Remember when American television used to be great? It was just fun to watch. Stories were told, comedies were hilariously funny, and yes, sometimes it would actually inform us about world events.
Even television commercials were at one point considered to be one of the best in world. The visual presentation used to be top-notch, with superb designs and state-of-the-art motion graphics.
Now, with all the hi-definition, surround sound and other technological advances, one would think we’re in television heaven.
Yet, our super-duper wide-screen HDTV set is off.
There’s simply nothing to watch anymore. Our cable company offers 300+ channels and they all seem to be broadcasting the same crap. How many more reality shows (reality???) do we need? Aren’t sitcoms supposed to be funny? I don’t even remember the last time we watched the news...any news...on TV. News? Do Americans even remember this term anymore?
If we actually do turn on our super-duper HDTV set, then we tune into HD Theater and watch their “Sunrise Earth” series. The picture quality is out-of-this-world. It’s also more entertaining to watch the sun rise over a South American jungle, than having to endure the stupidity of bitching has-been actors or one-hit-wonder rock stars, the unoriginality and formulaic sameness of drama series and sitcoms, or the lies and manipulation of state-controlled “news” programs. Nowadays, everything seems crude, mindless and to be produced for pure shock value. Television programs of every kind are being pumped out cheaply to squeeze out the highest ratings possible, which in return mean huge profits.
Huge profits. Money. That's what it's about in the end after all. Those large multi-billion corporations making even more money off of the little guys. And along the way, the masses of an already uneducated and highly credulous people are being turned into a nation of brainless and biased drones.
Quit frankly, American television as a whole has already jumped the shark a long time ago. But to be fair, most of the contemporary foreign programs don’t fare entirely great either.
Luckily, there’s always HBO or a DVD player.
But then again, who has time to sit in front of the idiot box anyway. We sure don’t. There’s too much to take care of in-between our busy work schedule. And there’s still a life to be lived. The open world out there in real life always looks better than watching it all mashed together as high-resolution pixels projected on a boxed-up screen.
Leave your TV off. Put down that remote. Just once. Give it a try.
Read a book or take a walk outside. Maybe there's a nice park nearby?
Explore reality. You may actually like it.
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