Television A Vast Wasteland Essay - 2662 Words

The Cosby Show was the pinnacle of American television. Based on an affluent African-American family in Brooklyn, New York, The Cosby Show demonstrated how to effectively raise a family. The sitcom starred Phylicia Rashad as Clair Huxtable, a confident, assertive, and eloquent attorney. Alongside Rashad was Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable, an eccentric and whimsical obstetrician. Together, Clair and Cliff reared five children in the midst of several complex obstacles. When faced with Sondra’s decision not to go to law school, Denise’s decision to discontinue her education, Theo’s satisfaction with mediocre grades, and Vanessa’s rebellious behavior, the Huxtables never ceased to use humor and discipline to convey strong moral principles. The†¦show more content†¦On these shows, participants are thrown in volatile situations and are expected to compete with each for a monetary prize (Delisle 43). There may be several reality show genres but they tend t o follow the same formula: The shows seek extremes—contestants courting seeming danger, hostile to their competitors; strangers thrown together in situations sure to exacerbate their antagonisms; celebrities revealing their weaknesses, and actual families exposing their neuroses and addictions. Outrageous action has become the norm for what is called ‘Reality TV.’ (Cummings and Gordon 37) Though these reality shows are entertaining, they give viewers a false sense of reality. Reality shows portray competition as the sole way to achieve success. After viewing this mercenary behavior on a daily basis, viewers will inevitably develop an unhealthy need to succeed in all that they do. Since reality shows progressively eliminate the losers and glorify the winner(s), viewers will begin to base their self-worth on winning. In addition to praising winners, reality shows also fail to demonstrate the importance of working hard without a monetary reward. By failing to acknowledge the importance of a strong work ethic, reality shows do not encourage viewers to reach their full potential. Reality shows also cause viewers to become narcissistic. According to a study done by Psychology Today, habitually watching realityShow MoreRelatedTelevision : A Vast Cultural Wasteland Essay1341 Words   |  6 PagesTelevision has been criticized as â€Å"a vast cultural wasteland†. Tv is supposed to be something that people use for fun and entertainment not a way to get away from your problems. Now with that being said this quote is trying to say that tv is useless. I think the reason that some people think that tv is useless is because of shows like SpongeBob and family guy. Sponge bob is a very popular kids show that has been around for years but doesn’t benefit the people watching it in anyway. In fact, watchingRead MoreTelevision Is A Vast Cultural Wasteland Essay954 Words   |  4 Pagespresence today, television has been one of the greatest means to keeping updated with todays issues, finding information, learning new things, being entertained or even getting inspired. It is also a gain for companies to make money of the public, despite it consequences. Whether it be from reality television shows like Bad Girls Club or credible news sources like FOX News, television just doesnt have any true attributes to the public. I agree that television is â€Å" a vast cultural wasteland†, because itRead MorePublic Broadcasting in the Article â€Å"Moving beyond the Vast Wasteland, Laurie Ouellette and Justin Lewis 549 Words   |  2 Pages In their article â€Å"Moving beyond the Vast Wasteland†, Laurie Ouellette and Justin Lewis critique how public broadcasting functions in the US. Liberal reformers hold to the view that television needs protection from commercialism. 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It has been changing rapidly since the influx of immigrants that came here before the Revolution. The 1950s were a happy time. I Love Lucy and Leave It To Beaver were on television. The Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley were popular acts in music. The youth movement of the 1960s was necessary in order for America to progress in social, political, economic, and technological ways that could furtherRead MoreHow Television Images Affect Children1547 Words   |  7 PagesHow Television Images Affect Children by Ron Kaufman [A nursery school teacher told me] her children were crudely bopping each other much more than previously, without provocation. When she remonstrated with them, they would protest, But that s what the Three Stooges do. This attitude did not signify a serious undermining of character. But it certainly showed me that watching violence can lower a child s standards of behavior. Recent psychological experiments have shown that watching brutalityRead MoreThe Downfalls of Egalitarianism and Television989 Words   |  4 Pagesnotion serious† (Mowery). The protagonist, Harrison, who is arrest for â€Å"exuberant individuality,† escapes from prison and goes on a national television station to declare himself emperor, only later to be killed by the handicap general Diane Moon. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† Kurt Vonnegut satirizes the movement toward egalitarianism and the effect of television on people. Egalitarianism can be absurd and detrimental to American society. In the story, heavy weights are put on strong people, and grotesqueRead MoreThe Downfalls of Egalitarianism and Television964 Words   |  4 Pagesthis notion serious† (Mowery). The protagonist, Harrison, who is arrest for â€Å"exuberant individuality,† escapes from prison and goes on national television station to declare himself emperor, only later to be killed by the handicap general Diane Moon. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† Kurt Vonnegut satirizes the movement toward egalitarianism and the effect of television on people. Egalitarianism can be absurd and detrimental to American society. In the story, heavy weights are put on strong people, and grotesqueRead MoreSpeech On The Broadcasting Industry1360 Words   |  6 PagesAddress to the Broadcasting Industry As television channels in the 1960’s continued to display numerous violence, American comedy, and offensive commercials, television programming offered scanty, enjoyable shows for the general audience. Newton Minow, the Federal Communications Chairman (FCC) from 1961 to 1963, argued for a better quality of television in his â€Å"Address to the Broadcasting Industry† to over 2,000 members of the National Association of Broadcasters. As a result, it generated a nationalRead MoreScience Fiction : The Twilight Zone1159 Words   |  5 PagesScience fiction has had many notable cult television shows. Two of the most influential and popular shows were the timely Twilight Zone (1959-1964) and the cult favorite The X-Files (1994-2002). Both have been staples in popular culture by reflecting on social structure and politics through the use of science fiction. (Booker). By comparing the two shows, I will showcase how science fiction became the most influential genre in televisio n history. Science fiction was a genre not very popularized