WHY TLC (the Learn'in channel) ....WHY???

[moonrabitt]

Well....What did I learn today? I used to believe that TLC stood for "THE LEARNING CHANNEL"
sadly is has been reduced to shows like "here comes honey boo boo".....

I'm all for learning about different types of people: "19 kids plus counting, United Bates of America" it makes me believe people still have values, love each other and so on.

"Sister Wives" was a bit weird... (I don't believe that any woman could be happy sheering one man, but I guess to each their own)

"Toddlers & Tiaras" might be another touchy subject (mostly that people think it's wrong to make little girls look so grown up) but I still learned a bit....

However, watching " Here comes honey boo boo" made me lose sense in humanity. Or that even TLC had gone down just like MTV. They make that family look so redneck that it's not even funny. You can tell that they put them in situations to make fun of them (like when the mom says she got the girls some "edicate" lessons. Seems like TLC got the edicate lady to just poke more fun at them). What is your take on TLC?

[teggacat]

yeah I saw a commercial for that show, its kinda like
the redneck gator hunters on, uhh, the History Channel?!?

[Rekka Alexiel]

Craig Ferguson was just ripping on it a couple days ago. haha

[sensei]

Anyone keeping track of kids' folklore inspired by that show? Little innocent children can be diabolically clever in eviscerating shows that condescend to them. Anyone remember

I hate you, you hate me
Barney gave me HIV

And I'm actually old enough to have learned (in the gutter of course)

It's Howdy Doody time
It's not worth a dime
Let's turn to Channel Nine
And watch Frankenstein.

The recently deceased (alas) folklorist Josepha Sherman compiled a whole book of these with commentary titled Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts. At one time it was featured on the list of top 25 most challenged books in public libraries.

[JWR]

My friend Steve Bissette wrote a very good book that looks at this subject throughout history, from the beginings of comics thru modern TV and Music. I learned a lot from reading it.
http://www.amazon.com/Teen-Angels-Mutan ... 1935558935

[cutiebunny]

Saw a show on TLC a couple weeks ago called Virgin Diaries. The show's plot - Meet up with 20-40something year old virgins and show aspects of their life.

Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with people waiting until marriage to do the deed. But some of the people on the show made me really start to wonder about mankind. The story about the couple who wouldn't even kiss until they got married was really bad, not so much in a "Did-you-learn-babies-come-from-frenching?" kinda way, but the fact that the cameraman made sure to get a close up of every awkward, sloppy kiss that the two did on their wedding day. It was like, ok...I get that they've never kissed. Can we maybe instead focus on why they chose not to even kiss or maybe get them some conseling instead of another jainky kiss?

(I actually had visions of them sitting on the bed on their wedding night with a 'Sex for Dummies' guide going "Step 1: Insert Tab A into Slot B". I know...bad, right?)

Kinda sorry for this one guy named Chip that liked screenprinting shirts with such classic lines as "35 year old mormon & a virgin...proof that dinosaurs do exist!" and "Wing Mom" (a shirt he made for his mom so she could go on dates with him) and wearing them out in public. Chip really wanted to have his mom be there when he met his "one", so all throughout this social gathering, he keeps trying to introduce women to his mom. I was surprised that no one pulled him aside and told him how creepy that was.

The sad thing, for me, was that the show was so bad (..but yet, in a warped way, really funny) that I couldn't stop watching and am looking forward to the next episode.

[zerospace]

CB, I find your description of that show so utterly scary that morbid curiosity MIGHT get me to tune that in just once for laughs.

(Having your mother there when you meet a girl? oh... my.... that'd just scream "run away... run far, far away!!!")

I have to say that reality TV disturbs me to no end -- I can't watch 99% of it.

[cutiebunny]

^Haha. I've created another monster!!

But hey, why wait until it comes on your local TLC when you can watch Skippy (sorry..called him Chip in the last post) talk about his shirts (and show off his chest hair) now?

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/virgin- ... t-hair.htm

And just in case you see a shirt you like, you'll be happy to know that you can now buy them on the TLC website.

http://store.discovery.com/virgin-diari ... TLC-500276

[ReiTheJelly]

...and this is why I've basically stopped watching television.

[cutiebunny]

I think VD is meant to be in good fun. Those on the show are adults who signed waivers and knew they were going to be on TV. They look at the camera and talk to the camera about their life. It's not like some camera crew hid in the bushes and filmed them them as they talked about being a "reclaimed virgin" to their friend in the privacy of their home.

However, shows like Toddlers & Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo seem to be anything but innocent entertainment. For one thing, the kids on these shows are far too young to understand the reprocussions of being on TV. They don't understand that whatever they do or say in these shows can and likely will be brought up by future teachers and classmates, and rebroadcast on social media sites throughout their teen years. They also don't understand that there's a lot of pedos out there that watch this show for sinister reasons. Their parents have happily signed off their childrens' dignity for a couple thousand bucks and a TV series. I find that disgusting, and why I can't bring myself to ever watch a show like this.

I feel the same way about certain intrusive animal shows as well. I'm sure the injured puppy in the vet's office really appreciates having a camera in its face, or the crocodile loves it when they forcibly open its jaw just to show off its pearly whites. No creature deserves to be put upon just for other's entertainment, regardless of whether they move on two legs, none or four.

[Joost]

Reading this, I'm kinda glad my little country is not yet infested with this sort of shows

[Gonzai]

I can't stand reality TV either, however, I absolutely love Storage Wars on A&E,
It is really the only thing I ever watch on TV. I didn't even know there was any
of these other programs you guys speak of. @_@

[theultimatebrucelee]

Yuuuuup

storage wars is kinda funny, I like how that young couple always ends up making nearly no profit or minus, yet they don't ever drop out the show, must be getting lots of reimbursements lol making me wonder what fraction of reality are they really showing-_-"

[ReiTheJelly]

making me wonder what fraction of reality are they really showing-_-"

Friends of mine were on a reality show for the DIY Network for a single episode, a few years back. Based on what they've said, only about 50% of reality tv is actually real. My friends were told by the director to re-do parts of the filming and to "please say XXXXX, instead" (to make it more exciting for the audience).

They also VERY carefully edit the footage in order to skew the perspective a certain way.

[zerospace]

making me wonder what fraction of reality are they really showing-_-"

Friends of mine were on a reality show for the DIY Network for a single episode, a few years back. Based on what they've said, only about 50% of reality tv is actually real. My friends were told by the director to re-do parts of the filming and to "please say XXXXX, instead" (to make it more exciting for the audience).

They also VERY carefully edit the footage in order to skew the perspective a certain way.

I've heard stuff like this before, so yeah... reality TV not so real, no shocker there. The closest I think I've voluntarily come to watching reality TV on my own is probably when I watched an ABC show called "I survived a Japanese Game Show" or something like that (this was a few years ago). All I gotta say is... Americans in Japan doing stupid things. No matter how real it was or not, it was damn funny.