You are smashing facts on the great wall of comfort.

The kids don't like that.

The irony is they induce a passive hypnotic state and then introduce contrived strife,hysteria, fear, malevolence and utter unredeemable idiocy.

With your head all scrambled up from your evening programming you sleep and dream someone else's dreams.

You awake with a memory of being refreshed and take your place back on the food chain.

Your post reminds me of Dark City (1998). Underrated film.

How much of what we do with our lives is effectively following others peoples instructions for us?

And how much do we truly think about our own lifestyle choices?

"The medium is the message"

*With your head all scrambled up from your evening programming you sleep and dream someone else's dreams.

You awake with a memory of being refreshed and take your place back on the food chain.*

This gave me an eerie thought: about a decade ago I remember hearing about how the Human Genome Project was harvesting computing power from volunteers the world over, essentially using them as nodes for computing their own data.

Imagine our brains/consciousness being used in the same manner by way of media programming

That's a deep rabbit hole but to answer the question: yes. But don't talk about it online.

I can say whenever I see TV now I almost get sick to my stomach. I haven't had a TV in my room for years but I still get small doses of it from time to time. If I had my own house the only thing I would use cable for is internet. But even then, places like YouTube are full brain dead content.

It feels so unreal to me how the hell can other people watch that box all day.

Zombies. I used to be one of them.

It reminds me of the 1984 movie every time.

Funny you should say that. On this sub, the thing which seems to get most 'awake' people howling like offended flower petals is the questioning of what is shown on our telescreens.

I honestly doubt many people have even read 1984, let alone understood it.

well let's not throw everything out yet.

See what I mean?

I'm loosing the plot I'm afraid. I sure hope not of course, but may I ask how in the Hell do missiles relate to this threads subject? :/ Not just missiles but also the idea of them being a fkn hoax?!

In keeping with what I thought was a TV themed thread, we're seemingly tuned into two very different channels here!

Missiles a hoax....if you've simply used that as an example of people keeping there mind so open their brain has fallen out, I understand, although it's an obscure example to use. Is it meant to be funny? Because yeah it is quite funny! Or is it meant to be a shocking example of absolute stupidity?

If it was none of the above and just intended to do nothing but totally mind fuck someone, then I concede defeat and admire your job well done!

Yes it is unreal, people pay over 100 dollars a month for the most mind numbing shows laden with ads. Heck most people fall asleep watching that stuff, so what's the point? Don't forget how lovely the holidays were everyone stuffs their mouths with food. Buying shit they don't need with money they don't have whilst sitting around the TV.

Yes but I have argued in the past that it's still better than the TV. The TV is the worst of them all. Even the establishment shills on YT are amateurs now, but if you look closely on the front page (from a clean connection and no cookies) they have local mainstream TV channels now hosting their shows.

Smartphones are the worst of them; you can interact and they can look back at you.

Same here, TV makes me sick. Haven't watched in 7 years. There's also literal subliminal messages sometimes, search youtube. I'm more worried about laptops and computers though because that's not something I can give up easily.

the best thing i've ever done is cancel cable TV.

now if i can just get that TV out of the bedroom..

Is it true that the guy who is credited with originally designing what we now call 'TV' was trying to channel spirits?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Crookes

There are some shows that are actually good. I don't think TV is all bad.

Cobra Kai on YouTube Red is awesome!

I took a much needed break from the real world and watched Cobra Kai. I binged all 10 episodes. I was shocked at how good it is!

Yes, I get what you are saying. But I don't think all TV is bad.

this is a great post OP, really glad someone decided to talk about this from such a relatable standpoint.

On TV the main characters are always sitting on a wacky time bomb whether real or metaphorical, there's always a time sensitive conflict that the characters are trying to defeat. 30 minutes to a few hours depending on the amount of episodes or length of program.

This is the plot of almost all media. Worse, we start expecting that convenience in real life.

I'll make a gooey in basic.

