PBS...A Good Thing

I believe I have nine blog post…at least I think, so this will be my tenth and last. The reading we had consisting of Sesame Street and overall “kids” programming seemed as usual to me. People getting all upset about a show that millions of people like and try to find the “behind” meaning of what is really going on with the show Sesame Street. My question is, “Where can I find a job like that?” I mean come one, what classic show don’t you know of that was happening during the 70’s that didn’t consist of drug users creating it? I say give Sesame Street a break, they’re a non-profit program on PBS, we should be looking more closely in Blues Clues or Dora the Explore and other money hungry shows that are hot right now. In the time of Sesame Street we were worried about Communists and today we’re worried about terrorist, much difference, not really. Sesame Street is a great program that enables children to get some practice before school, plus people aren’t teaching them…Muppets are and that’s cool, considering how a show like Mr. Rogers couldn’t be successful in today’s word due to his resemblance an online predator. Either way shows on PBS are way more educational in a sense compared to shows on Nickelodeon, from Arthur, Reading Rainbow, and Real Science! (come on you can’t beat that lineup). I don’t have kids to worry about currently, but Epley my man you do, and highly take in consideration what you let your kids watch because knowing a little about you, you’ll probably let them what as much TV as they want. Curious George, Dragon Tales, to Sesame Street they all are either informational, educational, or entertaining. I watched them and I turned out alright...some say.

Non-commercial Television Blog #9

So I feel all this debate over Sesame Street and children's programming is somewhat useless and unneccessary. They are arguing over whether it is more beneficial for children to learn cognitive skills or learn to use their imaginations. Obviously both these qualities are necessary for children to develop into moral and responsible adults. Can't we agree that most educational children's programming is doing more good than harm? Another thing about this debate is the emphasis put on these television shows. I don't think exposure to Sesame Street is really going to improve a child's chances of having a better education. I guess at least they are trying to educate kids, but I feel more of the responsibility should rest on the parents. Parents too easily pawn there kids off on the television set. Some television watching is alright for kids, but a lot of it is not all that stimulating or educational, and too much of a good thing is still too much. If parents paid more attention to what their kids were watching it would not be so detrimental. At least Sesame Street is not part of this capitalistic controlled children's tv. They aren't making this to get rich, instead they are offering more of a service to parents. Parents can sit their kids down in front of the tv and put Sesame Street on and know that it is at least better than other children's tv. And now the government doesn't want to fund public tv anymore. Well that is just riduculous considering that the amount they spend is so little in comparison to their other expenses. A show like Sesame Street should be complimented and held in a higher regard than regular children's programming, it should be supported by both parents and the govenment, not picked apart and ridiculed.

Quality TV Blog #8

So the entire semester we have been bouncing this idea around about quality television. What is quality tv? Who decides what can be called quality. I read Pieper's blog and I agree with her comments about your comments (Eply, that's you). Maybe you were right. Maybe I am being dupped by network executives. Maybe I do scoff at people who watch Rock of Love, Girls Next Door, basically any show on MTV, or the E channel for five hours a day because I feel more intelligent. But just because I am being marketed and sold to just like the cultural dopes who watch crappy tv doesn't mean I am going to change what I watch. I like what I like. Everything that is on tv is on there to do one thing and one thing alone, to make money. I am just happy that some of the shows offered on television do provide me with what I consider quality entertainment. I am not saying that Six Feet Under is any better than America's Next Top Model, oh wait, I am saying that. But why shouldn't I say that. I have a right to my own opinion. I believe that what most scholars consider quality tv is fundamentally better than other programming. It seems to dig deeper into the human experience and provides a better protrayal of human emotions and interactions. Not to mention the comedies that are considered quailty. It seems I like quality dramas because they dwell on personal experiences and feelings more. I like quality comedies because they use more refined techniques of story telling than the average one-liners. What it comes down to is this, whether or not I am being dupped dosen't matter. I am just glad that some of the people out there that are making television are making it in a way that appeals to me, even if I am to be sequestered as a high-cultured, academic, hipster wananbe.

