What is Wrong with America?
Posted 06-25-2008 at 08:19 PM by GCSTroop
I turned on the TV today for the first time in a while. When I normally do watch TV it is usually something informative such as the History Channel or National Geographic. Today, I just scrolled through the list of what was on "regular" TV to get an idea if there was something else to watch.
What absolutely befuddled me is the massive amount of garbage shown not only on cable but on the local channels as well. Reality TV. Pffttt! Reality, my arse! Reality TV seems to have become a more mind-altering frenzy of exactly what ISN'T real in life and seeks to promote a false sense of security in normal American life. Yet, somehow, people are sucked into it like a bunch of dust mites approaching the opening of a vacuum cleaner.
Imagine how nice it would be if you could walk out your front door as "The Most Eligible Bachelor" and there were fifty gorgeous women there fighting over your hunky body. I'm no troll, but the last time I even had two women fight over my gorgeous self is actually not a memory but a fantasy.
And lest we not forget the true reality of living in a house with a variety of other people but the only catch is that a camera follows you around everywhere you go. Why would we call it Big Brother if we wanted to make it Reality TV? Why don't we just call it - Frat House? After all, the same things happen in a frat house as they do on Big Brother. Why should we go around depicting things falsely?
But, I suppose the greatest threat to people's intellectual sanctity is not necessarily the shows themselves. On a basic level, I suppose that most people recognize that they are not going to walk out the front door and have fifty beautiful men or women waiting for them and, much more, competing for your marital rites. The threat, in my opinion, is that people are more interested in this sort of "reality" than they are the ACTUAL reality of things. Rarely do I hear conversations discussing what the newest scientific breakthroughs, archaeological discoveries, or bestseller was released. Yet, I can hardly walk ten feet through the grocery store without hearing who was booted off the island, who was accosted on camera in their sleep, and which bachelorette threw herself at the gorgeous bachelor waiting to get married.
While I have no problem with fiction; I find this to even be void of fiction because it claims to be "reality" but is the furthest thing from the truth. Yet, reality TV is not what is wrong with America. Reality TV is merely a byproduct of an increasingly dumber and dumber America that is struggling to stay afloat educationally amidst the rest of the world.
How did America get this way? The abandonment of ration and logic within our society. The inability to think for ourselves and decide what is true and false. The failure of our parents and school systems to foster thinking that promotes breaking away from the flock and the herd. Preventative measures to seemingly discourage "outside-the-box" thinking. Garbage in, garbage out. Garbage in, garbage out. This has been going on for decades but what kept us stable in the past was the lack of tangible access to overwhelming stupidity such as My Fifty Bachelor Guys or Iamamoron.com
The glorification of ignorance and stupidity in this country is sickening. Comedians like Larry the Cable Guy are actually laughed at and cheered because people identify with him. People actually idolize the innane stupidity that he promotes with their "Git 'er dun" hats as if they are some heirarchal symbology of sheer retardedness. Apparently, where I live, the camouflage "Git 'er dun" hats represent the highest societal figures for males, while the pink ones with the cute little rebel flag and "Git 'er Dun" label represent the female with the highest moratorium on ignorance.
This also leads me to wonder if the girl wearing the pink "Git 'er Dun" hat has ever actually thought about what it means. On second thought, why should I even expect a coherent thought out of someone who wears a hat that cannot even express a thought with the proper spelling of even one word? That would be too much to ask, I'm afraid.
So, it should be no wonder to me that amidst all of the chaotic problems in the world that we have also elected the dumbest ignoramous known to man to run our country. After all, he's a direct reflection of what most of this country represents - a genuine, sheer, and profound ignorance. Hell, we couldn't even count the votes properly to begin with. How sad is that?
What absolutely befuddled me is the massive amount of garbage shown not only on cable but on the local channels as well. Reality TV. Pffttt! Reality, my arse! Reality TV seems to have become a more mind-altering frenzy of exactly what ISN'T real in life and seeks to promote a false sense of security in normal American life. Yet, somehow, people are sucked into it like a bunch of dust mites approaching the opening of a vacuum cleaner.
Imagine how nice it would be if you could walk out your front door as "The Most Eligible Bachelor" and there were fifty gorgeous women there fighting over your hunky body. I'm no troll, but the last time I even had two women fight over my gorgeous self is actually not a memory but a fantasy.
And lest we not forget the true reality of living in a house with a variety of other people but the only catch is that a camera follows you around everywhere you go. Why would we call it Big Brother if we wanted to make it Reality TV? Why don't we just call it - Frat House? After all, the same things happen in a frat house as they do on Big Brother. Why should we go around depicting things falsely?
