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Originally posted by {b.s.e.} The irony was left for the reader to discover, as well. Is this what really irks you, Arby? It's a study, of course it's bullshit. I think it's time everyone shut off their televisions.

Two books I read this fall were pretty good for thinking about media even if thier content wasn't exceptional.

One was "Amusing Ourselves to Death", written in the 80s it's an attack on TV.

The other is "No Time to Think" which jumps up and down on 24 hr News and the blogosphere.

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Originally posted by Krypton There is no doubt that heavy media exposure contributes to hedonistic thinking. This should be no surprise as the purpose of media is to entertain, so media, in and of itself, is hedonistic. One hour of television will entail 10 minutes of commercials, saying, "Buy this, buy that, you want this, you need that, look at yourself you're nothing without this product". Arbiter, are you actually going to say heavy media exposure plays no part in our societies shift to materialistic hedonism? WTF caused our current economic recession? I'll tell you. MATERIALISM/HEDONISM run amok. Fucking Ditech.com commercials on every fucking channel...

I have downloaded enough TV episodes to see that the average show on prime-time American TV has over 15 minutes of adverts, some shows nearly hit 20 minutes (how else can you devise where the other 18 minutes went in a clip that's 42 minutes long that is of an hour-long TV show). It's crazy how much is broadcast out of any given day, week, or year is just advertising alone...

This just in:

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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3 (The Halcyon+On+On Post) -- A recent, comprehensive study indicates that a panel of experts once did a study which indicated that another panel of experts indicated that 84% of sociological studies are completely bunk and misconducted crap that people tend to gobble up as fact if effectively disseminated among enough "News" networks. "It's practically a pseudoscience" one expert is quoted as saying.

There you have it.

___________________
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Oh, I can't wait for tomorrow's edition..I'm almost starting to think for myself.

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Originally posted by {b.s.e.} Oh, I can't wait for tomorrow's edition..I'm almost starting to think for myself.

Stop. Watch more television.

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I've been in a TV-free household for six months.. and now my roomate's dad is coming by to hook up the cable for free.

I want it abolished.

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Originally posted by NeoPhono Parenting trumps media. Kids can desire McDonald's, Coke, whatever they'd like, but unless the 8 year-old has a job and can purchase it, it's up to the parents (or whoever is taking care of the kid) to say "yes" or "no." It's also up to their guardians to allow kids to be exposed to media as well as to what degree. In my opinion, whether or not kids desire more "stuff," or chose to live in an unhealthy manner because of various media is nothing more than an excuse. An excuse for kids to be fat, unhealthy, and demanding and for those taking care of these kids to act innocent and dumbfounded about it. I have no doubt that endless hours of exposure to mass media by children does cause them to want more and desire to live considerably less healthfully. However, the missing "link" and the more important part of the equation is the poor choices made by kids and adults alike that allows "media" to have its impact.

i agree, but the study unfortunately wasn't evaluating poor parenting.

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Originally posted by DJ Shibby This is the problem! We have conditioned ourselves to believe this is the only way to make it in a capitalist community. (READ: Conditioned OURSELVES, not BEEN conditioned; all the conditioning in the world means nothing from outside sources unless you yourself come to believe it!) How about pride in your product, and the desire to share with/help others? I know an advertiser who functions on these principles, not just at work but in everything he does; it's really envigorating to see. If you're going to blame the media, then also blame the school system, which serves as a giant day care carnival designed to can kids into little spam tins fit for corporate consumption.

how are people to be informed about the utility of anything without the influence of other people who are more informed?

Did you watch that Bill Hicks standup I was quoting yet? It is fucking hilarious. Yes I'm talking to you jersey

___________________
I've never been able to eat a whole baby.
Kill the women. Eat the children.
It's just one of those days where you want to bend over everyone you know and kiss their ass goodbye with a big sideways boot.

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Originally posted by Zild Did you watch that Bill Hicks standup I was quoting yet? It is fucking hilarious. Yes I'm talking to you jersey

no - before your post i had never even heard of him. Sorry, i didn't realize you were being facetious (at least slightly).

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Originally posted by jerZ07002 how are people to be informed about the utility of anything without the influence of other people who are more informed?

Because there are an infinity of levels of universal knowledge to dip into.

The internet is brilliant, and one day it will conceive a piece of great information without the direct interaction of men. Wait for it!

If you're ever bored, head down to Borders and take a peek at the Principia; here is a man who was so intensely connected to awakened awareness of 42 that his work seems mad even by today's standards of scientific mathematical prowess. Misunderstanding and confusion in the face of complexity is a great thing, because if one notices and pursues it it often becomes the bearings of a future revolution of consciousness.

The universe tends also to calibrate itself to our current historical momentum, or rather, our current historical momentum calibrates itself to history. It's all the same, all the time. :P

This is how all great strides have been made, and the source of your statement, which does also work extremely well not just on the exoterics but also on the personal levels of life.

Afterall, we're here to help each other. If it wasn't enjoyable, we wouldn't do it! =P

It's too bad some people are slow growers. But I'm waiting the cognizence arising from our information superhighways, whatever they may be, and it is so exponential that I can't even imagine what the next generation's mind will be composed of.

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Originally posted by {b.s.e.} I've been in a TV-free household for six months.. and now my roomate's dad is coming by to hook up the cable for free. I want it abolished.

One year I lived with two friends, all of us were at the hight of our lazy pot smoking point in life. We set up our house with a TV and VCR and video games but were to lazy to hook up cable.

Change my life but now I can't watch TV without getting angry for the most part.

How can 65 channels have nothing interesting? There have been times when Business News Network (BNN) is the most thrilling thing on!



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edit - ps. great string of responses, lots of