[Damocles]

Originally Posted by BST

Why do things have to be so realistic ...to today's audience?

I'm curious. I've heard so much about how much more intelligence the viewing audience of today possesses, that I want to try figuring out how and why.

Things realistic? Intelligence? This is a joke, correct?

But seriously, while I would argue that people are as intelligent as they always were in the inherent sense of their humaness, their ignorance today as a group set is far greater than say twenty years ago. I will explain what I mean.

Let's try to answer your question set by analyzing the actual mind state of the viewers.

Below are just a few questions for which I'd like to get answers. Add questions of your own, if you like.

The best question set is usually framed in the simplest format. If you minimize variant parameters by focusing your questions to a specific conditional, you minimize the not relevant outtopic data. So far you seem to be batting 1.0000 with your formulation.

I've heard the terminology bandied about that today's audience is "more sophisticated". How so?

It isn't. From a technological point of view, or scientific point of view, moral point of view, or historical point of view, the average viewer today is shockingly ignorant of the background knowledge he should have as part of his mental tool kit. What is worse is that he or she doesn't care that he or she is ignorant. You can see this condition developed in the population decay of such basic skills as organized critical thinking to such simple skills as problem solving.

Since many of us, in today's 'sophisticated' audience were around during the "heathen days" of the 70's and 80's, what happened to make us so sophisticated?

In our own case among the older mature people? Loss of faith in anything including especially ourselves. We don't stand for principle as we used to stand.

Why does so much of television 'drama' seem to be a simple re-hash of the evening news?

Loss of visual imagination skills in the practicioners [if you can call many of the clowns who claim to be practicioners] of the art; plus the decay of basic organizational thinking skills. A television writer in order to write a good show has to run the camera in his head and then turn what he sees into a story. If you cannot "see" the story, how can you write it? So the hack falls back on what he knows. The most recent thing he "saw" is what he knows. Never mind the fact that he has no sense of how to organize story structure, or lacks the skill to character sketch peoiple so that we see them as people.

Example; How many episodes did it take you to understand the interaction of Miss Kitty and Matt Dillon, a couple, on "Gunsmoke"? Same question posited with the character of Commander Adama and Apollo on CBSG, a relationship of father and son. One episode usually did it for you. Clear crisp writing did that. Did you ever get a character read on Captain Lameway on Voyager? Or of 7 of 9? Do you even remember anything about Seinfeld, the character, except that he stood for NOTHING? Did you care if Seinfeld bought the big one, or if the "heroes" of Voyager ever got home? I didn't. I don't connect with cardboard. Sorry.

In our ascendancy to sophistication, have we forgotten how to imagine?

Exactly.

Has the apparent popularity of reality shows cost us our imagination?

We've generally become mind-numbed and lazy thinking because it is too hard or so we are told by the intellectuals to think for ourselves. If we had the originality of thought to see through the garbage presented[but we do or else why does this forum exist?] that the least common denominator hacks who supposedly entertain us produce nothing but recycled detritus-we would reject their offerings.

I speak for myself here now. I tend to watch very little TV and almost never go to the movies anymore. Why? Because I refuse to watch or entertain myself with GARBAGE.

I allow myself one hour of pure garbage a week for which I write reviews to keep my critical analysis writing skills sharp. Besides I made a promise to write the reviews, and I keep my promises insofar as I am able.

What other little TV I watch comes down to science and technology shows and a little history. But even here I tear it apart when the science or the history is WRONG.

It all comes down to what you as a person are willing to accept.

I won't accept tripe-ever.

As always;