Thank you for this post. T.V. is so ingrained in americans lives that it is pathetic but then again they said that at some point the slaves would enjoy their servitude and administer it to themselves. I fucking hate television. That shit is annoying to even hear much less try to watch or tune out when talking to a friend. I mean there is a reason they call it "programming" in the first place. Also now that i think of it. I used to have the documents saved where it lroved that televisons are designed to be two way not one way. When you are watxhing tv. Someone else is watching you. We allowed survellance into every single one of our own homes without even questioning it. I will have to look for that document since the popos still have my old phone i had it saved too. Great extensive post man.

All quotes are from 1984 by George Orwell.

"The voice came from an oblong metal plaque like a dulled mirror which formed part of the surface of the right-hand wall. Winston turned a switch and the voice sank somewhat, though the words were still distinguishable. The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely."

"He thought of the telescreen with its never-sleeping ear. They could spy upon you night and day, but if you kept your head you could still outwit them. With all their cleverness they had never mastered the secret of finding out what another human being was thinking. . . . Facts, at any rate, could not be kept hidden. They could be tracked down by inquiry, they could be squeezed out of you by torture."

Hmm if only somebody could invent a little black box you could hold in your hand (or a speaker to put in your house) to ask your every thought. And of course the mic couldn't be turned off, in case you had a question...

"Life, if you looked about you, bore no resemblance not only to the lies that streamed out of the telescreens, but even to the ideals that the Party was trying to achieve."

"How do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?"

"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."

"From the proletarians nothing is to be feared. Left to themselves, they will continue from generation to generation and from century to century, working, breeding, and dying, not only without any impulse to rebel, but without the power of grasping that the world could be other than it is."

“The ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible, and glittering—a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons—a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting—three hundred million people all with the same face.”

He was a bit off here it's 2 faces, Liberal vs Conservative. That was everyone is too busy yelling at eachother to notice what's going on.

Some obvious propaganda I see on tv right now:

• Every show has a gay character. Gays make up less than 4% of the US.

• Every commercial has an interracial couple. There are less than 1 million black/white couples in the US, which has over 300 million people.

What percentage of actors are gay?

What percentage of athletes in the NFL are black?

I see your statistics and understand your POV, but the truth is way deeper than statistics comparatively to general population.

How often do you see neon green/neon blue-green? It is all an allusion - even those white straight shows.

I see your statistics and understand your POV, but the truth is way deeper than statistics comparatively to general population.

Actors and NFL players are not the general population. They are the 1% of the 1%

I have not and never will watch or even attempt to watch every show on television so I'm coming in unarmed here but a gay on EVERY show you say? Are we talking sitcoms or a specific genre? Your statement is simply far from true as it stands and I'm not qualified to offer a diagnosis but perhaps you're suffering from paranoia of some sort?

As for a black commentator seemingly on every NBA and NFL broadcast team whilst making up only 12% of the population, I fail to see the propaganda or agenda that is so 'obvious' to you. As Lurk pointed out, what are the percentage of black athletes in each respective sport?

Yes, NBA/NFL players are not the general population, I totally agree as do I agree that most mass media on the whole is aimed at the general population, beings that it's commercial TV it's simple economic sensibility, is it not? I've totally no idea what point you're attempting to make with them being the 1% of the 1%. Are you suggesting that as sports are aimed at the general population then the commentary team should be made up of randomly selected members of that general population? You'll have to clear it up mate as I'm a bit lost and just guessing what you mean.

Lets for shits and giggles do some math. In this example I'm guessing your apparent shock that there's seemingly at least one black on each broadcast is also more often than not also a retired ex player.

