Media Chatter

I very rarely go to the movie theaters today. In the past two years I’ve been to the movie theaters approximately 4 or 5 times. I almost never rent videos or DVDs. Even when I worked at Blockbuster and rentals were free for employees I very rarely took any movies home to watch.

Whenever I do watch movies at home they are almost always “boot legged” dvds. I think that actually going to the movies costs way too much so I would just rather pay $5 for a dvd from my local barbershop (or from that guy that sells them out the trunk of his car), go home, pop my own popcorn and enjoy my movie. I prefer this experience rather than going to the theaters because it’s way cheaper and I feel as if I’m helping the community by supporting entrepreneurs.

And I would also like to encourage more and more people to help me in my support of entrepreneurs by boycotting movies theaters with their outrageous ticket prices and $10 buckets of popcorn by simply purchasing the boot-legged version and watching it at home.

Going to the movies today is nothing like it used to be bak in the day. Going to the movies around here costs around 8 dollars at least but after you buy popcorn and a drink it ends up being around 15 dollars which isn’t so cheap.

When I talk with my grandparents about going to the movies they just think the price today is outrageous. They used to go for under a dollar, which doesn’t seem real to us. I love going to the movies but the cost of going sometimes makes a person not want to go. You could spend the money more wisely on many different things.

Going to the movies was my grandparents “thing to do”, but today it isn’t the same for the cost reason. This is another example of how time changes things

I go to the movie theatre at least once a month. I’m very selective in my movie viewing habits because it’s hard to find the good films out there. If I have a feeling a movie is not going to be something worth going to see I will not spend the time or the money to see it. On the other hand it is very hard to know what the better films are. My number one favorite film of all time is David Fincher’s Fight Club. I didn’t go see it in the movie theatre because I didn’t know what it really was. But when I saw it as a rental I kicked myself for not seeing it in the theatre.

Fight Club, for me, was one of those movies that if I saw it on the big screen it would have made a huge difference in my experience. There are certain films like Star Wars, Jaws, and Titanic that have got to be seen in the theatre. There’s a magic of looking up at that huge screen and giving yourself to the world presented before you. It’s different than watching a film at home on DVD because there are too many distractions. But on average I watch at least two movies a week on DVD at home. I watch more movies on DVD than going to the theatre because it’s less expensive and there are more convenient time slots. If I could I would try to see all the movies I want to see on the big screen but I can’t. In turn, that makes my movie going experience so much more special.

There is a very big difference in seeing a movie at home. The problem is the fact that there is a pause button. The pause button is a movies’ worst enemy because when it is used the pacing and the story and dramatic action of the film is detached from the audience member. I can’t watch a movie I’ve never seen before unless I have a span of time to devote to that movie. If not, I don’t start it until I do—out of respect of the filmmakers.

Nights at the movie theater were always something special and different when I was growing up. Now, however, it has changed to more of a social passtime than anything else.

Movies are built up so much on TV and magazine ads that most people know almost everything about the movie before it even hits the theaters. Still it is entertaining to go an see everything on the ‘big screen’. It has become so easy to just go and watch a movie in the theater that they have even invented web sites to make getting tickets easier. Ticketmaster.com is one of the easiest ways to prebuy tickets for movies.

Renting movies has become just as easy, with places such as Blockbuster is one of the most commonly known places to rent videos and now even games. They also sell everything to move the theater watching experience to the comfort of your own home.

My preference is for the theaters still. It is just the combination of social activities and entertainment that still pulls me in. This past year I have seen more movies than ever before in my life. Some experiences are best on the ‘big screen’.

I love watching movies. When I need some time to just chill out I usually resort to watching a movie. I love to go rent or buy movies so I can watch them over and over again. I have just started getting into the habit of buying movies instead of renting them. I rent or go to the movies at least once a week. For the most part, I would rather rent or buy instead of going to the movies.
Going to the movies is usually a waste of money. A lot of the movies that are out right now aren’t really great. But if I rent a movie I really haven’t wasted a lot of money. Plus, I can rent a movie and watch it comfortably sitting on the couch in my pajamas. If I am going out to movies then I have to take the time to get ready and drive twenty minutes to the theater. The movie store is five minutes from my house or I could watch a movie that I already bought and haven’t seen in a while. Also if you rent or buy, there is a lot more variety in what kind of movies you want to watch. Sometimes I like to watch movies back again that I haven’t seen in a long time, and you can’t do that at a theater. . Another great thing is if I don’t like a movie, I can turn it off and that is a lot easier than walking out in the middle of a movie. I can also eat while watching a movie at my house which is usually what happens. My friends and I usually order pizza and watch movies on the weekend.
What it comes down to is I like to chill out and watch movies. It is easier and more relaxing for me to watch movies at my house with my friends.

