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As far as the media goes, it's a bunch of bull crap. I hate the way the media has manipulated each and every one of us. We're like peices in a game to them, puppets with strings, why? Becuase of money. They always want more money, and us? We always want more stuff. How do you make money? You give the people what they want…What do the people want? MORE STUFF. Although… must times we don't even know what we want and if we think we do we are just kidding ourselves because everyone wants stuff but as soon as they get it they just want something else so that couldn't have been what they truly wanted. I also hate how the media associates being beautiful with looking the girl on the magazine cover. Who ever decided that blonde hair, blue eyes and a "killer" dress was "beautiful"? You know beautiful is just word… Imagine if the person who invented beautiful considered obese women to be beautiful, oh yes then the media would be looking for the largest woman on the planet for their magazines and girls would be saying "Why Can't I Be Fat Like Her Mom? It's Not Fair! Some Girls Have All The Luck." Although this may seem a exageration, it is not so. It only seems that way because history happened differently. Although it could just as easily have happened this way. Well I think I've rambled enough. Tata
Caitlyne -
You should check out Erica Jong’s poems. She touches on a lot of this stuff from a hard-core female perspective. Very enlightening stuff.
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THE MEDIA
The media isn’t all evil, you know. Without the media, you wouldn’t be able to find out about things that matter most to you. Without the media, you wouldn’t be able to find out about things like Tornado Warnings. Can you imagine how many would die without the media?During the blackout, all I had was a radio for information. Without the media, I would have gone insane.
Yes, there are reporters that go too far and annoy the hell out of one. However, that it is their job. Surely, you can respect someone that does their job?
The media is not the enemy. We need the media. Without it, we would be in the stone ages.
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I aggree with both sides of the argument that no8one8important and Bad Roaringlion said. I think both people have a point, but the media goes too far in all aspects. They fail to mention facts about things just to minipulate. For example, the discussions on legalising cannabis, they say thatit increases your risks of getting mental health problems like schizophrenia but they don’t tell us (I’m making up these statistics because I don’t know them properly) but lets just say that a thousand people smoked cannibis and 2 out of the thousand showed signs of schizophrenia, they wouldn’t tell you about the 9997 people who didn’t get signs, they would just say that there is a chance, so naturally people freak out and think “oh god, I’m not going to do that, I’ll die” or whatever. I’m exagurrating, but I hope you get my point.
I also really hate how people now feel they need to be skinny and tanned and blonde and tall to be desired by anyone. Like Maralyn Manson said in his interveiw in “Bowling for Columbine” the media uses fear for consumption. He said something along the lines of you watch the news and you see rape, murder, floods and famine and then it switched to commercial for a spot cream “if you don’t use this, you’ll have spots and never get laied” then toothpaste “if your breath stinks, you’ll never kiss anyone” and then to the latest clothing “if you don’t wear this, you’re not sexy” with their slim and unrealistic models who live off coffee and ciggarettes to be that size in the first place. They promote unhealthy living, chemicals everywhere with fear and consumption… argh, I’ll shut up now, but it just annoys me, ya know?
Great forum, by the way!Llennettxoox
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yep
You’re exactly right. Of course, freedom is good. But we all know what happens with too much of a good thing. If you feel at anytime that a media station is abusing their power, you can file a complaint with the FCC (if you live im America). That would make it harder for the station to get a license renewal. -
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Too many regulations
The problem with the FCC, though, is that it’s not really about abuse of power from the small man, it’s about the FCC abusing power. There are more than seven words that can’t be said on the air.Too much regulation by a faceless organization like the FCC is bad.
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So you think the FCC is abusing its power when you can’t say certain words on the air?
But don’t you think we need regulation?
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Only to an extent. Most people (not all) are fairly good at self regulation. If something comes on the air that offends me, I change the channel. If something comes on that I believe inappropriate for my child, I change it. I don’t expect (or want!) someone else to do that for me.
Yes, I think the FCC abuses its power. When a government regulated agency tells me what is appropriate for me to listen to/watch/read, it is abuse. I am an adult and a functioning (mostly) member of society, I am fully capable of regulating myself.
I’m curious about how a small station could abuse its power. Be it tv or radio. Can you give me an example, BR?
For me, part of the problem with regulation is it becomes a vicious circle. Who’s regulating the regulators? And who, in turn, is regulating them? And when did we, as a country (the U.S.), decide that it’s okay for our government to tell us what is best for us? That walks a closer line to oppression than it does to freedom.
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I think we have regulation also for children and the younger groups. Freedom of speech is a good thing, but it can eaily become abused.
Imagine if a radio or tv station started giving racist remarks and there were millions of people viewing them. Yes, there are those that have the sense not to listen. But the children don’t. They take everything at face value and what you see is what you get. You teach them something earlier on in life, and it is bound to be deemed as acceptable for many years to come.
I’m not saying that the government can’t abuse its power, but that’s what internal affairs is for. America is based on a system of checks and balances. If regulation fails somwhere, there are people to keep them in check.
A small tv or radio station can abuse their power just as easily and as much as a large one. The audience size does not dictate the type of content that such a station presents.
