From time to time folks on this list complain that the shows on TV today are not worth watching. I would like to share the following quote:
"I invite each of you to sit down in front of your own television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland. You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, western bad men, western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly commercials — many screaming, cajoling, and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you'll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, I only ask you to try it." This may sound like something written recently, but it's actually from a 1961 speech by Newton Minow, then chairman of the FCC. So even back when The Andy Griffith Show was brand new (and probably even earlier), people were complaining about what they saw on TV. Side note: the S. S. Minnow of Gilligan's Island was named after Newton Minow. It was Sherwood Schwartz's subtle way of stating what he thought of Minow's opinions. Paul Mulik _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