I guesstimate that 75% of players in each team NBA team are black. I'm not American and haven't watched any of your sporting broadcasts for years but I'd guess and to keep the math simple, there would perhaps be a team of 5 on each broadcast team for the home and away season. Is it that out of the realm of possibility to imagine in a sport that's made up of 75% blacks that the broadcast team would then be made up of 20% black employees? No doubt employed for their expert special comments and insights having played the game at the highest level. Very few of the 25% of whites will retire and do commentary, I'm not aware of a Larry Bird, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley or Bill Wennington moving into commentary(I could be wrong) What would be described as your general commentator, for the general public, in fact make up a whopping 80% of the commentary team! Where I live there's a couple of high grade respected commentators that never played professionally but by and large it's made up of retired players, for the consensus is people like to hear from people who have lived and breathed the game at the highest level.

Fucked if I know what your meaning to indicate in regards to the one black per team, 12% of the population, who then become 1% of the 1%. I get the feeling your suggesting they're over represented and somehow this is propaganda? Sorry if i'm wrong. A few minutes thought a couple of numbers, that whilst not exact I'm confident of them being around the mark and anyone can see they're grossly under represented in the broadcast team considering the huge number that have lived and breathed the game and not a scribe on the sidelines beating around for a story.

I have not and never will watch or even attempt to watch every show on television so I'm coming in unarmed here but a gay on EVERY show you say? Are we talking sitcoms or a specific genre? Your statement is simply far from true as it stands and I'm not qualified to offer a diagnosis but perhaps you're suffering from paranoia of some sort?

Obviously it's a figure of speech, but it seems like a large amount of shows are having gay characters, to the point that shows without gay characters are the outcasts. It would be worth looking into as it seems they are very over-represented.

As for a black commentator seemingly on every NBA and NFL broadcast team whilst making up only 12% of the population, I fail to see the propaganda or agenda that is so 'obvious' to you. As Lurk pointed out, what are the percentage of black athletes in each respective sport?

Here's the problem. You are arguing for proportional representation in sports, but then saying I'm paranoid for saying other groups are over-represented in regular TV shows. You can't have it both ways.

Are you suggesting that as sports are aimed at the general population then the commentary team should be made up of randomly selected members of that general population?

I think Whites and Hispanics and even Asians to a degree are underrepresented, while Blacks are over represented. This also didn't used to be like this. The amount of blacks doing commentary in the 80's, 90's and 00's was much smaller than it is today, even though the leagues had similar racial numbers. This implies to me that various companies are over-compensating.

Women are also very under-represented if we are going by the general population or over-represented if we are considering your theory that it's only proportional to the amount of players from said group in the league.

In this example I'm guessing your apparent shock that there's seemingly at least one black on each broadcast is also more often than not also a retired ex player?

Look commentary is a pretty mindless job. I used to do it. Anyone can do it. There's no IQ requirements or true education requirements to be a good commentator.

I'm not American and haven't watched any of your sporting broadcasts for years but I'd guess and to keep the math simple, there would perhaps be a team of 5 on each broadcast team for the home and away season.

I'm looking more at broadcast teams, which are usually 2 people and the default is always one black and one White.

Very few of the 25% of whites will retire and do commentary

Is it because they don't want to or is it because they aren't the right skin color? I think most players of any race would accept a commentary gig since it's easy work.

I'm not aware of a Larry Bird, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley or Bill Wennington moving into commentary(I could be wrong)

Steve Kerr did commentary work prior to joining the Warriors.

who then become 1% of the 1%.

There's millions of football and basketball players in the US. Less than 1% become pro players.

I get the feeling your suggesting they're over represented and somehow this is propaganda?

Yes, I think this is propaganda. All of the big tv stations here are quite liberal and liberals L O V E minorities, even ones who are against all of their causes like Muslims.

A few minutes thought a couple of numbers, that whilst not exact I'm confident of them being around the mark and anyone can see they're grossly under represented in the broadcast team considering the huge number that have lived and breathed the game and not an ex print scribe on the sidelines beating around for a story who's moved through the ranks.

Again, you think their representation is proportional to the players in the league. I think they aren't proportional to the general population.

I also do want to say that I think there is a bias towards blacks in sports. I think they have to show that they can't play, while Whites and others have to show that they can play

It's not propaganda. It's called inclusion and it's a good thing. Unless you're a homophobic racist.

