Am I alone in thought that TV, has become less about entertainment and more about teen gossip?

These “reality” type shows are much cheaper to produce as they seldom have any big name celebs in them. Just the regular booger eaters and they work cheap and that is also the quality of your time if you get involved in them

I agree, its a lot cheaper to make them, and sadly it seems that a lot of people actually watch these types of shows so they make profit there. They are all about making money so this sadly seems to be the obvious choice for these networks.

I guess there is another plus. I will be released from having to pay for cable. I did 2 years in Japan without tv and did just fine. Missed it at first but after the first few months I was good. Found I had more free time on my hands for other things I enjoyed. Ah, maybe I’ll get out to the gym more often as well.
They can keep their booger eating shows. I’ll just find other ways to enjoy my time. Come to think of it, I also ate better. Food commercials are the worst. They make you desire junk because they make it all look so good on tv. So no tv, no commercials, no junk food. Yeah!!

I just stick with Netflix :)

I guess I have missed out on the teen Gossip part. I only watch the shows that are interesting to me, and skip the rest.

@YARNLADY I call it teen gossip because the reality shows have such immature arguements. It reminds me of when I was in high school. I left high school behind years ago and I don’t miss the idiotic arguements teens would have, not one bit. And yet networks think these things are an interest to us. I admit I watch Top Model, but I always record it and fast foward past the commentaries or little stupid fights that skinny girls with no food will have.
I just look at the photos and listen to the judges comments on their performance and of course go on to see who got kicked out.

Well, if you have basic cable, then chances are, you’ll see, mostly, what’s in, popular and all the mainstream crap, which is a lot of what you’re describing. And cable has to do that against the internet and online gaming haha.
But really I think cable shows what most accept as entertainment, which really isn’t any different then when people wanted sitcoms or police dramas.
I did have satellite for a good six months though.
Now that’s cheating because I could pick from Canadian, American and European channels, so obviously you get a lot of variety. I picked what I thought was interesting…and a lot of it was. Stuff like History or Discovery, Drive In Theater which showed old stuff; the most modern show they had was Xena Warrior Princess which I always loved, a channel about books, I got a buncha different versions of Teletoon lol…so there is a bunch of stuff out there. But you’re very limited with basic cable, and I gave up satellite because I hate commercials and it was too expensive.
So I guess my answer is, I think cable accents itself on specific type of stuff because this is what most people seem to get into. Still, even with basic you’ll still find some channel somewhere that plays Simpsons episodes from the 90’s or a buncha Law and Order stuff.

This “wikipedia”“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_television article has a few good ideas.

Because they’re cheap to make. I’m disappointed with most tv shows. I feel like everything is being ‘dumbed down’.

I get the MTV and teen gossip stuff. Remember when MTV would actually play music videos! Now it’s just about teen moms and teen sex. ugh

Not quite sure how you grouped cooking channels and fitness in with teen gossip though. I love me some cooking shows. No teens there.

@jonsblond I dont think its so much a bash against cooking channel but more the fact that all these networks are making all these stupid cooking shows (yea sure some are good) but all in all its pointless when there is a whole friggin channel dedicated to just that. Imo Food network is going a bit downhill itself though. Its all contest shows any more like chopped or next food network star. I dont give a shit….. Stop trying to ride the awesomeness of Iron Chef.

Ive been watching a lot of the Cooking Channel lately. Lot better shows over there. Food Jammers is super awesome, check it out if ya ever get a chance.

@uberbatman Like this? What the hell is Syfy doing with a cooking show? ugh

@jonsblond exactly. Better question wtf possessed scifi to changing their name to syfy. Fuckin stupid marketing

@uberbatman I guess it cost them too much to add one letter. Or like @faye said they dumbed it down for the people who have a spelling challenge.
I agree with @faye. Everything is being dumbed down so people with short attention spans don’t really have to think to hard.
Dumb person; “Oh! Crap! She smacked her. Wow! this is great stuff!”
Hey, mom pass me the pipe.
Oh, by the way. I got a letter from welfare today but I don’t understand it. It has some big words.
“Screw that, I just know I better get my efinning check!”

I resent that pipe remark. I watch intelligent tv. :P

This is why I avoid TV, it is mostly sexploitation, or political hacks on the ABC channels. Only exception I make, is House, old movies and my local sports team.

I kind of gave up on House when most of it was either his mental or Cutty problems. Sexin’ with Cutty was just the worst to see!

Its not lupus….

@faye, They have moved on from Cutty and House. They got him married to some hooker who needed a green card so he is suppose to make it not look suspicious for 3 years. Cutty broke up with him and he did this to retaliate. They also brought back 13.

@Pandora okay, I’ll give it another shot but I think the show has jumped the shark.