Disintegration: Cable to Youtube Blog #7

So in this blog I am going to once again get bitchy about American society, and why not, it is so easy. Television is scared of the internet and I can see why. But mark my words, television or some futuristic form that is similar to television will always be around. There is no way to escape it. Right now television seems to have a relationship with the internet, only the internet is wearing the pants. The internet holds all the power, but the television is the pretty counterpart that is fun to look at. Anyway, it's great for fans to be able to go on-line and access material related to their favorite shows. It also allows them to connect with others that enjoy the same show, and to talk to other fans. But this idea of the intenet functioning as a valuable social and culture space I just don't agree with. I wish it could be, but let's just put it out there, the internet is a huge marketing ploy. The idea of personal tv and target marketing is the next step in our capitalistic society. This step worries me. I am just down right sick of it all. I don't want to be a consumer, I don't feel that I am a consumer. The only thing I ever spend money on is gas, food, rent, and bills. Why am I the target demographic? I don't need or want to have all this consumerism pushed in my face. It basically just makes me feel bad about my life, as if my life was insuperior. If I had my choice I would probably move into the mountains and get away from all these overbearing forces that make me feel like I need to buy to feel happy. Why not try feeling happy through something else. I obviously have no idea right now what I am trying to say and this blog makes no sense, but I will just say this, the meaning of life, at least mine, is not found in a prepackaged world picked out just for me.

Television's Prime Blog #6

So it's been awhile since we talked about Gitlin, but this idea of hegemony keeps coming up. In his piece he talks about how television promotes the partiarchal, white, way of thinking. Well, of course it does, it's run by partirarchal white males. He talked about changes in the way that the hegemonic thinking is inserted into television programming from the different eras. In the 50's and 60's it was obvious. But then in the 70's it changes. Shows start including social issues in their themes. But this is a trick, they are domesticizing the problem. They're are talking about them, but aren't really talking about them. We think things are changing on television or in society, but it seems that the people in control are just tweeking their ideas and presenting them in a new way. What I am trying to get at I don't really know. I just feel that hegemony is everywhere and it always has been. The problem I believe is that everyone allows it to work. Members of our society don't challenge whether the American dream is a good dream, instead they immerse themselves in it, they strive for it. Maybe the problem is this American dream. This idea of success is what seperates us from each other. It positions us as competitors, instead of bringing us together or whatever. Television is obviously a vehicle for this to happen. We are presented with countless shows that reinforce this idea of reaching for the American dream. Television also is all about advertising. In Gitlin's words it turns us into a market rather than a public. I see this as one of the major problems in America. It's all about the stuff that you have. Everyone is so busy trying to attain material posessions they are distracted. No one feels connected to one another anymore, no one cares about anyone else except their immediate family. It's all about the benjamins for most Americans. We're all individuals. Right, who cares if your an individual if there is no one there to appreciate your greatness. Who cares who suffers as long as you have what you want. This is the problem with American society.

Children's Television

The reading from last week really made me angry. How in any way, shape or form is Sesame Street bad for children to watch? For the most part everyone I grew up with watched it and I think we all turned out fine. Shows that they have now are even worse for kids then Sesame Street ever could have been. Sesame Street taught kids things that really were good for them. What stuff does the Teletubbies teach a child? Sesame Street taught colors and numbers. The characters on the show were pretty cool and fun to watch. The best show for a kid to watch today would be Dora the Explorer I think. This is because it actually teaches kids Spanish while still being educational. It is an easy show for a child to watch because it's fun and there is a monkey in it that is pretty fun, too. PBS has a lot of quality shows for kids today. Arthur is great because there is always a lesson that comes with the show. There is also a show with a clown girl on PBS and that is pretty entertaining. She shows kids how to clean up in one minute and also does exercises like stretching during the show. Minus the part that she is a clown, it really isn't to bad of a show. I think that with your twins, Epley, you should start them off with some good old Sesame Street and then slowly move them up to the Wiggles once they can walk. The Wiggles are pretty fun and they tour the country doing live shows. Just an idea though!

Reality TV- This could be you!

