So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[scottyrocks]

Somewhere there's a very funny interview with The Beatles accusing them that their song Day Tripper was about Lesbians & prostitutes and did they have a comment about that, to which John Lennon answered: "What's all the fuss about? We just wrote a simple song about Lesbians & Prostitutes." Seeing no mileage forthcoming, the interviewer waxed lyrical about their latest release, namely Eleanor Rigby, and then asked what it was that inspired the song to which Paul McCartney answered: "Two queers." Not an acceptable term these days, but his reply was straight off the cuff.

Steely Dan went through that in the '70s. People wondered, 'What does that mean?' The answer was usually that the words just fit in well.

 

[Zombie_61]

I'm the same way. I watch virtually no modern TV production, especially the reality-type shows - not even Deadliest Catch anymore...

My problem with shows like Deadliest Catch, and Ice Road Truckers, and all of the "Hey kids, let's rebuild a car!" shows, is that they're all so repetitive that I lose interest quickly. "Oh, is this the episode when they go fishing for crab?" I start off liking them if for no other reason than the subject matter, but soon find myself more bored than entertained.

For reasons she can't explain to me, my wife enjoys a few of those "other" so-called-reality shows - The Real Housewives of Orange County, anything featuring the Kardashian Klan, and the one with those morons in New Jersey. I'm fairly easy-going, but only a few minutes of exposure to any of those shows makes me want to load up the ol' revolver and fire a few rounds into my gray matter.

 

[scottyrocks]

I seriously doubt I'd have the appreciation for various genres of music if it weren't for Carl Stalling's brilliant use of those songs in the Warner Brothers cartoons in the 1930s-1950s. He might have only used a snippet here and there sometimes, but it piqued my curiosity enough to make me seek out original recordings when I got older.

Stalling (and BB cartoons, in general) was a huge influence on my young life. I can't tell you how many musical and vocal cues I used on a regular basis. Examples:

When I'd had enough of a particularly frustrating person, I'd say, 'Weeeeell, GOD-BYE!' and then 'sing' the piece of music that was often used when Bugs would produced packed suitcases and then usher someone like Yosemite Sam out of town.

Or when someone was being especially thick, I'd say, 'Oaf!' a la the Sheriff of Nottingham.

And then there was Rhapsody Rabbit, which pretty much got me started on classical music appreciation.

Yeah, people looked at me funny occasionally.

 

[scottyrocks]

For reasons she can't explain to me, my wife enjoys a few of those "other" so-called-reality shows - The Real Housewives of Orange County, anything featuring the Kardashian Klan, and the one with those morons in New Jersey. I'm fairly easy-going, but only a few minutes of exposure to any of those shows makes me want to load up the ol' revolver and fire a few rounds into my gray matter.

Yeah, those are the worst of the worst of the worst.

 

[GHT]

My problem with shows like Deadliest Catch, and Ice Road Truckers, and all of the "Hey kids, let's rebuild a car!" shows, is that they're all so repetitive that I lose interest quickly. "Oh, is this the episode when they go fishing for crab?" I start off liking them if for no other reason than the subject matter, but soon find myself more bored than entertained.

Have you noticed the format for these, Fix up an Old Car, Build a Log Cabin, Drive a Road Train Across Australia shows? For every minute that you see something interesting being done, there's at least three minutes of talking into the camera. They also tried to build drama that simply isn't there. It boors me senseless, and as we are not allowed guns, I resort to sticking pins in my eyeballs.

 

[KY Gentleman]

]

Vienna Sausages and some saltines make a pretty good snack/ lunch!

 

[vitanola]

Perfect match:

View attachment 113452

Just the same, only different.

 

[Zombie_61]

Have you noticed the format for these, Fix up an Old Car, Build a Log Cabin, Drive a Road Train Across Australia shows? For every minute that you see something interesting being done, there's at least three minutes of talking into the camera. They also tried to build drama that simply isn't there. It boors me senseless, and as we are not allowed guns, I resort to sticking pins in my eyeballs.

All of these "reality" shows are deceptive, and the people who produce them are counting on the fact that the majority of their viewing audience doesn't have the first clue about how they're produced. Drama? If it isn't already there they'll manufacture it in the editing room, and if it is there they'll blow it way out of proportion by editing the footage to tell the story they want to tell. Reality might be in there somewhere, but they're "jazzing it up" quite a lot.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

(un)reality TV is just a reflection of today's societies.....they're cheap to make, fake from start to finish, can be sold all over the world & don't require an intellect to watch them..As we appear to want to live in an artificial, disposable world, it's only logical we are served artificial, disposable TV shows.
And with the advances in A.I. we too will become disposable, we are just following the inevitable course of our evolution, so stop grumbling & embrace your destiny, Earthlings.

 

[GHT]

And with the advances in A.I. we too will become disposable, we are just following the inevitable course of our evolution, so stop grumbling & embrace your destiny, Earthlings.

Ah, but us earthlings have a secret weapon. Artificial Intelligence is no match for human stupidity.