Traditional films such as Rebel Without a Cause, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have entertained people through an extensive period of time. Traditional old movies have passed the test of time, and have found a way to survive growing old, fading out, and dieing. Movies that have withstood time, such as the ones listed above have been set out of the timeline, and into a category which directors only dream their movies would reach. Movies that have withstood time, and that are the director’s dreams are known as “classic movies.”

“Classic Movies” are the type of film that I would thrive to create, as a producer. I would want the hard work of the actors and everyone on the set, to withstand time and to be segregated into the elite category of “Classic Movies.” To produce an elite film, I would harness the concepts and themes from the storylines of old classic movies and modify and create my own storyline.

The type of films that I would like to see in today’s cinemas, and that I feel would withstand time, would be a combination of the genres including: Drama, Romance with a slight drop of Comedy added. The above ingredients would resemble the following films in the present, “Beautiful Mind”, “Gladiator”, and “Notting Hill.” The films listed are just snippets of what the combination of the genres could produce, and the films that I would I would want to see more of in today’s cinemas.

Going to a movie or renting a movie the decision is real easy for me at least. Going to the movies is really a social event. No one goes to the movies by themselves. People go in groups or on dates to see new release movies that have come out of Hollywood. While rental movies are all about the in-home experience, being able to watch a hit movie in my own home is the key to movie rentals. Another thing that I like about movie rentals is that if a group of people get together it is a whole lot cheaper to watch a rental than a movie in the theater. If I have some spare money that week or that day I am all for going to see a movie in the theaters, but if my cash flow is running low then putting in a little change or a dollar for a group to rent a movie.
I normally go to the movies about once a month or twice a month if there are some good movies I want to see. I don’t go by myself because going to the movies is more of a date than renting a movie. I went yesterday to see Lord of War and it was a good movie.
But honestly I would much rather watch a movie in my own home or a group get together with my friends. Rentals are the cost of one movie ticket and more people get to see the movie for less price.
Yes movie theaters do offer the newest movies, but I think I can wait for it to come out on DVD unless I am on a date.

When I was younger and could not drive, I would go to the movies often with my parents because there were no other options. Then, when I was in middle school, my parents would drop me off at the movies to meet my friends there. We would watch a movie together, but it was always so embarrassing for people to see you being dropped off by my folks. I hardly ever go to the movies, now. I have only been to see a movie one time this year. My parents still want me to go to the movies with them to spend time together, but I always come up with another option.

I never rent VHS tapes anymore unless the store just does not carry the movie I want to see in DVD form. I rent a movie about once a month, and I would probably rent them more if I had the time. I seem to always have other things to do, but I enjoy it when I do get to rent a movie because it’s relaxing being in your own home watching the tube.

I prefer the renting of movies experiences over the movie theater experience for several reasons. When I go to a movie theater, it never fails that I always go to sleep no matter how great the movie is. Being in comfortable seats along with the lights being turned down makes it hard for me to stay awake; even if I am on a date! Renting movies is so enjoyable. I do not have to worry about getting fixed up, and that is so nice. Also, going to the movie theater is so expensive these days; renting a movie is so much cheaper. This is nice on boyfriends too! Futhermore, if I do fall asleep at my home while watching the movie, I can watch it again later before I have to take it back. I definitely prefer renting a DVD over going to the movie theater.

The movies today are a different then what they were before. Movies today are more expensive then they were a long time ago. Today going to the movies cost about eight dollars. I remember when I was younger and the movies were half that price. The price in movies has gone up drastically. So therefore, I don’t really go to the movies that often today unless I really want to see the movie and can’t wait for it to come out on video.
I don’t rent many movies on video or DVD. I would have to say that I do rent movies more often than I go to the movie theater. I like the experience of going to the movie theater but I also like being able to go to the store and rent a video or DVD. I would have to say that I rent probably about two movies a month. I can’t even remember the last movie I went to see at the theater, so therefore I probably only go to about three movies a year.
I prefer going to the movies than renting a video or DVD. I just like the experience of going to the movies and watching the movie on a big screen with loud speakers. I like getting the popcorn and just the whole experience of the movies. I also like renting videos and DVDs just because you are at your own house and have your own privacy. So all in all, the whole experience of the movies is fun and expensive, but renting movies is also fun and you have your own privacy and it’s cheaper.