Unless you're a homophobic racist.

By your terms, I definitely am.

However, you don't include people solely for their skin color or sexuality unless you're a homophobic racist.

Racist , sexist blabla Fuck off

I've noticed the whole interracial tjong in commercials. Usually someone of asian mixed origin as the parent role. makes sense because lots of Asians in NJ. but it's a little skewed.

Yes, and when tv producers consciously and forcefully excluded gays and interracial couples from being portrayed that wasn't propoganda. /s

Gays make up less than 4% of the US.

There are less than 1 million black/white couples in the US, which has over 300 million people.

We're not talking a large portion of the population here.

Police are also way over represented in TV. In reality there's like few hundred thousand, but on TV its every damn show has cops.

And on the shows with gay characters they go to great lengths to show their "gaynees", even when not nesserary, even obvious forced kissing scenes.

Somehow being gay is supposed to be better than being straight now. Aren't we all supposed to be equal?

And don't forget all the woman power shows on the tube now. Somehow all of these 90 lb women are supposed to be physically stronger than 250 lb brutes? I'm all for equality but ffs come on already.

Amen man!

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the average American’s day includes six minutes playing sports, five minutes reading books, one minute making music, 30 seconds attending a play or concert, 25 seconds making or viewing art, and four hours watching television.

I agree with the author that TV has been the primary tool of control over the last 70 years or so, roughly equivalent in magnitude to the internet in social terms (just consider people who are old enough to remember a time without it, verses those who have always had the internet, phones, etc).

But I would point out, that TV is just one tool in a long historical arc. This is just my model, but you might find it interesting. I see history (and civilization) as being primarily about the centralization of power and intelligence, and (over time) the deemphasis of consciousness. After all, what value is consciousness to 'the system?' Intelligence has great value and that intelligence is constantly being centralized and specialized. But consciousness, at best only occasionally contributes to growth, and at worst, actually impedes growth. Therefore, in the eyes of the ruling powers, not only of our civilization, but of all civilizations (since they all want to grow and expand their power), consciousness must be minimized.

TV is an important step in transforming common language into more efficient (but shallower) forms of communication. The image can communicate very simple ideas very quickly, but without depth. This makes it super efficient, but only surface deep. It deemphasizes consciousness, which is very bad for those who care about freedom, self-determination, liberty, etc.

Put your books on hydroponics and civil liberties down, Ed Edd and Eddie is on ya goon!

The best part of a habit of watching television programming is when you finally stop & after about a year you realize your perspective & feelings about life have become so much more positive.

Not only that but you begin to question 'facts' about history because it suddenly occurs to you that things don't add up the way they were taught in school.

That's kind of hard because one is "alone" with that knowledge. 99% of surrounding people will ridicule u if u try to tell them.

I love TV. I grew up on it since the 70s. It's an amazing medium. Being Canadian, we grew up with a lot of American media.

I think people should be forced to watch tv from other countries sometimes just so they can get a relative idea of reality. American media is hilarious because it's so insanely unrealistic. Everything is hyper & sensational or just over the top and fake.

With American media in particular, almost everything is trying to either sell you something, or make you think something. It's not an altruistic medium that is just trying to entertain you, everything is on there for a purpose.

I quit watching television over 2 years ago. Don’t miss it one bit. Feel clearer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxNGMvNIvP8

I’ll just throw this out here

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6506148B2/en

Wtf lol

“Physiological effects have been observed in a human subject in response to stimulation of the skin with weak electromagnetic fields that are pulsed with certain frequencies near ½ Hz or 2.4 Hz, such as to excite a sensory resonance. Many computer monitors and TV tubes, when displaying pulsed images, emit pulsed electromagnetic fields of sufficient amplitudes to cause such excitation. It is therefore possible to manipulate the nervous system of a subject by pulsing images displayed on a nearby computer monitor or TV set. For the latter, the image pulsing may be imbedded in the program material, or it may be overlaid by modulating a video stream, either as an RF signal or as a video signal. The image displayed on a computer monitor may be pulsed effectively by a simple computer program. For certain monitors, pulsed electromagnetic fields capable of exciting sensory resonances in nearby subjects may be generated even as the displayed images are pulsed with subliminal intensity.”