 

[scottyrocks]

Have you noticed the format for these, Fix up an Old Car, Build a Log Cabin, Drive a Road Train Across Australia shows? For every minute that you see something interesting being done, there's at least three minutes of talking into the camera. They also tried to build drama that simply isn't there. It boors me senseless, and as we are not allowed guns, I resort to sticking pins in my eyeballs.

Exactly. Too much drama.

The first reality show I ever saw in this vein was West Coast Choppers with Jesse James. Loved it. That was followed by the OCC (Orange County Choppers) goofs - the Tuttles. The drama was retarded. I watched a few episodes and it only got worse.

I didn't look at reality TV again until Deadliest Catch, and I watched that for a long time because you couldn't fake the situations and much of the drama was based on the genuine strain of the job. I watched it for about 10 seasons overall (from the pilot forward through about a couple of years after Phil Harris' death. I lost interest shortly after his son took over the operation of the Cornelia Marie. I decided that his decision making was so bad it had to be influenced by (TV) Production.

But none of this compares to the 'Real Housewives . . . ' type of show. There are no words strong enough to describe my thoughts on this type of show, the people in them, or the people who watch them with baited breath.

 

[vitanola]

"the people who watch them with baited breath."

I presume they are eating anchovies?

 

[scottyrocks]

I ate an oyster once; it tasted like the parking lot at Ports of Call.

I'm not sure I'd like to know how you know that.

 

[GHT]

I'm not sure I'd like to know how you know that.

Reminds me of the comment my missus made at work, before retirement. She was a paramedic, and not long after graduating to paramedic status, she attended a call to a drunk who was so incapable that he lay prostrate, face down on the sidewalk.
"Is he still with us?" Her partner enquired of the police officer, at the scene. Before the cop had time to answer, my missus piped up: "He's fine, he's just enjoying a pavement pizza." After that, pavement pizza went into folklore. Later at an emergency services charity dance night, a police officer told me that pavement pizza had become police parlance for drunks.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^

I presume they are eating anchovies?

Or sushi, maybe. Surely not worms!

 

[tonyb]

Several years ago while chatting with a fellow visiting from Cincinnati I mentioned something I had seen in the pages of Sunset Magazine.

Ohio guy was unfamiliar with the publication, so while I was explaining what it is -- travel features, gardening tips, recipes, etc. -- he said "sounds like Southern Living," to which I said, "yeah, pretty much the same thing, with different pictures."

On DIY Network and HGTV are a half dozen or so shows that are all pretty much the same thing: attractive youngish couples who rehab existing houses and sell them (allegedly) for a profit. We see them buy the houses, demolish existing features, put in new stuff. Throw in some cute banter and "unexpected" problems along the way to add a touch of drama. And at the end are before and after shots. That's the formula.

 

[3fingers]

Several years ago while chatting with a fellow visiting from Cincinnati I mentioned something I had seen in the pages of Sunset Magazine.

Ohio guy was unfamiliar with the publication, so while I was explaining what it is -- travel features, gardening tips, recipes, etc. -- he said "sounds like Southern Living," to which I said, "yeah, pretty much the same thing, with different pictures."

On DIY Network and HGTV are a half dozen or so shows that are all pretty much the same thing: attractive youngish couples who rehab existing houses and sell them (allegedly) for a profit. We see them buy the houses, demolish existing features, put in new stuff. Throw in some cute banter and "unexpected" problems along the way to add a touch of drama. And at the end are before and after shots. That's the formula.

Aside from the generated drama on those shows I struggle to believe that the majority of those kids that are supposedly buying for their own residence can handle what they claim is within their "budget".
Other young people see that and expectations are foolishly raised. Their houses own them. We need a facepalm smiley.

 

[tonyb]

Aside from the generated drama on those shows I struggle to believe that the majority of those kids that are supposedly buying for their own residence can handle what they claim is within their "budget".
Other young people see that and expectations are foolishly raised. Their houses own them. We need a facepalm smiley.

Some of those shows are taped in places with relatively low housing costs, where a decent house can be had for less than a couple hundred G's and thoroughly rehabbed for maybe 60 or 70 or 80. You don't have to reek of money to afford that.

But your point is well taken. In most of our major cities these days housing costs are getting out of reach of people knocking down less than six-figure annual incomes. It's probably safe to assume that most young people buying a house for $600K and dumping another couple hundred G's into a remo likely inherited the money.

 

[Zombie_61]

Ah, but us earthlings have a secret weapon. Artificial Intelligence is no match for human stupidity.

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Unknown

I'm not sure I'd like to know how you know that.

Oh, the stories I could tell if this were a far less civilized forum.

 

[OldStrummer]

Here is something I'm noticing that seems to becoming a trend: motorists stopping three or four car lengths behind the car in front of them at a stop light. I mean, WTF?

Back when I was learning to drive, and there was real driver's education, I was told to keep about three feet between you and the car in front; you should at least be able to see the rear bumper of the car ahead. But thirty feet???

The last time I saw this, I just changed lanes in front of the car parked that way. I mean, if you're going to give me an in, why shouldn't I take it?