Going to see a movie at the theater is an exciting experience to me. I love seeing movies at the theater more now than I use to. I don’t rent movies on video or DVD. At home, my family and I usually order movies on Pay Per View or watch them on the movie channels, but I prefer going to see brand new movies at the theater. I will say that I go to the theater at least once or twice every couple of months. The last two movies that I saw at the theater were The Brothers Grimm and Red Eye . It was so exciting. I had really wanted to see these movies. The Brothers Grimm had some scary scenes in it, and in the theater I jumped sometimes when something popped out and one of the children in the village was attacked. Red Eye was equally exciting. It was a suspenseful movie and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I believe that going to the theater is a more stimulating experience because you get to see brand new movies and you get to see them up on the big screen with the sound extremely loud. When you’re sitting in the theater watching a movie, you feel like you are actually inside that movie. At least that’s how it feels to me. I also like watching the trailers for other movies. I always like to see those previews so I know what other films are coming out soon and what looks interesting to me.

Going to the theater is expensive, but at least now that I am in college I get a discount with my student ID. An adult ticket for an evening movie is seven dollars. That’s too expensive for a lot of people, but I feel like going to see a movie once in a while is okay. It is worth it. Renting a DVD or a video is cheaper and you can see the movie several times before returning it, but it isn’t the same as watching a brand new movie in a theater. It’s all about the experience.

Going to see a movie is one of my favorite pastimes. Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, and The Notebook (to name a few of my favorites) are all movies that I can remember seeing in a movie theatre. I also have favorites like The Sound of Music, Annie, and the old Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that I could only have seen at home because I had not yet been born when they were in theatres. All of these movies are my favorites no matter if I had seen them in the theatre or rented them to watch at home.

Today, as a college student, I rarely go to the movies. At least, not if I am paying for it. I probably go to the movies once a month, maybe less. The movie-going experience, as a whole, has become far too expensive to go frequently. Not only does it cost $8 to get into the movie, you have to pay $12 more for popcorn and drinks. It is not that I don’t want to see the movies that are playing, but I would rather wait and pay a $5 rental fee at Blockbuster, pop my own popcorn, and watch it in the comfort of my own home.

At school, I don’t do much movie renting. I don’t really have time to rent and return movies. At home, however, we subscribe to a movie club where we pick our movies out on the internet and they send them to us. We are constantly watching movies. When we are done, we simply send them back. This system has taken a lot of the hassle out of renting movies. That is why I watch movies at home more than I go see them at the theatres. I don’t prefer one experience over the other, but movie renting is cheaper and more convenient.

I love going to the movies. Whether it’s to see Shrek, Star Wars, The Wedding Planner, or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I really enjoy sitting in a cool, dark theater stuffing myself with a huge tub of butter popcorn. I don’t get the experience very often, however. Movie prices have become pretty steep as of late, and I have started to budget too – both contributing to my backsliding. Luckily, for at least two more years I’ll get a student discount. I usually go to the movies about once every two months.

I rent movies more frequently than I go to the theaters. I rent a movie about every three weeks. I rent more than I attend movie theaters mostly because of the price difference. A ticket for two to the movies can cost anywhere from 10 to 15 dollars, but it costs less than five dollars to rent a movie. In addition to the cost of the ticket I also spend less on food when I rent. Most dinners and snacks I have on a rent-a-movie night are cooked at home; however, I usually go out to a restaurant on theater nights. Another reason I find myself renting movies more often than going to the theater is because of convenience. It’s more convenient to go to Blockbuster as I am (athletic shorts and a t-shirt) than it is to get ready to go out to the movies.

Another reason I prefer renting movies over going to the theaters is conversation can still exist. Going on a date to a theater is entertaining, but you don’t have much of a chance to get to know the other person where as watching a movie in your living room is a good time to talk about the film, express your ideas, and get to know the other person.

Since starting college, I have gone to the movies pretty much every weekend. It’s just an easy trip that requires minimal planning and thinking. It’s nice to be able to go to the movies and relax, but it does get expensive for a college kid, which leads to a cheaper option, renting movies.

Personally, I don’t rent movies that often. I do agree that it is far cheaper and more convenient as far as being in the comfort of your own room. Also, the movie can be watched several times before it must be returned; but for me, returning the movie is the problem. I either forget to take the movie back, or I find myself extremely busy that day.
Both renting movies and going to the movie theater have their good points. Movie theaters are great for dates and for a chance to get out of your tiny dorm room, if you can find the extra cash. Renting movies, on the other hand, can be fun for having a group of friends over. Also, to the other extreme, if you want to be alone you can rent a movie and hide in your room.

I really don’t prefer one over the other, but I tend to go to the theater more often, just so I don’t have to return the movie.

