Joined Sep 2011
24,135 Posts | 8+
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Intelligent television becoming ignorant?
- Thread starter WeisSaul
- Start date
Joined Feb 2011
9,998 Posts | 3+
Cumbernauld Scotland
He has his gadgets and he is the man that is in charge of the buttons and he is quite happy down there as I don't talk though a program that he is watching
Joined Mar 2008
9,993 Posts | 7+
Damned England
Agreed, some of them are very good indeed, like "Wild China". Some of them are increasingly conjecture passed off as fact (like many history programmes) or just dumbed down. But the good ones are indeed very good. Just about all that's worth watching.
Another thing I hate about the BBC is its London-centric attitude.
Joined Apr 2010
50,502 Posts | 11,794+
Awesome
Any news channel has its biases, but the BBC's bias is generally left-wing, compared to the right-wing politics of the government, so I can't agree that it is a Government propaganda agency. I suspect that people tend to see things in the BBC that reflect their own biases.
As far as news reporting is concerned, the BBC is a lot less biased than many other channels out there, and at least they don't resort to illegal tactics like hacking.
I do, though, agree about the London-centricness, although as a Londonophile, I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing.
There's one thing I cannot stand about the BBC, and that's the business editor Robert Peston. Just hearing the intellectual condescension in his voice makes me want to throw things at the screen.
Joined Sep 2010
2,960 Posts | 2+
Both my PC and my TV have a recording function.
That means I can usually record enough things to watch. .If not,I do something very radical; I READ BOOKS or sometimes I actually listen to recorded music. Plus I also attend free public lectures.
I not watch "reality" TV ,including game shows and talent shows or sports,with the exception of a few Olympic events. Loath most US comedies,although I enjoy some of the crime shows. HBO make some good series.
That means I can usually record enough things to watch. .If not,I do something very radical; I READ BOOKS or sometimes I actually listen to recorded music. Plus I also attend free public lectures.
I not watch "reality" TV ,including game shows and talent shows or sports,with the exception of a few Olympic events. Loath most US comedies,although I enjoy some of the crime shows. HBO make some good series.
Joined Feb 2011
9,998 Posts | 3+
Cumbernauld Scotland
What had happened to people in the past and others getting together and telling the truth, I really prefer Discussing the past with evidence in front of people.
Joined Mar 2008
9,993 Posts | 7+
Damned England
Naomasa- Yes, Robert Preston gets on my wick, too. Mightily.
I'd say that the BBC's bias is overwhelmingly London-centric, middle class (which can mean the pseudo left wing: that group who get furious about ... rights, women's rights, racism and who adhere to Political Correctness, but who couldn't give a monkey's about the working class and underclass), and are pretty much a mouthpiece for the Government, especially since the Hutton Report. That little episode reeled the BBC in for good.
Government has a massive lever over the BBC: the issue of TV Licence fees. Most people would love to see them go, but they're the BBC's lifeblood. Overly critical reporting by the BBC would surely see Government pull the plug, and the public would applaud the end of the Licence Fee.
The BBC operates a system of "censorship by omission", where they don't deny something, or offer an opinion, they merely don't report it. They also repeatedly go on about certain "truths" which are very dodgy: "We're all living longer" (whilst also reporting that this is the first generation to outlive its children because of obesity and alcohol abuse in youngsters). The integrity of Parliament, and the "mission" out in Afghanistan, which is really a news blackout apart from carefully managed "implanted" reportage. The BBC's Pro Israel bias is glaringly obvious and well known.
Did anyone see Paxman try to have a go at George Galloway the other day? He'd never have done that to a Tory or Labour politician.
I'd say that the BBC's bias is overwhelmingly London-centric, middle class (which can mean the pseudo left wing: that group who get furious about ... rights, women's rights, racism and who adhere to Political Correctness, but who couldn't give a monkey's about the working class and underclass), and are pretty much a mouthpiece for the Government, especially since the Hutton Report. That little episode reeled the BBC in for good.
Government has a massive lever over the BBC: the issue of TV Licence fees. Most people would love to see them go, but they're the BBC's lifeblood. Overly critical reporting by the BBC would surely see Government pull the plug, and the public would applaud the end of the Licence Fee.
The BBC operates a system of "censorship by omission", where they don't deny something, or offer an opinion, they merely don't report it. They also repeatedly go on about certain "truths" which are very dodgy: "We're all living longer" (whilst also reporting that this is the first generation to outlive its children because of obesity and alcohol abuse in youngsters). The integrity of Parliament, and the "mission" out in Afghanistan, which is really a news blackout apart from carefully managed "implanted" reportage. The BBC's Pro Israel bias is glaringly obvious and well known.
Did anyone see Paxman try to have a go at George Galloway the other day? He'd never have done that to a Tory or Labour politician.
Joined Sep 2011
24,135 Posts | 8+
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I don't know, Paxman is well reknown for his bluntness, admittedly though, I didn't see the interview. But then again I'm no fan of Mr Galloway either.
