OT-Bread and Circuses

[Otto]

I just saw an ad for a new "reality" show whereon people stuff themselves with various foods, then engage in all sorts of vigorous or disorienting activities , in order to make themselves regurgitate.

An entire program constructed around people vomiting.

Is there any point in even having elections this fall?

[FWiedner]

Unless this program is federally funded, I fail to see the connection between this contest and our selection of government representatives.

Unless, of course, you are one of those people who believe that it is the role of government to dictate how private citizens should be able to exercise their liberty.

As disgusting as their behavior night be, they are doing nothing illegal, immoral, or harmful to the community.

[Otto]

My obvious point is that, in a society this far gone, is there any reason to go through the motions of electing leaders in a nation that seems to be in its death throes.

[Hagler]

they are doing nothing illegal, immoral, or harmful to the community.

Wrong. They are doing something that is very immoral & sinful. As minor as it may seem, they are harming the community. Gluttony is always bad for everyone, and this is it. Being proud of that gluttony, and parading it in the limelight, for all to see, is also extremely sinful.

Shawn

[Dosrios]

Unless this program is federally funded, I fail to see the connection between this contest and our selection of government representatives.

Unless, of course, you are one of those people who believe that it is the role of government to dictate how private citizens should be able to exercise their liberty.

As disgusting as their behavior night be, they are doing nothing illegal, immoral, or harmful to the community.

I've watched your posts for a couple of years.

You fail to see many connections.

[mikld]

I'll agree with Hagler on this one. Many of today's TV shows are just plain sick. By being aired on TV, this behavior is seen as legitimate/normal to many people.

And I believe we are responsible for our actions and how they affect our community.

[AJMD429]

I think the point wasn't that "we need a law" so much as that if our electorate is so STUPID and has so much time to waste on mindless activity like that, it may not matter who is our president.

I agree, although I really want a good leader for our nation. Still, even a Ron Paul, or Mike Huckabee, or Neal Boortz would have to really master the sound-bytes AND have the media's backing, to reach the average television-addicted idiots and self-centered, short-sighted voters. Unless those people ARE reached, reforming public policy to the more Libertarian way things were done when this nation was founded will be very difficult to say the least; too many of them just vote for whoever 'goes to their church' or pays off their particular industry the most.

The darker reason it may be moot (or may be critical, depending on your perspective) is that within the next 24 months I'll bet some real disaster wakes us all up. Look at what a major impact Sept 11th had, and yet it was relatively minimal compared to an EMP or mass poisoning (look what China did with just a little melamine in the pet food), or coordinated terrorist stuff they have the capability to do, but for whatever reason haven't done yet. Not a time to just spend your money on season tickets and spend your time watching television.

[J Miller]

I just saw an ad for a new "reality" show whereon people stuff themselves with various foods, then engage in all sorts of vigorous or disorienting activities , in order to make themselves regurgitate.

An entire program constructed around people vomiting.

Is there any point in even having elections this fall?

Since Shawn is absolutely correct on this let me rephrase Otto's post ( sorry Otto ):

I just saw an ad for a new "reality" show whereon people stuff themselves with various foods, then engage in all sorts of vigorous or disorienting activities , in order to make themselves regurgitate.

An entire program constructed around people vomiting.

Is there any point in buying a digital converter box for next year?

There, that's a bit better.

Joe

[TedH]

Just another sign of this country's moral decay and our swirling ride down the toilet.

[Otto]

Is there any point in buying a digital converter box for next year?

There, that's a bit better.

Joe

Yeah, no coincidence that there's a government-subsidized program for that. "Keep 'em distracted, keep 'em in front of the one-eyed demon."

[Hobie]

Watching the behavior or listening to the beliefs of some of our elected officials makes me want to vomit. Does that count? Can I win money?

Seriously, I just don't get it. Why do such a thing? What is it about being on TV that's so great?

[Andrew]

Unless this program is federally funded, I fail to see the connection between this contest and our selection of government representatives.

Unless, of course, you are one of those people who believe that it is the role of government to dictate how private citizens should be able to exercise their liberty.

As disgusting as their behavior night be, they are doing nothing illegal, immoral, or harmful to the community.

I've watched your posts for a couple of years.

You fail to see many connections.

Nice first post.

Stupid TV comes and goes all the time. It would be awful to see some of the ideas that didn't make it. Yes it's dumb, but, we all have more than one channel and it can be turned off all together as well. I just wish that stuff like that would stop giving legititmate TV a bad name.

[pharmseller]

I gotta go with FWiedner on this one.
Granted, society might be in bad shape, but it's got nothing to do with who we elect this fall. Remember, WE are society, each one of us. By posting about the show you just might be contributing to its success. That which gets ignored in the public eye often dies.
Freedom is a funny thing.

Quinn

[JP_TX]

Is the channel changer broken? No? Well use it!

You see if no one watches they will stop running the show. Another victory for market forces. Let's hear it for free enterprise.

Some folks just have too much free time on their hands.

JP

[Idahoser]

Two unrelated issues here. There's no point in the election because there's no choice to make, you can pick the R socialist or the D socialist. That's not a choice.

What that has to do with a TV show that will only succeed if people want to watch it is pretty tenuous, but they're both signs that people are stupid I suppose. Assuming the stats on who watches what haven't been manipulated, of course.

The problem I see is that people who percieve a stake in bad government get to vote. That's pretty much the basic problem, and public school is the root cause. But there wouldn't be public school if the 'people' didn't want it... right? We get what we want, right? Our representatives know what we want and that's what they vote for, right? They still have their jobs, must be.

Let's see what might cause the breakdown of our representatives to have a majority who believe their constituents benefit from bad government... Gerrymandering maybe? Who chooses the layouts?

In other words the TV show isn't a cause, but a symptom of what's wrong with us.

[Blaine]

Hell, I was disgusted with Ed Sullivan when he put those four Hairy, couldn't sing in tune, idiots on TV back in the early sixties.........the fact that they went on to make money at it hand over fist was the nail in the coffin, I thought, at the time. With my Grandparents, it was the JitterBug.

[gamekeeper]

Hell, I was disgusted with Ed Sullivan when he put those four Hairy, couldn't sing in tune, idiots on TV back in the early sixties.........the fact that they went on to make money at it hand over fist was the nail in the coffin, I thought, at the time. With my Grandparents, it was the JitterBug.

If those four hairy idiots are the ones I think they are then I'm definitely with you on this one!

[Otto]

Two unrelated issues here.

the TV show isn't a cause, but a symptom of what's wrong with us.

If it is a symptom (which was my point) how can it be unrelated?

[Otto]

Is the channel changer broken? No? Well use it!

You see if no one watches they will stop running the show. Another victory for market forces. Let's hear it for free enterprise.

Some folks just have too much free time on their hands.

JP

I wasn't watching, and wouldn't do so. It was advertised on a different channel, which I was watching.