That is terrifying.

Yes , this is basically saying , even though you’re watching tv you can still be , unknowingly, manipulated . I’m glad i don’t watch tv anymore

great post!!

if anyone doesn't believe this post PLEASE prove it to yourself. of you don't watch it for a few weeks, when you DO watch again you will be able to see how shrill it is and just plain bonkers.

i can't watch it for more that a few minites without feeling sick - same with radio.

great post!

I think tv is designed to put people into a hypnotic state so that they can be easily programmed. People are mistaken who believe that tv is all about entertainment and ratings. There are probably psychologists working on the other side to induce this hypnotic state. I notice it especially with commercials, which make up 60% of television anyway. People tend to zone out during commercials making it easier to program people’s unconscious minds. When you watch commercials they all tend to create this certain atmosphere of manufactured culture like everything’s just frickin dandy. Really pisses me off.

Dont forget the pills effect. A lot of people watch TV under the influence 0f who knows what

Excellent post, 10/10, would conspire again. Every minute spent in front of the TV is completely passive and unproductive, actually destructive in misleading the world as to its own reality. A distraction at best and a weapon at worst. Even shows I like, like The Flash, or Batman Beyond, will still have subversive symbolism, though there are programs like The Simpsons or The Prisoner and Arrested Development that are quality and philosophically it's difficult to separate television and film because so much of watching TV is movies. And there is public television - Arthur was great, and nature and travel documentaries can be helpful in getting us to become more connected with the world - but to argue that this doesn't lead to a concentration of power over awareness of anything is folly. It's pretty scary. What Homer Simpson calls television: "Teacher, mother, secret lover."

I agree more or less with everything you've said here. There are additional factors to it that I believe but it's a subject I've never really been able to put into words and I don't want to bring it up really until I have it exactly as I want to put it.

That being said I must admit that I too love movies and TV. But I've found a sort of compromise that has allowed me to not get as sucked in as I used to be.

First off I have not had broadcast TV or cable in 13 years now. I only watch movies/TV shows on DVD (Well Plex actually, but same theory). The advantage here is that IT ENDS. With TV it just jumps from one to the next to the next and it never stops.

Secondly, I never under any circumstances watch any news program even when I'm at a family members house. I can honestly say I haven't seen one single news program in the 13 years since I ditched cable.

I am fairly picky with what I will watch, specific TV series and movies and I will pick them up again later and mostly watch a lot of the same thing. I never had a problem with watching/listening to the same thing over and over, I still listen to the same music (more or less) that I was listening to 20 years ago. What this does is while I have the TV on, I am more listening than watching and usually concentrating on work or screwing around with Legos or something else. I hear the TV and know what episode it is and can enjoy it as much as though I was watching it.

Not saying this is a solution other should do, but it has changed my behavior. I used to zombie in and you could call my name 100 times and I wouldn't hear you until commercial break. Now, no matter how interested in the show I am, I respond immediately.

I know I have more to improve in this area, but it's a step. Just my 2 cents.

Haven't watched tv for years, except for some specific shows.

Anyone else have a long spanning aversion to TV (and/or movies)? Not for any one specific reason, but it just hasn't sat well with you?

I hope there are more than a few of us. I only know one other person who doesn't enjoy sitting down to watch much of anything, but we will both play video games (probably too often). Otherwise I doubt if I'd even own a TV, and most of the time it sits unused as my monitor has better quality.