Joined Apr 2010
50,502 Posts | 11,794+
Awesome
I don't know about that - the BBC tends to be pro-Europe, pro-immigration, whereas the government is generally sceptical. I'd certainly say the BBC veers more towards the Guardian's viewpoint than the Telegraph's.
The license fee is certainly a big lever, I agree with that.
Equally, the London-centric view as far as politics is concerned is no bad thing. That's where the government is, and that's where the decisions that make or break our country is made. People can have a go at the BBC for being too cosy with Westminster, but we all need to pay more attention to what is going on lest we sleepwalk our way to disaster.
It's comedy output has fallen a long, long way since the days of Blackadder, Yes Minister, 'Allo 'Allo et al though.
I've seen Paxman do it plenty of times to politicians of all parties. Do you remember that interview with Michael Howard where Howard refused to answer a straight question twelve times?
Joined Feb 2011
9,998 Posts | 3+
Cumbernauld Scotland
I must admit that the BBC has lost its real life contact with its Scottish viewers and I agree with you that they seem to have an agenda about what they say politically.
Joined Sep 2011
24,135 Posts | 8+
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Joined Apr 2010
50,502 Posts | 11,794+
Awesome
Show me any unbiased tv channel and I will eat my hat.
I find the political views of Red Hot 18 quite objective.
Joined Aug 2010
6,752 Posts | 17+
The Far East
while i was reading 'The Pursuit of Glory' by Tim Blanning the other night i was enthralled in the chapter on the enlightenment which was when people really began to read more. it was almost with a sense of sadness that i read how so many regular people were now reading which compared with today id say there may be less people reading today, less in terms of common ratios anyway. if anything, in today's society reading is something frowned upon by young people. just read this extract from it and you'll see what i mean-
visual evidence of the social spread can be found for example in Daniel Chodowiecki depiction of a peasant reading. of the rich stock of verbal illustrations available, the following entry in James Lackington diary from 1791 commands itself. Lackington was a self made man who by his own account started with £5 and ended selling a hundred thousand volumes a year by cutting margins to the bone in what he claimed to be 'the cheapest bookshop in the world'. he wrote:
i cannot help observing that the sale of books in general has increased prodigiously within the last 20 years. the poorer sort of farmers and even the poor country people in general who before that period spent there winter evenings in relating stories of witches, ghosts and hobgoblins etc. now shorten the winter nights by hearing there sons and daughters read tales, romances etc., on on entering there house you my see Tom Jones, Roderick Random and other entertaining books, stuck up on there bacon-racks etc. if john gos to town with a load of hay, he is charged to be sure not to forget to bring home Peregrine Pickles Adventures and when Dolly is sent to the market to sell her eggs she is commissioned to purchase The History of Joseph Andrews. in short all ranks and degrees now READ. bit the most rapid increase of the sale of books has been since the end of the last war [1783]
visual evidence of the social spread can be found for example in Daniel Chodowiecki depiction of a peasant reading. of the rich stock of verbal illustrations available, the following entry in James Lackington diary from 1791 commands itself. Lackington was a self made man who by his own account started with £5 and ended selling a hundred thousand volumes a year by cutting margins to the bone in what he claimed to be 'the cheapest bookshop in the world'. he wrote:
i cannot help observing that the sale of books in general has increased prodigiously within the last 20 years. the poorer sort of farmers and even the poor country people in general who before that period spent there winter evenings in relating stories of witches, ghosts and hobgoblins etc. now shorten the winter nights by hearing there sons and daughters read tales, romances etc., on on entering there house you my see Tom Jones, Roderick Random and other entertaining books, stuck up on there bacon-racks etc. if john gos to town with a load of hay, he is charged to be sure not to forget to bring home Peregrine Pickles Adventures and when Dolly is sent to the market to sell her eggs she is commissioned to purchase The History of Joseph Andrews. in short all ranks and degrees now READ. bit the most rapid increase of the sale of books has been since the end of the last war [1783]
Joined Feb 2011
9,998 Posts | 3+
Cumbernauld Scotland
True I suppose everyone has their own agenda, but some more have more than most.Show me any unbiased tv channel and I will eat my hat.
Joined Aug 2009
21,072 Posts | 10+
Minnesnowta
Show me any unbiased tv channel and I will eat my hat.
Channel 1000?
Redirect Notice
What kind of hat do you got?
Joined Sep 2011
24,135 Posts | 8+
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lol
Maybe I should ask this young woman?
But then again, I don't think a snowing channel counts!
That's an interesting quotation from James Lackington in 1783, but I would if it really reflects the true picture then across the whole of Britain. I would like to see actual figures of the numbers of books that were printed in 1783. I suspect that the numbers will be far less than the number of poor country people.
Joined Aug 2009
21,072 Posts | 10+
Minnesnowta
Joined Aug 2010
6,752 Posts | 17+
The Far East
well statistics do actually support what he said. in britain during the first decade of the 16th century around 400 books were published, by the 1630's that total had risen to 6000, by the 1710's to 21,000 and by the 1790's to 56,000. its a lot harder to get accurate statistics from continental europe but in the german speaking world over 175,000 titles were published during the course of the 18th century, two thirds after 1760.
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