The reading from the week of reality television didn't surprise me much. What we talked about in class and what the readings said was that it could be you. You can be on a reality television show if you wanted. Lets think to this year and the girl from UNI that was on Big Brother. Now I have never watched that show, nor did I when she was on it, but none the less it showed me that hey I can be on television just like this other girl from UNI. Then came spring break and MTV's trashy shows from spring break in Florida. That is when another UNI student was on television and ended up winning some couples contest. I have heard from various people that the guy wasn't actually dating this girl and that they just were models together. Which then goes to show me that reality television is a bunch of crap. What happened to great television shows that were about family and actually had some talented actors/actresses in them? I miss the days of the Brady Bunch and Wonder Years. Now don't get me wrong I do love the trashy shows that occupy the television time, but I also like watching good shows that have some special meaning in the end. I think I am probably out of luck with that because I feel that television won't be turning around and going back to producing higher cost shows anytime soon. Another thing that really bothered me in class was when Nikki was talking about volunteering on the set of Extreme Home Makeover and she said that Ty was never even there until the last few days before the big reveal. I think that that is pretty shady of him. People think he is such a great guy cause he is helping make someone who has a shitty house so much better and in all reality he doesn't do anything to help really. This needs to be put in a little disclaimer at the end of the show so people know about it. I think that I am going to go apply for the Real World and try to get on there and then I can report back about how unreal it really is.

Sesame Street 1972

I'm almost offended by last weeks reading and how people could think Sesame Street is bad for their children. They compare it to Mister Roger's Neighborhood and explain the differences that make "Mister Rogers" a better choice for youngins. What would you rather watch as a child, Sesame Street or Mister Rogers? I covered some research about Sesame Street in Media Processes and Effects and it shows through two studies that Sesame Street is an effective television show for kids 3-5 and helps them learn before they attend school. Their ability to pick up numbers, and the alphabet were higher than those who didn't watch Sesame Street. Isn't that rewarding considering your child can enhance their cognitive learning before they set foot in school? The big picture is that a child's viewing habits can effect them in so many ways. Whether they watch educational programming, violence, or cartoons, it's going to have a lasting effect on their actions and attitudes. A lot of it will come down to the parents and how proactive they are in their childrens lives to monitor how much TV they watch and what they're watching.

X to the Z goes to console

While makeover television gets more popular, i'll continue to laugh at the fact that X to the Z made it onto Xbox 360 and Playstation consoles. I have no idea how I was in the dark about this, but this game looks absolutely retarded. I just happen to google Pimp My Ride images and found this screenshot from the console game. I might be on my way to Family Video or Blockbuster later to get my Pimp My Ride fix in. Not. The show was dumb, the only part that was worth watching was to hear Xzibit's laugh. Maybe i'll link a video later if you don't know what i'm talking about. While Pimp My Ride was really popular and made it 4 seasons, the first makeover show I remember watching was the original Extreme Makeover. Before Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I remember watching this show with my parents and seeing people getting makeovers to look totally opposite than what they did before. I thought it was kinda cool at first, but little did I know that many shows that were twice as dumb were to follow. Is this just a way for celebrities to rejuvenate their careers? Pretty sure Xzibit's music sucked and now he's on to acting; see Derailed.

Broadcasting to Broadcasters

Addressing broadcasting, narrowcasting, and microcasting, unless you’re a business major, only becomes really interesting when you look at its future. Unlike the 50’s, when daytime TV catered to female audiences, Saturday morning catered to children, and primetime catered to the man of the house, our world today is shaped by a much more diverse group of spectators. As Nate addressed in class, not even the Food Network is catering to an all-female fan base anymore. I mean…you saw Giada’s low-cut shirt, right?

Today, advertisers have taken the position of narrowcasting. Commercials aren’t broadcast to “men coming home from work” anymore. They’re broadcast to “Hispanic men, 18-34 years old, working blue collar jobs in the Midwest.” It’s really a new level of advertising that marketing and advertising grads are probably still beaming about. Unfortunately, they probably still haven’t gone far enough, for their tastes or maybe even our own.

As Lewis and Parks addressed, TiVo and the connections we make on DVRs may take advertising to a new level. No longer will they narrowcast, they’ll microcast, baby! They’ll understand that even though I’m a college student and am slotted into a neat little advertising demographic, that advertising Busch Light to me is completely useless. A) it sucks, and b) who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to crack open some cheap beer while zip-lining in the mountains…honestly. Anyway, these DVRs will retain a form of virtual memory and advertisers will probably start buying rights to access them, yada yada, etc. The more interesting thought is “Do we hate this or do we want this?” Furthermore, “In the end, aren’t we really just convincing ourselves things are easier and making more work for ourselves?” Look back to the invention of television and women in the house for some back-story. Or…read my response paper to see what I think. You know you wanna.