GOING TO THE MOVIES

I go to the movie theater to see movies about once or twice a month. It usually depends on what movies are playing and if there are any that I am just dying to see. The last movie that I went to see was Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. I rent movies more often than I go to the theater simply because I can watch them in my own home. I usually rent movies atleast 3-4 times per month. I like being able to talk during the movie if I want to. It is also a lot cheaper to find snacks around the house instead of spending $5 on movie theater popcorn. I definitely prefer renting the movies most of all because it is the cheaper way to see the movie. Another plus when it comes to renting movies is the fact that you can stop, rewind, fast forward, and play the movie as you please.

The down side of renting instead of going to the theater is that you must wait longer for the movie to be released. A movie goes to the theaters right after it is made. My favorite place to rent movies is Blockbuster. I have found that the prices there are really good. Even though it has a few down sides to it, the rented movie experience is definitely better than going to a theater.

Most of the time I watch around five channels, flipping through them constantly. The channels that I watch on a regular basis tend to be sports stations and some cable movie stations. I like to watch any sporting events or sports commentary shows. I also like to watch cable movies with a lot of action and an interesting plot.

Most of the shows that I am attracted to can be found on both ESPN channels, Fox Sports Net, as well as TBS . Sports Center, Baseball Tonight, and College Game Day are three of my favorite sports shows. I am attracted to channels with shows that involve sports activities, especially baseball, or lots of action. If the show doesn’t seem very active and fast paced, it won’t keep my attention very long.

Cable television I feel has been one of the greatest inventions in the world. There is always a movie on or a good game on.

When my television is on I usually find better entertainment in the higher numbers. I prefer the cable channels rather than network because I believe that—believe it or not, there’s more quality programming. I must admit that I hate sitcoms. Once Seinfeld, the greatest sitcom in the history of sitcoms, went off the air I tuned out. And now that the networks are overrun with reality shows and crime dramas there’s more reason to look elsewhere for televised entertainment.

Some of the channels I usually watch are Comedy Center, AMC and MTV. But the channel that takes the cake for me is Tuner Classic Movies. TCM shows movies uncut and commercial free. It bases its lifeblood on the love of film which I also pride myself of. They believe in film preservation which includes showing films as they were originally shown in theaters—in widescreen format. They even show, maybe once or twice a day, a very short informative documentary on the value of the widescreen format. Just for that I give them a huge amount of gratitude.

I guess you can’t really consider TCM television because it’s based so much around film and I can’t really choose an alternative favorite. Yes I do watch other channels but I can’t say they are my favorite because I don’t watch them that often. As a recovering TV junky I can now truly say that if cable was to disappear tomorrow I would not shed a tear.

CNN and MTV have had one of the largest impacts on cable ever. Both CNN and MTV were pioneers in their respective fields. They both started something that had never been done and both ended up being very successful in their field and have stayed that way since they started. I think that both have had their positive and negative impacts on society. CNN helps everyone know news twenty-four hours a day. CNN helps everyone stay informed on not only world but national news. MTV has radically changed the music industry and become the most watched channel by teenagers.
CNN is great because people who do not have time to watch the morning or evening news can turn on CNN and find out what’s going on whenever they do have time. CNN fits around everyone’s schedule. The one negative impact I think CNN has had is that because people are used to having detailed news twenty-four hours that in certain situations like wartime that pose some problems. In wartime, people still want detailed news and forget that news could come at a cost of giving away locations and plans that enemies could use against US soldiers. I think that there definitely be some more guidelines about news coverage in war situations.
MTV has helped the music industry become what it is today. MTV is one of only ways a struggling artists can become famous in a matter of days. MTV took music to a whole new level. They have made music more successful than it has ever been. There have been some negative impacts though from MTV. I think that a lot of the programming that they broadcast is questionable and should be thought through a little more. But at the same time, I understand that they are not responsible for who is watching their programs. I think that both CNN and MTV have dramatically changed and impacted their fields. I do not think that cable will ever be able to top the influence that CNN and MTV have on their viewers. These two channels in a way influence a nation daily.

Many cable networks change our global culture and our society. The two programs, which have one of the biggest influences on global culture and society, are CNN and MTV. CNN started to have an impact on the public and their global views and society, when they broadcasted the initial attacks of the Persian Gulf War, from Baghdad to America. This in itself has revolutionized the way we view war, other cultures, and in turn ourselves. From being the first to broadcast from a war and to deliver round the clock news to the nation it has strived to give accurate news to the public. This change of having a constant flowing stream of news is extremely positive to America’s society. Many other positives can be taken from CNN: the public is kept globally in tune with other nations and our own society. The change in constant worldwide news, is an extremely positive change of increasing our awareness of other global cultures and are own society.

