump infested New Jersey, aren't they?

TV shows like this are just as much of a reflection of the people who create them, as they are of those who perform in them. There is no law against liberating your mind and throwing your TV out the window - as long as it doesn't hit anybody.