Television Sucks Pretty Bad

So I'm laid up in the hospital, day three right now, because we don't have enough going on right now, I guess lol. 
it has made me realize how much tv sucks. I ditched cable back in 2009, using the internet, Netflix, library, and PBS since then. 
Here in the hospital I'm sleeping in 2 hour chunks, so I get to sample tv from all hours of the day and night. 
the programming is uninspired, but it's the commercials that are killing me here. 3 of every 4 commercials between 5 am and midnight are for a prescription medication, 3 of every 4 commercials between midnight and 5 are for personal injury lawyers. 

Most programming is beyond terrible anymore. Commercials are written for the stupidest and most gullible people. I'm pretty sure just watching them will cost you some brain cells.  

The TV shows are also pretty bad. Shows that are worth 2-3 seasons run for 10+ and the last 7 are as bad as any soap opera. Then they spin off 4 more versions, call them new shows, and rehash the same old tired plots. 

It's almost like no one in Hollywood has had an original thought in the last 20 years. Comedies are stupid instead of witty. Action movies are endless bullets and CGI. Dramas have no depth. And don't forget the 15 remakes of old box office hits because everyone wants to watch the new gender-neutral PC version of old movies. 

It's sad how bad the entertainment industry has gotten. It's even sadder that the general public has not only let them but encouraged it. 

In reply to DrBoost :

Could very well be targeted ads for the captive audience.  I think it was close to 20 years ago that my previous employer was able to do that down to a 250 home node.  I think within the last 10 years they could target down to the individual cable box.

My last hospital stint had some sort of on demand service. It was bad, but it was better than the TV TV. 

I had my wife bring my fire stick, phone and charger when I had "The Big One". Ran my hotspot on my phone and watched the Expanse when I wasn't sleeping.

It really is a shame. I know that there are so many talented creatives with unique ideas in the industry, but somewhere along the way, those ideas seem to get passed over or mutilated into mediocrity.

And I agree, commercials seem to have gotten worse, though my personal tolerance for advertisements in general seems to be shrinking.

All subtlety has been removed from humour. Every joke needs an excessively long setup and an explanation afterward. 

Example: Animal House.

When Flounder doesn't shoot the horse but it has a heart attack anyway. Later, the maintenance man is in the dean's office with a measuring tape.

Horse is too big to fit through the door and as the scene cuts away, he fires up a chainsaw.

Audiences now wouldn't realise that the chainsaw isn't for the doorway.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

My experience with trying to watch TV in the hospital is they haven't gone for the premium cable TV package, so the choice of channels to watch is pretty weak.  Fortunately they do have wifi and I had my laptop with me, so I watched stuff on that most of the time instead.

In reply to ShawnG :

Perfect example. 
 

In reply to ShawnG :

yeah, if I'm not discharged today, my wife is bringing me my iPad. 

I think it's also a little bit of there is just so much programming out there a larger portion of it is going to be subpar.

I've become adept at muting the commercials and turning the sound back on just as the program restarts.....drives my wife nuts......but I cannot stand to listen to any more commercials. Local radio stations are dead to me for the same reason.

When I had my "big one" I was fortunate to get out after only one night in the misery ward.

TV shows seem to be in available in three categories now.

Two big apes beating the crap out of each other.

"Bumbling father figure" sitcoms.

"Reality" television that let's you think "At least I'm not as fat / stupid / ugly as those people."

There are some gems out there though.

I thoroughly enjoyed the FX adaptation of Shogun. I like the 80s TV miniseries as well and I think they're both equally well done.

I also enjoyed the Disney Imagineering series. I'm not a rabid Disney fan but I appreciate their attention to detail and it's impressive seeing how they do all of that.

ShawnG said:

"Bumbling father figure" sitcoms.

Hollywood hates the intelligent and successful hetero white man.

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

Public enemy #1

I really hate the singing pharmaceutical commercials.   They sing while the flash the deadly side affects.   

I agree no one can name a recent sitcom where the male figure is not a brain dead idiot.  He has a beautiful wife and a large house but he can't walk across the street and chew bubblegum at the same time.

Occasionally we watch old sitcoms like Green Acres where the writers were probably on LSD.

Toyman! said:

Most programming is beyond terrible anymore. Commercials are written for the stupidest and most gullible people. I'm pretty sure just watching them will cost you some brain cells.  

The TV shows are also pretty bad. Shows that are worth 2-3 seasons run for 10+ and the last 7 are as bad as any soap opera. Then they spin off 4 more versions, call them new shows, and rehash the same old tired plots. 

It's almost like no one in Hollywood has had an original thought in the last 20 years. Comedies are stupid instead of witty. Action movies are endless bullets and CGI. Dramas have no depth. And don't forget the 15 remakes of old box office hits because everyone wants to watch the new gender-neutral PC version of old movies. 

It's sad how bad the entertainment industry has gotten. It's even sadder that the general public has not only let them but encouraged it. 

 

Except it's not "everyone" that want's to watch those. That's as much as I'll say as I do not wish to become a part of expanding Margie's patio. 

But in general, that's we find ourselves going back and rewatching other stuff. Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiam (Larry David is my spirit animal), cooking shows, etc. 

We did run across a show on Netflix that's different and bizarre we are enjoying so far. "Resident Alien" about an alien sent to Earth to kill everyone on the planet. Although I have a feeling I know how it's going to end. We are in the 2nd season and it was just renewed for a 4th. 

iansane said:

I think it's also a little bit of there is just so much programming out there a larger portion of it is going to be subpar.

Good point. There are some really great gems hiding out there if you are willing to look (and sometimes pay for).

My last hospital stay had me watching all the veterinarian shows, or Food Channel, and I had no appetite. Lots of ads on one of them for St. Judes and I had cancer, so the ads worked and I now make monthly donations.

I've been on antenna only for four years, and it's been glorious.  Between the sub-channels of the lical networks, I get Me-tv, H&I, Antenna-tv, and just recently started getting GET-tv.  Lots of 50's through 90's television.  With the money I saved getting rid of cable and internet, I can go out to eat a few times a week when I want to watch sports.

BTW, as for the pharmaceutical ads... the U.S. makes up about three percent of the world's population, but takes over 50 percent of the prescription drugs.  Is it any wonder why so many people watch this new modern drivel they call entertainment , and worse yet, pay money to do so.

I don't watch TV but crush YouTube. You mention TV and I grab a brew and think of this:

Frank Zappa did a song called "I'm  the slime", his commentary on television. Worth a visit on you tube.

Good lord! How many Real Housewives of X do we need?  We all know the answer is 0, but here we are. 

In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :

The Big Red One is a pretty good, yet underrated movie.