are you affected by what you see on tv?

[muffinman]

I want to hear your opinions on this before I tell you all what I think. Are you affected by what you see on tv? have you ever gone and bought something because you saw it on a commercial or in a tv show/movie?
And along with this question, is it a bad thing to react to what you see on tv? in other words, is it ok to let what you see affect you?

[lb]

I don't know that I've ever actually gone and bought something, but I've thought "hey, that thing is cool. Possibly I should get it sometime." And of course it's not a bad thing. Some people (inc. my religion teacher) seem to have some sort of a mindset along the lines of "THE MEDIA IS EVIL, ESPECIALLY TELEVISION, AND THEY'RE USING MIND MANIPULATION AND TRICKS AND HYPNOSIS AND THREAT OF BODILY HARM TO GET YOU TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY'RE GREEDY AND OUR WHOLE SOCIETY IS GREEDY AND ALL WE WANT IS MORE STUFF AND MORE MONEY SO THEY'RE GETTING INTO YOUR MIND AND OH MY GOD THERE THEY ARE NOW!!!!!" I don't honestly know where they came buy this mindset, but there's nothing wrong with a company informing people of the benefits of its product through a popular medium (TV), and there's nothing wrong with the product being appealing. Those sort of people also seem to think it's wrong to buy anything as the result of advertising; I don't know where they think you're going to get any idea of any product.

[tw]

lb said:

I don't know that I've ever actually gone and bought something, but I've thought "hey, that thing is cool. Possibly I should get it sometime." And of course it's not a bad thing. Some people (inc. my religion teacher) seem to have some sort of a mindset along the lines of "THE MEDIA IS EVIL, ESPECIALLY TELEVISION, AND THEY'RE USING MIND MANIPULATION AND TRICKS AND HYPNOSIS AND THREAT OF BODILY HARM TO GET YOU TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY'RE GREEDY AND OUR WHOLE SOCIETY IS GREEDY AND ALL WE WANT IS MORE STUFF AND MORE MONEY SO THEY'RE GETTING INTO YOUR MIND AND OH MY GOD THERE THEY ARE NOW!!!!!" I don't honestly know where they came buy this mindset, but there's nothing wrong with a company informing people of the benefits of its product through a popular medium (TV), and there's nothing wrong with the product being appealing. Those sort of people also seem to think it's wrong to buy anything as the result of advertising; I don't know where they think you're going to get any idea of any product.

No, your right there isnt. Its harmful to let these things brand you though. I mean if you saw a commercial for clothes (speaking from more a girls point of view) and you suddenly had to have it, because it makes you look cool. Now think that if maybe that goes against what you want, or what you think is acceptable, but its cool, so you still do it. What do you think about that?

And also there are programs like Jerry Springer on there too, and that affects you just as much as an info-mercial. They sell things too, that lifestyle.

[muffinman]

I'm not saying all advertising is bad. the problem is that we watch it so much that we get sucked in somewhat at least. But commercials aren't the big thing. like tw said, its more the lifestyles being sold on the shows themselves. I can't think of any shows in mainstream tv that show Christian morals in any way.

[lb]

admin said:

I'm not saying all advertising is bad. the problem is that we watch it so much that we get sucked in somewhat at least. But commercials aren't the big thing. like tw said, its more the lifestyles being sold on the shows themselves. I can't think of any shows in mainstream tv that show Christian morals in any way.

Then don't watch them. It's not like they're indoctrinating you; they're selling a product. If you don't like the product, you don't have to buy. And shows might not be out-and-out Christian (frankly, most of the shows that are are mind-blowingly boring), but a number of them often have implied "values" of love, sacrifice etc.

[tw]

Yes, not watching can help. But what about things that you cant avoid? You have to turn on the TV for something, News, weather, a report that you need. There are so many things that are transmitted just through the media now. And between those, the media slips in sensational things, like commercials for shows. Everything has some love in is, and everything has some sacrifice or something to get you emotional. Its how they sell things. Think about it, people wouldnt sit there and zone out if the show didnt catch them some how. Either, they get excited about the show, or it touches what they live, whatever, its gets them emotionally.
I watch Gilmore Girls, and its a show that has alot of love and other values like that in it. BUT, it also promotes the lifestyle of being a single mother with two boyfriends at a time, having a kid when your 16 and having everything turn out alright. Because it doesnt always.

[lb]

tw said:

Yes, not watching can help. But what about things that you cant avoid? You have to turn on the TV for something, News, weather, a report that you need. There are so many things that are transmitted just through the media now. And between those, the media slips in sensational things, like commercials for shows.

Not all shows are "sensational." And of course they're going to advertise them (I fail to see how this is "slipping things in"), that's how they make money. Everybody always says "the media are just trying to make money!" like it's a bad thing. Of course they are. This is also known as "capitalism." And some of your post, whether intentionally or not, seemed to be of the mindset that the media, a single, massive organization, all join together somewhere and cooperate to think up ways to be insiduous and greedy. I think it would do a lot of people a lot of good, and not just gramatically, to remember that the word "media" is plural.

Everything has some love in is, and everything has some sacrifice or something to get you emotional. Its how they sell things. Think about it, people wouldnt sit there and zone out if the show didnt catch them some how. Either, they get excited about the show, or it touches what they live, whatever, its gets them emotionally.

I assume you don't think it's a bad thing that shows affect you emotionally. Do you think it's bad if music does the same? If a show really affects you emotionally, that means the creators, actors, producers etc. did a good job.

I watch Gilmore Girls, and its a show that has alot of love and other values like that in it. BUT, it also promotes the lifestyle of being a single mother with two boyfriends at a time, having a kid when your 16 and having everything turn out alright. Because it doesnt always.

And who would want to watch a show where such a person's life was a miserable wreck? No one. Shows having happy endings is a crowd-pleasing device, not insidious anti-Christianism. Also, I refer you to C.S. Lewis's comment, I forget where, about how you can not agree with and even abhor the beliefs or "values" of a work of art and still love the work itself. The point of art is not to "promote lifestyles." The point is to be good art. (I'm not saying that "Gilmore Girls" is neccessarily good art, but it's still in an artistic medium and therefore subject to artistic, not moral, judgements.)