Until a few years ago, when I was first discovering Brave New World, I hadn't offered much thought about why I didn't seem to have similar interests as most of the people I know or have known. A few more dystopian themed books down the line I stumbled onto 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and "Flow My tears, the Policeman Said." Whatever shred of hope I had for being able blend in and maybe even finally enjoy TV and movies was dashed, but I'm no longer upset at the idea that I probably won't blend into the crowd very well ever. Not if that is how its going to be, anyway.

when TV first came to Britain it was free because its the perfect propaganda delivery system. Goebbels couldn't begin to imagine the level of control it has over the population.

You claim the TV makes us dumber. Then how do you explain that we are smarter than people 100 years ago?

source for your claim? also tv is less than 100 years old. wasnt wide spread for long time after its invention.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect

Non-Mobile link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_perception

Yeah TV along with Hollywood is all brainwash.

The individualized consciousness programming is already here. It's called "social media."

Some people figure it out on their own, kudos to you for already knowing about Bernays though. Not many do.

rarely watch tv however when I use to id mute the commercials

He said, after sitting in front of his computer for 12 hours

Turn off your electric rabbi!

The news started being accompanied by music quite some time ago which is meant to blend the line between reality and drama. The movies and TV shows have always used music to convey emotion, which the music accompanying news presentations is meant to do also, but the main goal is to make reality seem like another TV show. That way people more easily accept being manipulated in ways that are harmful to their real lives. Furthermore, TV shows are obnoxious and written by people with no real wit or talent, but the live audience laughs on cue, and the TV viewer is, like you said, Pavlov's dog, and laughs when triggered along with the laughter coming from the TV even though it's not really funny.

Nah, television is a net good, by far. If there were no television then we'd have millions of people who don't know how to speak intelligibly or understand that the world outside of their neighborhood exists. Be real, if people weren't watching tv, they wouldn't be sitting around reading fine literature and sipping tea. You'd have feral children who were shut up in the house all day by helicopter parents with no stimulation. Television doesn't promote the greatest social norms, but its far better than what many kids would be taught by default by their broken, dysfunctional, socially isolated families there are so many of these days.

I used to have my TV on quite a lot when I lived with my parents, just to have some background noise. I moved out now, I have a TV for my consoles, for Netflix and YouTube. I refuse to watch TV programs unless it is something of my choice (on Netflix) and it doesn't include all those annoying commercials. I noticed I have so much time out of the sudden to do more interesting stuff. I want to watch 4 movies in one evening? Sure, no problem. I want to work on my writing? Yeah, with no distraction. I can just go for a trip, drive somewhere, go out with my friends without being chained onto TV "because I really need to watch that episode of smelly garbage at eight PM".

I wanted to comment earlier but other stuff got in the way.

I agree with this post 100%. My mother had multiple health problems and became almost immobile because of TV! She watches at least 10 hours a day of TV. I can't even stand thinking about the TV and I where headphones to drown the insidious bullshit out when I visit her.

The screeching from the hideous females on this media make The Medusa and The Harpies models of female attractiveness by comparison.

Day time TV is the worst. Think about it?! Who would pay Steve Harvey, Dr Phil, Oprah billions for what they do which is essentially useless time wasting crap. The motive is to passivey the masses so they eat their mac and cheese drooling in the front of the boob tube.

The worst is Maury 'YOU ARE THE FATHER' Povich. My GOD can a man get any more repulsive!? A grimaced rotting corpse is more palatable.

Exactly - The local media is OK but local politics here in the US (DC Area) is still dumber than DOG SH*T. They build $50 million dollar school buildings and can't give teachers a raise?!! Then they want to change school names - Washington & Lee High School to some BS name that will cost 10 of thousands of dollars at least to implement this BS name change while people are on the street. IDIOTS!!

The local PTB always cave into the money developers! It's disgusting.

I see your statistics and understand your POV, but the truth is way deeper than statistics comparatively to general population.

Actors and NFL players are not the general population. They are the 1% of the 1%

Unless you're a homophobic racist.

By your terms, I definitely am.

However, you don't include people solely for their skin color or sexuality unless you're a homophobic racist.

Racist , sexist blabla Fuck off