MTV has also played a lead role in changing our society as well as the global culture. MTV has helped directors in Hollywood to become experimental with cinematography. Cinematography then changed the way some movies are made, thus changing the way the public view movies. MTV has also brought global music together, thus, has created a global music market. The global music market is an extremely positive change in the way we view global culture and opening our minds to other societies.

MTV and CNN have created extremely powerful and dynamic changes in our global culture and society. Both CNN Cable news and MTV have created an awareness of other cultures around the globe, and have helped us understand and support surrounding nations and societies. CNN and MTV have created a spider web of networks, linking nations to nations, and societies across America to each other. Thus, we can derive that they have an extremely positive changes on the way we view global culture, and society.

Watching television is a treat for me. I hardly ever have time to enjoy it, but when I do, I love it. I enjoy watching reality shows that involve younger people, like me; I feel like I can relate better with shows like this. Watching the weather always helps keep me informed. Nowadays, I have to keep up with the weather in order to see if it will affect gas prices. Soap operas are always a girl’s favorite, but I just watch them about once a week; this is all one has to watch in order to keep up with the story line.

Watching cable relaxes me and is a treat. Without cable, or television, I would be bored during my spare time. Our generation takes for granted services like cable and does not appreciate them.

I love to watch television, but I hardly ever have time to do so. I try to set aside enough time during the week to watch my favorite soap operas, though. I love to watch Days of our Lives and Passions on NBC. I also enjoy watching The Weather Channel and MTV

Growing up, my family didn’t have cable. My parents thought if we had cable that we would spend way too much time in front of the TV. So the only time I watched cable was at my grandparents house in the summer. Basically, I would just watch the Cartoon Network with my cousins.

Since coming to AC, I have definitely done my fair share of catching up on all the cable TV I missed out on. I usually watch whatever show appeals to me, I don’t really pay attention to the station, but I tend to like abcFamily. My favorite programs to watch include Full House, Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven, Friends, and some of the Disney Channel movies are cute.

The things that tend to attract me to a channel are the quality of the programs, and also that the programs are interesting to me. I like the channels that have marathons of my favorite shows also. Getting to experience cable TV for pretty much the first time in college might be unusual, but I can see how it can affect getting work done, etc. I have to be careful to limit how much TV I do watch and at least make sure I am watching something that has some quality.

Television today has made a great impact on our society both in a positive and negative way. Television has also made an impact on the global cultural. CNN and MTV are two channels that are very different in what they show on television. CNN is able to bring the world the latest top news stories right as soon as it happens. MTV is a channel in which you can see many different music videos. But recently MTV hasn’t had as many music videos and just plays different shows.
The way that CNN has a positive impact on our society is that it is a positive channel in which the news is delivered. CNN is able to get people aware of things that are happening around the world. If you happened to miss your local news then CNN is basically on twenty-four hours a day. This makes it convenient and easy for people that miss the local news to see what is going on around the world.
MTV makes both a positive and negative impact. The negative impact would have to be some of the racy and scandalous music videos that they have on their channel. Some younger kids may be watching these inappropriate videos. They need to have more restrictions on what they are able to put on MTV. The positive way that MTV impacts society is that it has many ads for awareness for certain STDs and AIDS. It does a very good job at telling the young adolescents that it’s ok to get tested for STDs and AIDS.
Both CNN and MTV are great channels for certain types of people. MTV is for more a younger crowd and CNN is more for an older crowd. All in all, they both do a good job at making a positive impact on the society and the global culture.

The only cable channels that I watch are ABC , CNN , and occasionally I’ll watch TBS and TNT. Back at my home, my parents have DirectTv and so we have all of the movie channels. So when I’m back at my home, I watch HBO, Starz!, TMC, Showtime, and all of the others.

I am interested in ABC mainly because of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. I also like some of the Saturday night movies that are shown on the channel. I am also excited about the new show they are premiering on Tuesday called Commander in Chief with Gena Davis. I love CBS due to The Price is Right and the soap operas, The Young and the Restless and the Bold and the Beautiful. I also like CBS’s news programs. I love watching CNN because I like to be informed about what’s going on in our world so I like to have my news ready for me at all times of the day. I like watching TBS for Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond. I also like it for the movies that it plays sometimes. TNT plays great movies from time to time as well. Several weeks ago TNT showed Forrest Gump and City of Angels, and I made sure I tuned in to watch both of them.

I love DirectTv because it offers so many channels. We have over five hundred channels on ours at home. I love watching Saturday Night Premieres on Starz!. Besides all the movie channels, I like all of the different music channels and the Christian stations.