But, I suppose the greatest threat to people's intellectual sanctity is not necessarily the shows themselves. On a basic level, I suppose that most people recognize that they are not going to walk out the front door and have fifty beautiful men or women waiting for them and, much more, competing for your marital rites. The threat, in my opinion, is that people are more interested in this sort of "reality" than they are the ACTUAL reality of things. Rarely do I hear conversations discussing what the newest scientific breakthroughs, archaeological discoveries, or bestseller was released. Yet, I can hardly walk ten feet through the grocery store without hearing who was booted off the island, who was accosted on camera in their sleep, and which bachelorette threw herself at the gorgeous bachelor waiting to get married.
While I have no problem with fiction; I find this to even be void of fiction because it claims to be "reality" but is the furthest thing from the truth. Yet, reality TV is not what is wrong with America. Reality TV is merely a byproduct of an increasingly dumber and dumber America that is struggling to stay afloat educationally amidst the rest of the world.
How did America get this way? The abandonment of ration and logic within our society. The inability to think for ourselves and decide what is true and false. The failure of our parents and school systems to foster thinking that promotes breaking away from the flock and the herd. Preventative measures to seemingly discourage "outside-the-box" thinking. Garbage in, garbage out. Garbage in, garbage out. This has been going on for decades but what kept us stable in the past was the lack of tangible access to overwhelming stupidity such as My Fifty Bachelor Guys or Iamamoron.com
The glorification of ignorance and stupidity in this country is sickening. Comedians like Larry the Cable Guy are actually laughed at and cheered because people identify with him. People actually idolize the innane stupidity that he promotes with their "Git 'er dun" hats as if they are some heirarchal symbology of sheer retardedness. Apparently, where I live, the camouflage "Git 'er dun" hats represent the highest societal figures for males, while the pink ones with the cute little rebel flag and "Git 'er Dun" label represent the female with the highest moratorium on ignorance.
This also leads me to wonder if the girl wearing the pink "Git 'er Dun" hat has ever actually thought about what it means. On second thought, why should I even expect a coherent thought out of someone who wears a hat that cannot even express a thought with the proper spelling of even one word? That would be too much to ask, I'm afraid.
So, it should be no wonder to me that amidst all of the chaotic problems in the world that we have also elected the dumbest ignoramous known to man to run our country. After all, he's a direct reflection of what most of this country represents - a genuine, sheer, and profound ignorance. Hell, we couldn't even count the votes properly to begin with. How sad is that?
Total Comments 5
Comments
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What is even sadder is the fact that these so called "reality" shows are taking away real family time. Instead of dinner at the table or going out for a walk everyone sits in different rooms watching his or her favourie show.
The habits that are making America unhealthy. Watching uneducational shows while nibbling on junk instead of spending time with the family.Posted 06-26-2008 at 11:21 AM by gomedsea
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funny you should mention this. just last night I asked dh if he were in agreement with me that schools are dumbing down the students. He agreed. This was brought on by a comment made to me from a youngster, and it was sad because this youngster was supposed to be quite smart. As for me, I hardly watch tv anymore, just refuse to try to get into that junk. WHen I do watch, it is usally movie classics or listen to music or occassionaly HGTV.
I find I don't miss tv anymore. And I refuse to listen to the 'news channels' as they don't really tell the news, I will listen to the updates but not the shows that are all a bunch of people shouting over one another. sigh. oh I do like me some weather channel though.
Posted 06-26-2008 at 09:58 PM by aiangel_writer
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I agree, Troop, those reality shows are in truth "fantasy" shows..I watch the good stuff on History, Discovery, National Geo, Hgtv, etc and get my news from CNN..Posted 07-04-2008 at 07:36 AM by Miss Blue
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Troop
I enjoy your honesty in your blog. I can relate living in the only country on earth where "crime pays" and led by denial (not a river in Egypt).
We have an expose every Sunday where one of the police Captains was caught on film, complete with audio taking a bribe as he had decided to cash in on our little Xenophobia problem (problems locals have with immigrants who are prepared to work for less)
Well it took the reporting by said TV channel to the regional authorities before this high ranking (black) police officer was arrested. I guess these guys watch too many American TV shows (btw we are the 51st state of the USA)
RegardsPosted 07-08-2008 at 02:40 AM by SeekerSA
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This is a very good piece, Troop. When there are more than enough people who can't even spell or use certain words properly, it means they can't read (and understand their own language, for that matter). Our society really is going down the tubes. When we graduate kids that haven't learned simple things (like simple math, simple geography, simple English skills), it makes me wonder whether America can still maintain its status as a world power. Parents really aren't teaching, and kids really aren't learning. Thanks for speaking your mind through the auspices of your computer. Great blog. Keep up the good work!
Posted 11-30-2008 at 06:54 PM by case44 
