The only purpose of television is to sell you products that you do not need and to make you desire a lifestyle that you cannot afford. Television will be the downfall of America... Television makes celebrities of murderers...

My latest venture is an attack on television and media...

I need TV to expand my knowledge.TV is the greatest learning tool ever created, and it has Buffy on it too! TV Rules!

Oh my goodness! I'm giddy with anticipation!

What are you looking at ??

You just need to tame that damn machine !

It always is you who decides what's being watched, if anything at all.

O'Reilly edit
[This message was edited Thu Feb 20 7:02:55 PST 2003 by wkb]

Marrk said:

The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and things like that are pretty cool... otherwise, television is the enemy.

teller said:

There is actually a HUGE art project involved with this as well... it involves a lot of plaster, various televisions and things... it will be cool. I have applied for an endowment, as I have received encouragement from an art professor at a local university.

If I can get the money together, the "art" will be very cool... if I can't get the money together, the "art" will not happen.

Fhunkin said:

The only way to tame television is to stop being a consumer sheep...

i watch VERY little tv... a lot of it bores me to tears... i'd rather just hang with my girl...or jam...or waste time here

ChocolateInvasion said:

You decide what you watch based upon what the advertisers decide to show you. Your choices are limited by the influence of advertisements and those who decide what is "good" or "bad."

IceNine said:

Then you can decide whether you watch it or not. There ís a button on the TV...

I was just thinking similarly this morning as I watched the so-called news.
The highlight seemed to be who won starsearch last night and something about survivors...
Then commercials, commercials, commercials...then Nelly...
something about him being a role model, which title he graciously declined.
My favorite function button is "OFF".

Donohue was believed to be popular back when there were only 3 channels to choose from. Now, with dozens, even hundreds of channels to choose from on cable, his ratings are as close to ZERO as you can get.

We simply have more choices now. And as the number of channels increases into the thousands, eventually breaking down into a personalized set of syndicated streams (TiVo is only the beginning of this change) where there are no channels, only selected content, the consumer will ultimately be king.

TV as we know it is already doomed.

IceNine said:


That's something you have to do yourself ! (it's possible)
But the darn thing can be adictive though !

To me, the best way to relax is still watching television...more relaxing then reading a book.
You get entertained and can be as passive as possible. Works for me...

You cannot even avoid commercials when you go to the movies anymore... we are fed advertisements with everything now.

IceNine said:

There are no ads on the org...nor on the skelecosm.

teller said:

Then what's that in your signature?

ChocolateInvasion said:

Aha...ok, that's an ad...hmmm...does it bother you?

I intend to produce anti-ad ads!

teller said:

Concidering you're a skeleton with a light-sabre, let's say it doesn't bother me...you must admit it's funny

Never watch the stuff!

Ads are all about trying to get people's attention. And attention is scarce--scarce enough that people will pay money to try and get some.

Would I prefer that no one ever tried to get my attention in an unsolicited fashion? How else am I going to learn about something I might be interested in but would never seek out, not realizing that it existed?

Ice...what's your ideal? No ads, ever? Is it wrong to put a link in my signature, for example? Just listening for a statement of principles here...I recognize that TV has gone over the top.

teller said:

I think that your signature is perfectly cool... in fact, I support it... what I don't support is television and the tremendous advertising emphasis.

Televisions shows are nothing but vehicles to deliver advertising. Print ads and things of that nature are not bad... pop-up windows are bad...

So basically whenever ads interfere with the artistic process, or when they interfere with the viewing process. TV and popups are guilty as hell!

teller said:

Or...

Whenever the fundamental reason for the programming is the delivery of advertising.

Pop-up ads are one of the worst things ever and I make it a point to NEVER purchase any product from anyone with a pop-up ad or a site redirector.

dur...

So you're cooking up an "art" project? Where did this idea come from?

teller said:

Art is only a part of the equation... I will be selling subversive items and such... I haven't completely figured out the business, but I intend to produce items that are either subversive or strange. I have a number of things in mind and I have done the designs for a number of them but it will take me some time to finish all of my ideas.

Most of these ideas involve me drawing pictures of famous murderers who have been made famous superstars by the media.