Admittedly, there are just three cable channels that I watch with any kind of regularity anymore: gsn, TBS, Cartoon Network and ESPN.

As I said before, there are particular programs that attract me to gsn, most particularly the Bill Rafferty versions of Card Sharks and Blockbusters, and the popular Super Password. I even get a kick out of watching Beat the Clock, hosted by Bud Collyer (the radio and cartoon voice of Superman ) from 1950-58. The show was sponsored by Sylvania and featured this intro little jingle sung to “Hickory Dickory Dock” coupled with a cartoon mouse dancing on the words “BEAT THE CLOCK” before a one-handed clock spinning:

Tick, tock, tick Tock…

Hickory, dickory, dock, it’s time to Beat the Clock,
Time for fun has now begun, let’s all play Beat the Clock!

(humming the tune in background to keep the beat, fades)

Beat the Clock is brought to you by Sylvania. For half a century, a quality name in incandescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes and fixtures, photo lamps, radio and television sets, radio and television tubes and electronic devices. Yes, for home, offices, schools and factories, Sylvania!

(humming fades back in)

Let’s all play Beat the Clock!

On Cartoon Network, I just watch it when I feel like it, I don’t watch any show on that channel particularly, except for Dragon Ball Z Uncut. And with TBS, I watch Seinfeld, or more to the point, catch up with Seinfeld, and Braves baseball. With the Braves, I watch the other channels that they’re on (Turner South, Fox Sports South and ESPN). I usually watch Sportscenter on ESPN, but I’ve also found I don’t watch Sportscenter if the Braves lose, which is rather frequent right now…

Now, I don’t know much about CNN, but MTV is something I can relate to. When MTV was introduced in the 80s, I am sure the creators had no idea what kind of influence it was destined to have on American society and even on global culture. Over the years it has influenced the music teens listen to, the way we talk, the way we dress, and maybe even some of our moral and political views.

In the 1980s, when MTV was created, it supplied a place where teens could find refuge and listen to the music that was most popular. As time marched on, the music and the content of this channel has evolved greatly. They not only play the music we want to hear, but they also program shows such as the True Life series that expose us to people and ideas that might be foreign to us. Or the Real World series that allows us to follow “7 strangers” around and watch them live their lives as “normal” twenty-something’s. Or even specials like the Rock the Vote programs last year that exposed the truth about the election and what we needed to know to make the “right” decision. Over time, this cable channel has developed quite a following, and, in turn, has the power to influence a lot of young minds which are the essence and future of our country.

Is MTV a positive influence though? I think that it could be argued both ways. With shows like the Real World there is a little fact and a little fiction involved. Yes, these are real people and their real lives, but they are not living in normal conditions. Not everyone lives in an extensively decorated penthouse, in some fabulous city, where all you have to worry about are your roommates and what club you will attend that night. Real life is more complicated, and MTV may be giving off the wrong ideas of “normal” life as a twenty-year-old. Considering shows like True Life and Rock the Vote, MTV does a good job communicating the truth about a lot of tough issues. They are not afraid to get the truth out there, but with anything you have to learn to take things with a grain of salt. Things aren’t always as they appear; especially on TV. Editing and selective reporting can make things seem a lot different than they truly are. In some ways, this specific channel has made a positive impact by making the truth known, but, at the same time, can we really believe everything we see?

Other than a few select shows like Law and Order: SVU, CSI and most sports broadcasts, I don’t invest much time in watching network television. Although I don’t devote much time to watching television in general, most of the time goes to watching cable channels.

Most of the cable television that I watch, although the decision is often left up to my girlfriend, is MTV or VH1. She is addicted to such shows as The Real World, Room Raiders, The Surreal Life, Hogan Knows Best, and My Super Sweet 16. However, the most dreadful show that she is hooked on, and I have to watch is Laguna Beach on MTV. Now, those kids are just ridiculous.

The cable programming that I enjoy, though unfortunately I don’t get to watch as much of, is Law and Order, CSI, and Without a Trace. Almost every night of the week is home to a re-run of one of these shows. Whether it’s one of the spin-offs or the originals, I enjoy changing the channel to USA, TNT, or Spike to catch an hour of one of these shows.

I am drawn to certain channels based on what type of programs they air. I tend to be pushed away from channels that primarily air reality shows or teen drama shows. Instead, I seem to gravitate towards sitcoms or dramas. The channel’s name doesn’t hold much weight with me compared to the types of shows it plays. I guess the syndication of programs that I enjoy has caused me to be drawn to a channel based on what shows I like instead of the particular brand name.

My family had satellite, not cable, but that makes very little difference as far as TV channels go.

