The Pope hasn't watched TV since 1990

[Hawk one]

I've never really understood the attitude that you're better off without a TV. Yes, 90% of the programmes aren't worth watching, but that's just Sturgeon's Law. 90% of the books in the library aren't worth reading, that's not a good reason to refrain from joining the library. You remove the temptation to watch/read the crap, but you also remove the opportunity to watch/read the good stuff.

OFF TOPIC:

Aaand this is the clue for me to do one of my minor pet peeves: What Sturgeon's Law is really about.

See, Sturgeon's Law does not claim 90% of everything is crap. Sturgeon was a sci-fi writer, and he had to continuously defend his genre against critics saying that sci-fi was crap. Said critics would always come up with the worst examples to prove it was mostly crap. Sturgeon's reply was thus: If you only pick the worst elements from any genre or entertainment, then you can always claim anything is mostly crap. This obviously makes such claims utterly worthless.

His actual words found here.

And you have to admit, there is a certain amount of irony in that a quote that basically warned about cherrypicking has been cherrypicked into meaning something completely different... Maybe that should be Sturgeon's Second Law or something.

Here endeth the small lesson on Sturgeon's Law.

 

[SpuriusMaximus]

Sturgeon was wrong.

Have you SEEN for example SF movies from the 50's and before? No, it didn't have the same percentage of crap as all other genres. It was far worse. Now not all movies from other genres (except maybe moster movies and such) were Casablanca or the Maltese Falcon, but even in the worst examples, people could make a believable outfit or wave around a believable gun. Meanwhile even the best SF looked utterly retarded.

 

[Elind]

Sturgeon was wrong.

Have you SEEN for example SF movies from the 50's and before? No, it didn't have the same percentage of crap as all other genres. It was far worse. Now not all movies from other genres (except maybe moster movies and such) were Casablanca or the Maltese Falcon, but even in the worst examples, people could make a believable outfit or wave around a believable gun. Meanwhile even the best SF looked utterly retarded.

Yes a lot of sci-fi movies were crap, but the comment being discussed was sci-fi, not just movies. The genre was not mostly crap at all.

 

[Elind]

Because clearly, if you can't keep up with the Kardashians, you have no business being the spiritual leader of a church.

Keep up with soft porn? What's your point really?

 

[SezMe]

I think you missed the sarcasm smilie at the end.

 

[Elind]

I think you missed the sarcasm smilie at the end.

I suppose I did. Sorry.

 

[blutoski]

And you too. The link was from Fox, among many. What is your point?

Heh. Well, it was pretty ironic, right? More than one response because it was like being set up for a punchline.

My point was: 'watching TV' does not equate to being 'in touch with reality' - obviously not when watching fiction, but also not even when watching news.

 

[blutoski]

I've never really understood the attitude that you're better off without a TV. Yes, 90% of the programmes aren't worth watching, but that's just Sturgeon's Law. 90% of the books in the library aren't worth reading, that's not a good reason to refrain from joining the library. You remove the temptation to watch/read the crap, but you also remove the opportunity to watch/read the good stuff.

I think one of the advantages of books over TV at the moment (I didn't participate in the thread dedicated to comparing them - I don't really think one is more intellectual than the other) is that you have so much control over which book you're going to read and when.

Traditional TV is dying because people just can't rearrange their lives around broadcasting schedules anymore. Programming is generally so bad that turning on the TV at a convenient time almost guarantees there's nothing on. TV is evolving into more of a book model where you pick exactly what you want to watch, and turn to it when you get enough time to dedicate attention.

 

[Pixel42]

I think one of the advantages of books over TV at the moment (I didn't participate in the thread dedicated to comparing them - I don't really think one is more intellectual than the other) is that you have so much control over which book you're going to read and when.

Traditional TV is dying because people just can't rearrange their lives around broadcasting schedules anymore. Programming is generally so bad that turning on the TV at a convenient time almost guarantees there's nothing on. TV is evolving into more of a book model where you pick exactly what you want to watch, and turn to it when you get enough time to dedicate attention.

Apart from a few very rare exceptions (eg election coverage) it's years since I've watched broadcast TV. I pick what looks of interest with the help of a listings magazine and the recommendations in my newspaper (The Guardian) and set them to record, then when I feel like watching TV I look at what's on the disc and choose whatever I'm in the mood for. So yes, exactly how I buy and read books.

