Jul 29 2009
A Conciliation Theory
A Conciliation Theory ( A Reason to Dislike The Learning Channel)
By: Gus Lequerica
In the mass communication theory, there is a segment that says about two possible theories to explain the functions of television, one is to entertain and the other is to inform; both theories can’t be conciliated into one because they express two different polarities of communication theory. Some people said that is impossible to inform on television without entertaining, take a look at CNN and Fox News, both channels inform but in a sensationalistic way they had to entertain first before the information. Just take a look when they give headline.
But probably you already know this without even studying Communications; during one day of slackery I tuned up the TLC channel, I don’t understand why this channel is named The Learning Channel?, there is everything else except learning, but maybe the audience learn about voyeurism and idiocy by watching at people like Jon and Kate or Trading Spouses (just to name a few) it should be called the Reality Network but not the Learning Channel because there is not enough content that can inform and educate people and all that leaves with the main segment of the communicational theory where television has a primary purpose to entertain and that’s it.
The main reason to hate TLC is the reason that what is the TLC itself and it shows every single negative aspect of communications where it relegate the viewer to a position of a peeper and not a intelligent person who can choose the content he or she wants, but the contradiction of the stamen is that people in theory can choose whatever they want on television but reading statistics about how in vogue are gossip sites and magazines, it makes me wonder if society is rotten enough to consider more of positive models people who appear in reality shows rather than people who works for their communities or create beautiful art or music. Is impossible to understand how sadistic and exhibitionistic shows like Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Trading Spouses, Little People, Jon and Kate or Little People Big World generate more ratings than a orchestra broadcast.
I can’t see anything good on communications handling because one way I see exploitation in the ratings with lesser individuals who person with no scrupulous like to exploit their tragedies just to make feel the viewers better about their own personal reflections. Maybe one of the most sadistic shows that is on T.V. is Extreme Makeover, because they smile at the end without really giving a happy ending, as you know in life there is no happy ending at the end of the episode and everybody don’t look as fake as in T.V., but hey! At the end that’s just television.