The most watched channel in my house was Sci-Fi or the History Channel. My mother grew up with Star Trek and random other sci-fi shows like Dr. Who(which is actually a British sci-fi show). My father, on the other hand enjoyed watching old war movies and just about anything that dealt with the U.S. military(he likes airplane stories most of all). It is rather funny because I’m almost a mix between the two.

The channels I stick close to(when I get the chance to watch) are Historical channels or information channels or the sci-fi/fantasy channels. I like those channels because either they tell me information that is true about the reality of the world I live in or they expand my mind to think in terms completely different from the world in which I live.

Some shows in particular that I enjoy watching are ‘Myth Busters’ because they take random ideas and put them to the test to see if they are true. Another show is Stargate SG-1, yeah I know I’m a geek. I watch that show because it has interesting story lines and doesn’t take a lot of thinking to get into and understand the plot and for the most part the actors portray a level of common sense that isn’t very common in this modern time.

The basic conclusion is that I barely watch TV, but when I do I watch channels that don’t take a lot of thinking or that show me something new and original.

I watch a good many different channels on TV, but there are only a couple that I like to watch on a regular basis. After I get up in the morning and get ready I always turn on the weather channel.I usually watch it and see what the weather is going to be that day and the rest of the week. Another program that I watch usually on a regular basis in CNN news. Even though I am young and stuff I like to stay in touch with the news.

Like I said I watch different programs on TV. There are many things that can attract a person to a program. Things that attract me to a channel, are the people that speak on them. They have to have a good personality and appear to be a people person. The content of the channel also attracts me to it. Some channels have stuff on them that’s insignificant and is very boring, and that just doesn’t attract me. Every person is different which is why these channels that I don’t like so much are still using the same content. Everybody has their own opinion.

CNN and MTV have most defintely changed global culture. There have been both positive as well as negative changes in global culture. MTV and CNN are available in most basic cable TV packages everywhere. MTV has introduced our society to a whole new type of television. Most of the shows are targeted toward young adults and teenagers but are watched by everyone. I believe that this has triggered a decrease in morals. After seeing shows like The Real World and Laguna Beach, people are beginning to think that life is only about partying, drinking and having as much fun as you can whether it requires placing your morals to the side or not. Shows like these have had a negative influence on society. Younger viewers will especially begin to think that the way the people on these shows live is the way that they are supposed to live as well as that the way the people on the shows look is the way they are supposed to look. However, MTV does have a positive effect on the music industry. MTV is a way for artists to get their music out there! This has turned our culture into a more “music-loving” culture! It is really hard to find a person that doesn’t own a cd these days. MTV has had a positive effect in this area.

CNN , one of cable’s news giants, has also had both negative and positive effects on our culture. CNN does a good job of getting news out as quickly as possible. It is a convienence that our culture is used to. We can turn on our TVs and flip to the news anytime, any day. This has given us more and more control over when we watch the news. People no longer have to wait on the eleven ‘o’ clock news to come on. People can watch the news when they want to. However, along with these positive effects come the negative. CNN isn’t as informative about local happenings as one’s local news station would be, therefore as a culture, we aren’t as informed about local things as we were before cable existed. More people know what is going on in the world, but not necessarily their town.

As one can see, CNN and MTV have created both positive and negative changes in our culture, however, the good seems to out weigh the bad.

My earliest memories of watching TV were watching old shows like “The Andy Griffith Show”, “I Love Lucy”, “Happy Days” and “The Beverly Hillbillies”. My mom worked 3rd shift and before I started school I would stay home all day with her and she’d insist that I watch these “good” shows because she used to watch them when she was growing up.

Eventhough my mother tried to drill those old shows into my head, I can remember my favorite show being “He-Man”. Whenever “He-Man” would come on my mother would send me and my brother down to her room to watch it on a little old black and white tv so that she could watch “Oprah” on the bigger tv in the family room.

One of the shows that our family would watch together was “The Arsenio Hall Show”. For a while my brother and I were not allowed to watch “Married with Children” or “In Living Color” for two reasons. One, those shows came on past our bedtime and two, those shows sometimes used profainity. I knew that those shows contained profainity because my brother and I could see the tv from the hallway right outside or room, so we’d just sit there and watch when we were supposed to be in bed.

I regularly watch around 5 or 6 cable channels. Almost everyday I will watch CNN, HGTV, FoodNetwork, Animal Planet, NOGGIN, and MTV.

