Are we becoming a culture that celebrates cruelty and betrayal?

Question

Many television shows (The Mole, Big Brother, The Weakest Link, Survivor, most reality t.v. shows, and in a lesser degree, American Idol) seem to be presenting some of the worst parts of human nature as virtues. There have lately been many home videos posted on the internet of children fighting at the urging of adults and even group attacks on a certain individual.
Such behaviors used to be soundly criticized and discouraged...but not any more.
Are we becoming a people that value entertainment more than anything else? Do we now consider cuelty and betrayal a necessary part of success?

Answer 1

It is in the nature of mass media to broadcast to the lowest common denominator. This is a cheap way to make television, and also takes in a broad social base, as a large proportion of the population is generally poor and ill-educated. This propensity means that a large part of the mass media to which we are exposed is of very poor quality, which encourages a general "dumbing-down" of culture, as people, even of higher education and social background often watch whatever comes over the air-waves, just in order to fit in.

This undoubtedly results in an erosion of the social values of the viewing population, as more and more extreme and antisocial behaviours are aired, just in order to grab the attention of an otherwise more and more indifferent populace.

Thus, previously "unacceptable" behaviours have less and less effect on the viewing public, as it is perceived that more and more extremes are needed just to get noticed by the general public, and by extension, the paying advertisers. It's the evil of commercial television.

Answer 2

You have to be a dumb*ss to celebrate
that reality garbage.American Idol is annoying
and the Weakest Link is ran by a b*tch.
I only watch great and better TV shows.
They do show a lot of reruns,though.
It gets old after a while.

Answer 3

i agree. society in general, and in conjunction w/ high tech, has gone the way of f.u. & die mentality. everything is in your face and let the misery of others abound as we gather in groups like the old days around the gallows to a killing....a killing.

i too stopped watching the tele except to tune in to PBS to watch masterpiece theatre or nova or nature. something w/ depth rather than just a pool of poo.

if God is taking all this in... media-wise, culture-wise, society-wise... am afraid we are not long from death & destruction.... the biblical way :-(

Answer 4

properly i could say in our historical past, it became whilst we reported bringing slaves to this u . s . a ., and how we dealt with the community individuals. As we the place the immigrants of the time. whether or no longer the form you think of that we the place legal or unlawful on the time. And neither concern reported after the Civil conflict.

Answer 5

they r our mirror images