We, as a country, decide on elected officials. We grant those officials the power to lead us in the best way they see fit. If you don’t like the job an official is doing, you have every right to voice that opinion and get them out of power.
The fact is, we need regulation. Without it, moral decay would occur. If we didn’t regulate the media, they would be allowed to control the lives of many through public humiliation on a derogatory scale. There would be sexist, racist, and orientation discrimination that would seep into the minds of many and become acceptable. It is our duty to say “You can’t do that.”
Look at Fox News. Their fair, balanced, and unbiased reporting was a downright lie. It’s no wonder Kerry lost the election. The head of Fox News told its reporters to be rude and defamatory towards him.
So yes, we must have regulation to keep the corporate mongols in check. Too much power is a bad thing. Indeed, they won’t like being told what they can and cannot put on air, but that’s too bad. Rules and regulations are made to help people in the long run.
Of course, if you feel a law is wrong, you should become a lawyer and politician and change it.
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BR- America IS based on a system of checks and balances and that system has failed far too many times for it to be practical.
I agree that people need regulation, but I don’t agree that it is our governments job to do that. I, as a parent, have a responsibility to regulate what my child intakes until she is old enough to do it for herself. My government isn’t her parent, nor are they my babysitter.
I don’t need to be a lawyer or a politician to change things, I vote. Although that too has become unchecked and unbalanced.
While I think understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t believe the governement is the right institution to teach morality. Moral decline doesn’t not happen because of a corrupt government. I think it’s the other way around. Corrupt government is a byproduct of societal decline. The people keeping the government in check is a joke- we can try, and that’s all we can do.
Interesting thoughts, though.
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yes
Indeed, I much enjoyed reading what you had to say.
True, the government hardly knows what morality is. Executing people and forcing ‘religious beliefs’ on others…they can’t even follow their own first amendment.
I agree that the checks and balances system is failing. It seems that the president is getting around Congress more and more. The most recent example is with the appointment of UN ambassador Bolton. Also, perhaps the greatest example, is bypassing the UN and Congress to go to war with Iraq.
But back to what is being discussed. I think the main problem is that too many parents aren’t involved in their childs’ lives. Then with TV taking the role of input, it’s no wonder we’re seeing such products of parenting today. I think a good question is: Should the government be so involved in our lives? Would the government be better served with teaching adults how to be better parents and role models? Or at the very least, offering more money for low-income parents?
I think the reason the FCC has restrictions on words is because they don’t want a media station creating hate. If you feel the FCC has legally abused its power, I would suggest suing them and teaching them a lesson.
Anything I missed? I think I got it all. Oh yeah, I really do think the 2000 elections were rigged. The fact that we didn’t count them all and had Jed as governor of Florida smells to me like someone rigged the votes…or at least which ones were counted…and who was counting them.
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normally I don't agree with you....
Normally I don’t agree with you, but in this instance you make a valid point. The media in this country does hold considerable sway…. AND it is misleading the American People.I would like to point out an additional few facts:
1. The so-called “American Media” is now mostly owned by foreign investors….. it’s not “American” at all. It’s multi-national. They do not have our best interest at heart. That’s why they actively foster divisive confrontations between Americans.
2. ALL of the major media outlets in the country are owned by huge corporate conglomerates that have vested interests in things like the World Bank, the WTO, and so forth. THAT’s why most people never hear of pending legislation that is of paramount importance to our futures.
3. THEY pick our Presidents, we do not. By showing us only who they WANT us to vote for, they can narrow the field to the point where there is no real choice. Alternative candidates like Ralph Nader and others never get the coverage required to make a difference. (Kerry was only shown because he too was a “Corporate man”)
4. The FCC Rules the used to regulate media ownership were dismantled by the efforts of BOTH parties….. as far as I can see, they are both corrupted to the point as to be untrustworthy.
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"The Medium Is the Message"
That statement was made by Marshall McLuhan several decades ago. He was a futurist at the University of Toronto whose views of Society and the Media were far ahead of his time. The Gutenberg Galaxy is one I recall, and even today, his many works make interesting reading.
When he wrote, many considered him unintelligible because he was not a linear thinker, but those who could follow his several simultaneous levels of thought were well tuned to what was to happen to media.Incidentally, Medium is the singular form of Media, a PLURAL word. Derivation: Latin. There are print media: newspapers, magazines, books. Electronic media: TV, Internet, CD and several forms of recorded data…
Any one of those is a medium. All are media.
Terry -
WHATEVER YOU TRY, I AGREE!
HI, DID YOU EVER COMENT ON PEACE AND TRUTH?
LET TO SHARE SOME IDEAS ON PEACE AND TRUTH,
TAHT IS NO VALUE IN THESE DAYS AND IT WILL BE MORE CARELESS IN FUTURE -
Really interesting Discussion...
Heyy there people, Ive followed the comments quite intently, and Ive come across some of you share ideas quite similar to mine. Ive written a small unfinished essay in the 'freewrite' section of sharepoetry.com ....I guess its on similar lines Please just go check it out and tell me what you think so far. Its called "Judgement is mine' and is located in the topic of'Judging others'
Tell me how you think it is so far, and more importantly if you agree to what I have to say. Thanks
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CrimsonLips
Aug 5 7:22 PM 2005
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