I watch news channels like CNN because I like to be informed on current events and worldwide occurances. I like home and garden television because I anticipate that I will someday own my own home so I want to be knowledgeable on topics pertaining to gardening and home maintainence and repair. I watch NOGGIN in the mornings and afternoons with my daughter because most of their shows like “Elmo’s World” and “Dora the Explorer” are educational. I watch MTV on the weekends and in the mornings before my daughter gets up because I like the wide variety of music videos that MTV plays. I watch Animal Planet because I like learning new things about animals.

I think what attracts me to these channels is that they all showcase things that interest me. What I think is ironic is that we pay for cable and satellite and end up with hundreds of channels but we only watch a select few.

Neighbours, Neighbours, Neighbours. (Said with sigh). The one and only Television show (TV) that appealed to me when I first started to watch TV was an Australian TV show called Neighbours. Here is link to the website, Neighbours For me, coming home everyday at 4:00 and turning on the TV to watch the 5:35 show was a ritual. Neighbours was my favorite TV show, I remember it being an escape goat from reality. For 25 minutes of my day I would be memorized by the TV. The rest of the day and night, the four channels would be controlled by my brother, two sisters, and my parents. When the show ended the 6:00 news would almost instantaneously come on, as soon as this came on I was ready to do to get to bed (I was very young, 5 or 6 years old).

Every evening, my whole family use to gather round and sit and watch two TV episodes together, Correnation Street and Eastenders. Both of these shows were set in London and had story lines that ran parallel to the East end of London way of life. My family seemed to be engrossed by both Correnation Street and Eastenders. To be honest I could not see what the fuss was all about, but still I sat and watch from my parent’s laps. As I became older, TV was becoming more of a ritual, instead of it being 25 minuets of TV everyday; it would be a purging of hours and hours at the weekend. I could only watch TV every other weekend because I was at boarding school. At school I was not allowed to watch anything. This was horrible, I could not watch Neighbours at school nor at home because it only aired during the week. Therefore, I started to watch other programs on TV, however I was not allowed to watch all, my parents would stop me from watching scary movies; it was a good thing, I would dream of the wildest monster you could ever imagine.

Overall, TV has been a part of my life, sometimes I watched hours and hours, others like now I watch very little. Having only four channels when I was younger was definitely a good thing. Most of the time there was nothing on TV that I liked. Thus, I had to make my own entertainment. Making my own entertainment especially at boarding school, really helped to step outside of who I really was. It made me go on exhibition outdoors, play sports and play for hours in the woods on the rope swing, something that I would never swap for a mere 25 minutes of TV.

I used to be a TV junkie. As a small child I would sit and stare into my old Zenith television, drifting off in the different worlds and situations. In a sense I was raised on television because that’s all I ever wanted to do. My mother punished me by not spanking me or taking away my toys—she took away my television. Years later I noticed how dependent I was on the boob tube and when I started my senior year of college I decided to leave the cable cord unplugged.

It was hard because like every drug you start to having withdrawals. I satisfied my craving with movie substitutes so I wouldn’t feel too alone. One way to find out if you’re a TV junkie is if you need the television on to keep yourself company. So, for about a month I was without TV and I found that I didn’t miss it at all. I realized how dumb some of my favorite programming really was: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, David Letterman, Sealab 2021 to name a few.

But recently there was an emergency that compelled me to plug in the cable. One day I was walking down the hall of my dorm and all I could hear were television news stations blaring from open doors. I started to listen and heard about Hurricane Katrina. I put the cord into the TV and watched what I’d been missing. I decided then that I would leave the cable in because that was the only media in which I got my daily news. I wanted to be up to date with the world again and that’s the main reason why it’s still plugged in.

On average I watch up to 45 minutes of television per week—mostly news.

Television is not a very significant percent of my time. I rarely sit down to watch television. In fact there are only three shows that I regularly watch: House, The Today Show, and American Idol. Besides that the only time I ever watch television is when I am really bored.
I try to watch The Today Show every day because I like staying caught up with what’s going on in the world. I usually just turn on my television and turn the sound up really loud and listen to it while I am getting ready in the mornings so I am not literally sitting in front of the tv, but I am listening to it.
I love American Idol. It is my favorite show. I was raised in a musical family and love to watch and listen to the singers. Unlike most people I don’t really like the first the few weeks of the show where the bad singers are singing. As soon as the first few weeks are over I don’t miss it or if I am going to miss it that I tape it so I can watch it later.
House is my second favorite show. I like it just because of the character Dr. House who very sarcastic and rude which is so unlike most doctors. His tell it like it is mentality makes the show great. Plus, I like medical dramas anyways.
Television for me is a downtime that I rarely get to enjoy. Besides the few shows that I like I don’t normally watch television but I do watch movies a lot so that really takes the place of the television that I might watch.