I saw the midle of the first show and refused to watch the second.
Media is there to pander to the masses. Changing the facts in order to create what the watcher wants to see in the amount of time they want to see it in. They cut, and manipulated the clips to the version of reality they wanted to portray. It didn't matter that it wasn't anywhere near truth.
Our culture has become the quick fix, super sized and pop that pill society. And the media is just a symptom of the desease.
but like alcoholism, it is a 'disease' we can control. Few things irritate me more than those who crow about 'getting rid of their tv to save their children!' 'Kill your television' there's the most insipid (not to mention violent) bumper sticker around. I say USE your tv, use the media, dont let it control you or run your life. My kid watches cartoons from dawn till dusj if i let him, but he comes up with some amazing things from them-zen sayings, ideas on freindship, moral lessons-and we discuss what he watches... I read 3 newspapers a day-do I believe all of what I read? oh heck no. I was born at night but it wasnt LAST night. But I want to be aware of what the rest of the world being exposed to, the real, the false and the in between...
and even when the media uses you, betrays you as this show did, turn it around to your advantage-look at all the conversation thats been initiated aa a result of it. Some others would've just sought legal remedies or buried their head and bemoaned their poor fate.
Now I never said I would ban my tv. And my kids do have it on all day long. ( They are heavy readers too but with 5 kids in the house someone is always watching tv) My point is, and strictly speaking personally, I did not want to expose myself to the irritation of what I perseved as the media hurting people who I have been told were kind, extremely intelegent and caring. I was not going to sit and watch them be trashed, while the media told the public that this is the way these people are really like. So I took my powers of control over my environment and I changed the channel.
This doesn't mean that I coddle my children, or prevent them from seeing the world as it is. I expose them to more of reality and truth than I think many people do. They haven't had the easiest of lives to begin with. The older three had to deal with a divorse and now the man that has raised them for seven years ( my current husband and father of the last 2 kids) is heading to Iraq in a month.
Anyway, the media is just a tool for entertainment and information. We all must decide how to combat the abuse of such a tool and my reaction is not to give the shows I find lacking any of my veiwing support.
Sounds reasonable. there are definately times when I just want my kid to sit in front of the tv so I can have a few quiet minutes to myself-otherwise I fear i'd have a body to dispose of...but when he's with his mother, it's on 24 & 7, they lose track of time, miss appointments. just ridiculous.
I'm surprised the Abbotts are considered strange-they watch more tv than me, participate in team sports (which I dont do), play music in public (which I could never do), have many more friends than I do, yet they're the oddballs?
If only there were more people who spent half of the time they do as a family you'd see divorse raites, drop out raites and teen pregnancy raites drop. They should be the norm. Insted of pointing fingers these people need to look at their lifestyle and judge themselves before others.
And might I say the current popular norm is not exactly what I'd call the best life style. For that, one must have both parents working outside the home, hardly communicate, (that is if they are still married) and see their kids for a few seconds before bed time if they are lucky. I am sorry but no one else is going to influence the way my children grow up and what morals they are instilled with.
Families 'need' both parents working so they can have money for luxury items, vacations, and other ridiculous things...They end up missing their kids lives so they can 'improve' their kid's lives-man, what a mess.
What I really love are the folks who both work, and one parent's whole paycheck goes for daycare...wait a minute, figure it out, people!
If my family had been able to sit & laugh together & talk & support each other, I would've been perfectly happy. Nothing else would've mattered: houses, vacations, toys... As it was, they had to keep up with the Jones's...well, I hope they're happy now with the Jones's, because their kid's hanging out with the Abbotts...
I don't think the reason Carl was called a control freak had anything to do with the fact that he and his family does yoga together.
I think it's due to the fact that they way Fox presented the family, the boys couldn't seem to do anything on their own.
There is nothing wrong with raising a family in a "conservative" way, however, the boys do need to be prepared for life that is out there other then the way they are being raised. I think this is where the "control" issue has come in effect.
Now, from what I personally seen on the show, Carl, you had your chance at seeing the world and even though it wasn't a good experience for you, your children have the right to experience the world as well. I'm sure they wouldn't choose to take the same path you did as far as where to tour. They will never forget the family morals they have been raised with.
Perhaps this part of the show wasn't the way it really is. I haven't read all this board yet so maybe I'm jumping the gun and if I am, I'm sorry.
I'm also curious, did your family spend the money the way it was designated to be spent? I often wonder if any of the families do.
Comments
Media is there to pander to the masses. Changing the facts in order to create what the watcher wants to see in the amount of time they want to see it in. They cut, and manipulated the clips to the version of reality they wanted to portray. It didn't matter that it wasn't anywhere near truth.
Our culture has become the quick fix, super sized and pop that pill society. And the media is just a symptom of the desease.
and even when the media uses you, betrays you as this show did, turn it around to your advantage-look at all the conversation thats been initiated aa a result of it. Some others would've just sought legal remedies or buried their head and bemoaned their poor fate.
This doesn't mean that I coddle my children, or prevent them from seeing the world as it is. I expose them to more of reality and truth than I think many people do. They haven't had the easiest of lives to begin with. The older three had to deal with a divorse and now the man that has raised them for seven years ( my current husband and father of the last 2 kids) is heading to Iraq in a month.
Anyway, the media is just a tool for entertainment and information. We all must decide how to combat the abuse of such a tool and my reaction is not to give the shows I find lacking any of my veiwing support.
I'm surprised the Abbotts are considered strange-they watch more tv than me, participate in team sports (which I dont do), play music in public (which I could never do), have many more friends than I do, yet they're the oddballs?
And might I say the current popular norm is not exactly what I'd call the best life style. For that, one must have both parents working outside the home, hardly communicate, (that is if they are still married) and see their kids for a few seconds before bed time if they are lucky. I am sorry but no one else is going to influence the way my children grow up and what morals they are instilled with.
What I really love are the folks who both work, and one parent's whole paycheck goes for daycare...wait a minute, figure it out, people!
If my family had been able to sit & laugh together & talk & support each other, I would've been perfectly happy. Nothing else would've mattered: houses, vacations, toys... As it was, they had to keep up with the Jones's...well, I hope they're happy now with the Jones's, because their kid's hanging out with the Abbotts...
I think it's due to the fact that they way Fox presented the family, the boys couldn't seem to do anything on their own.
There is nothing wrong with raising a family in a "conservative" way, however, the boys do need to be prepared for life that is out there other then the way they are being raised. I think this is where the "control" issue has come in effect.
Now, from what I personally seen on the show, Carl, you had your chance at seeing the world and even though it wasn't a good experience for you, your children have the right to experience the world as well. I'm sure they wouldn't choose to take the same path you did as far as where to tour. They will never forget the family morals they have been raised with.
Perhaps this part of the show wasn't the way it really is. I haven't read all this board yet so maybe I'm jumping the gun and if I am, I'm sorry.
I'm also curious, did your family spend the money the way it was designated to be spent? I often wonder if any of the families do.