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From: mentat@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Robert Dorsett)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle,rec.arts.tv
Subject: Re: Did Challenger happen?
Message-ID: <17643@ut-emx.UUCP>
Date: 25 Aug 89 22:55:44 GMT
References: <17591@ut-emx.UUCP> <1904@brwa.inmos.co.uk> <932@brazos.Rice.edu> <713@larry.sal.wisc.edu> <190@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
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Reply-To: mentat@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Robert Dorsett)
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Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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In article <190@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes:
>In article <713@larry.sal.wisc.edu>, jwp@larry.sal.wisc.edu (Jeffrey W Percival) writes:
>
>|  The "americans/poor taste" comment is of course a generalization,
>|  but doesn't it wear you down seeing how accurate it is, by and large?
>
>  There are enough Americans that a lot of tastes are present. Consider
>that we have our government on live TV every day (CSPAN),

Yeah, but CSPAN is always barely breaking even (and almost went off the air,
permanently, a couple of years ago--but then again, I'm continually amazed
that the Weather Channel stays in business, too :-)).  And as far as it 
providing unadulturated wisdom, I always get a chuckle when the impassioned 
Senator, calling out challenges to the gallery, always turns out to be 
addressing an empty room.  I strongly oppose televising House, Senate, or any 
judicial activities.  It cheapens everyone involved.


>educational cable TV channels (Discover and two I don't get),

More winners, barely breaking even.


>PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). 

I noticed that PBS did not deign to pre-empt Sesame Street this morning with
more Voyager broadcasts.


> etc, etc.

All of which does not deny the fact that the dramatization of the Challenger
schlock will be watched by 50 million people.  And will probably be aired 
during "sweeps," in which other major competitors will attempt to air even 
more lurid tales (hey, maybe there'll even be a 48-hour miniseries on Nazi gas 
chambers--boy, won't THAT be a change).  Altogether, on such a distinguished 
night, you'll find 120-150 million people watching CRAP.  And the next night, 
you'll probably find the other half of the population. :-)

Oh, and maybe two or three million watching/listening to all the other services
you described COMBINED.

Yeah, there's a lot of diversity in the United States.  But when one talks
about popular culture, the couch potatos run the asylum.


>This country
>manages to support private museums, libraries, etc, 

Just barely, sir!  


>because people here
>are willing to pay to see quality. Tell me which other countries have
>the government on TV daily, or have educational broadcasting supported
>by the viewers. Short list, isn't it.

I can name countries which don't have such services--but which do have what
appear to be better-educated people, less shallow people.  Gosh, what irony,
eh?


Now, the typical reply to such a post is to sing a few bars of "My country 
'tis of Thee" and quote from a document which nobody apparently has ever read, 
the US Constitution...  I wonder how many we'll get to see THIS time? :-)




Cheers,

Robert Dorsett 
Internet: mentat@walt.cc.utexas.edu
UUCP: ...cs.utexas.edu!walt.cc.utexas.edu!mentat