I'll admit to having watched it for about fifteen minutes and then realized that I hadn't liked summer camp for the same reasons. Adolescence for a huge cash pot is more boring than game shows and they are plenty boring enough. I gave them up in my twenties. Give me real drama, well acted, well constructed and with turns that surprise me. The fifteen minutes were predictable and boring, like watching the market.
As for free markets. I would be interested in someone describing to me how this paradisical thing would work in the real world. Serious drama and complex art has convinced me that there is nothing worse than being boring and trade is boring. So I can't imagine a genuine market mentality lasting for more than a couple of generations before the young would be destroying it just for the fun of it. REH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad McCormick, Ed.D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Harry Pollard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "'Ed Weick'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'Ray Evans Harrell'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'Robert E. Bowd'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'Thomas Lunde'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 4:21 PM Subject: Re: Slightly extended (was Re: [Futurework] David Ricardo, Cavema n Trade vs. Modern Trade Harry Pollard wrote: > Ed, > > > > Everybody has opinions about “Survivor” although no-one will admit to > seeing it. "Heck!" I'll admit to having watched it. Unlike Odysseus and the Sirens I didn't even have to tie myself to the mast of social science research to avoid being taken in by it. It was just too awful. I found it *tedious*, but I watched for a while to collect data. On the other hand, Survivor is all too close to the real world *job market* for my liking. I'd rather watch Teletubbies (except for the "skin" factor).... \brad mccormick > > > > In order to survive, the contestants are faced with choices – often > opposite choices both of which (or all of which) are reasonable. > Including keeping someone because he is good and can win for them, or > getting rid of him because he is too good and may win. > > > > It doesn’t depict anything but the way people will behave in difficult > conditions. Perhaps, we should keep basketball off the home screens > because so many of the players commit fouls. > > > > Survivor is a great mixture of personable people in strange conditions > (to them) doing what they can to survive (which demands cooperation). > Most of all, it’s great fun. > > > > When I last wrote of this turgid situation, I said that the women could > get rid of the man providing an all woman finish, or they could decide > to get rid of Lil who everyone liked. They thought if it came down to > Lil and someone else, Lil would win easily. > > > > It did come down to Lil and someone else – a woman. Lil had received an > immunity from expulsion by winning a test of endurance over the man. I > think, Ed, you talked of getting these husky young men and pretty women > to compete. > > > > Lil, the 50 year old scoutmaster, went to the final two with this other > woman. > > > > Then she lost, easily, I think by a vote of 6 to 1. > > > > Once again I was unable to predict a winner. I think I have failed to > pick the survivor in every show so far. > > > > Ray called it aleatory and we haven’t corrected him. Chance is part of > life, but the winners – and those who have done well – have depended on > anything but chance. The business of survival in the show takes a lot of > thinking and needs some careful choosing of directions. > > > > But, then that’s life. > > > > As I said, I find it great fun. And until the writers begin to run out > of ideas I will continue to view it. > > > > I watch no other “reality” shows, though I have heard a couple of > finalists of the “American Idol” and wonder if I’ve missed something. > Their voices were good. But, perhaps that isn’t a reality show. > > > > So, by all means don’t watch it. Reading a book is certainly a far > better way to fill your time. Of course, if you simply want to lay back, > relax, and enjoy . . . . . . > > > > Harry > > > > ******************************************** > Henry George School of Social Science > of Los Angeles > Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 > Tel: 818 352-4141 -- Fax: 818 353-2242 > *http://haledward.home.comcast.net* > ******************************************** > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of *Ed Weick > *Sent:* Friday, December 12, 2003 4:54 PM > *To:* Ray Evans Harrell; Robert E. Bowd; Thomas Lunde; > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > *Subject:* Re: Slightly extended (was Re: [Futurework] David Ricardo, > Cavema n Trade vs. Modern Trade > > > > Ray, I do wish I knew where I was coming from on all this. I've > always hated vulgarity or, to put it differently, I have a rather > idealist picture of what human behaviour should be and if people are > depicted as not conforming to my ideals, I find it rather upsetting. > "Survivor" may be aleatory art, but it's very carefully planned aleatory > art, so it can't really be aleatory. It depicts human behaviour at its > most crass and vulgar, but it not only depicts that, it does so > deliberately. Why? Because it sells. Therefore, vulgarity compounded! > Being an idealist and moralist, I want people to be better than the > people in the show itself, better than the people who designed the show, > and better than its audience. > > > > As a young person, I spent a year at an art school. As it turned out I > would not have made a very good artist- too many barriers thrown up by > my ideals. I then became an economist, and I don't think I've very good > at that either. I expect people not to behave crassly in their > self-interest even if they've demonstrated, time and again, that that is > what they want to do. > > > > Ed > > > > > --- > Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.548 / Virus Database: 341 - Release Date: 12/5/2003 > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.557 / Virus Database: 349 - Release Date: 12/30/2003 > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework -- Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21) <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