 

[SezMe]

Traditional TV is dying because people just can't rearrange their lives around broadcasting schedules anymore.

I don't think that is a factor. Long ago, in the days of the big three, people were just as busy. But the technology to support a greater variety of choices was just not there. Forward 30 years. Now the technology is in place and people are using it. Thus, domination by a few is more difficult, if not impossible.

 

[Pixel42]

I don't think that is a factor. Long ago, in the days of the big three, people were just as busy. But the technology to support a greater variety of choices was just not there. Forward 30 years. Now the technology is in place and people are using it. Thus, domination by a few is more difficult, if not impossible.

For the record, I'm retired and could easily arrange my life around broadcasting schedules. So I agree, it's the availability of the technology that's made the difference.

 

[fishbait]

Got the pope beat. I still don't know who shot JR.

 

[skeptichaggis]

One hears that the Catholic church is out of touch with reality and this would seem to illustrate that in spades. What is the man thinking?

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/26/pope-francis-says-hasnt-watched-tv-in-more-than-25-years/

The catholic church divorced (ha!) From reality? I don't think so. I mean we are talking about THAT catholic church right?
How can anyone say a organization that,molests kids then trys to cover it up,is against condom use in Africa-and everywhere,says abortion for any reason is murder,wants humans who say they are ready to die to suffer,preaches about charity while using gold to decorate clothes and hates gays is out of touch.
That is not being out of touch,my dad not understanding that pressing his key button locks the car is out of touch. Anyone not at least curious about the Disney star wars films is out of touch. Me still listening to British 1980s punk rock is out of touch.
The Catholic church is however a bloated,horrific,waste full,obscene insult to 2015 and all that is decent in humanity.

Not out of touch then-just horrific.

 

[Rincewind]

I didn't realise it took that long to get a TV repair guy over there...

 

[skeptichaggis]

Reality TV could end up destroying civilization.

 

[Wolrab]

The Pope did say he would watch TV again if Touched By An Uncle finally gets syndicated.

 

[skeptichaggis]

The Pope did say he would watch TV again if Touched By An Uncle finally gets syndicated.

Yep,and no girls need apply for parts.

 

[Swordfishtrombone]

Get real, TV or computer screen is the same thing if you use it for the same purpose.

Not at all. I can't watch the exact content I want to watch, at any time I want, on the TV (without the Internet), and I cannot do two or more things on the screen at the same time, pausing one and continuing the other. And using the computer for entertainment, I don't have the extra expense of a separate devise just to view programming which is out of my control.

On a computer screen, I can watch a video on a smaller window, while doing something else on another window.

It's just all-round more convenient - provided you have a fast enough connection. Nowadays, at least here in Finland, broadband is cheap and fast. I pay just 10€ a month for a 70 Mbps/10Mbps connection.

 

[Swordfishtrombone]

I've never really understood the attitude that you're better off without a TV. Yes, 90% of the programmes aren't worth watching, but that's just Sturgeon's Law. 90% of the books in the library aren't worth reading, that's not a good reason to refrain from joining the library. You remove the temptation to watch/read the crap, but you also remove the opportunity to watch/read the good stuff.

I wouldn't argue that EVERYONE would be better off without a TV - I'm just saying that I feel that I am better off without one. I've yet to find anything worth watching on TV, out of the 10% that is good stuff, that I could not gain access to through the net.

If I were REALLY into sports, then owning a TV would probably make sense, as live sports events aren't always easily available, with decent video quality, on the net. Though the only sports I'm generally interested in are available as a free high quality stream from the websites of Finnish TV channels. Finnish TV channels provide web streaming for pretty much all the content they show on TV too, most for free. The stuff that isn't free is channels that you'd have to pay to get access to on TV as well.

So for me, the benefits of not owning a TV are: more space in the living room, less electricity usage,and the removal of the temptation to waste time on crappy programs.

Since I also don't feel I'm missing out on anything I'd want to watch, I've concluded that I really don't need a TV.

The circumstances may be different for others, which I why I'm not saying that this choice is universally the right one; it's just right for me.

 

[CORed]

One hears that the Catholic church is out of touch with reality and this would seem to illustrate that in spades. What is the man thinking?

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/26/pope-francis-says-hasnt-watched-tv-in-more-than-25-years/

Oh dear! Somebody had better help him catch up on everything he has missed. But who has five minutes to spare in this busy world?