Editorial: Convenient Explanations

[Tom Andry]

<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><A href="http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/ConvenientExplanations.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 71px; HEIGHT: 100px" alt=[Guitarhero21] hspace=10 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/convenient-explanations/image_mini" align=left border=0></A>You know what’s fun? Interpreting events the way that serves your own political, social, or moral ends. Take this Newsweek article for example, The Low Cost of (Guitar) Heroism. The author laments that, “If a teenager can easily become a make-believe guitar hero, does that mean he won't ever bother to master the real thing?” Yeah… didn’t see you say that when you accused Grand Theft Auto of inciting violence in children...</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>[Read the Editorial]</FONT></P>

 

[Tomorrow]

Tom,

You aren't pandering to my hive mind with this editorial, are ya? Cuz I sure do agree witcha. And oh yeah, if I had two brain cells, I wouldn't rub 'em together. That would ruin 'em.

 

[hopjohn]

Touche'

Wow Taboo! Are you kidding me?...editorials that pander to the hive mind. Are you even allowed to discuss that here? Won't Vidabox pull sponsorship?

 

[Matt34]

Wow Taboo! Are you kidding me?...editorials that pander to the hive mind. Are you even allowed to discuss that here? Won't Vidabox pull sponsorship?

 

[stratman]

Tom,

Excellent article. We've mutated into a society that can't think for itself, its become easier to let a few form our opinions and views. We're lazy, malcontent, even with all our luxuries, we're constantly told not to be happy with what we have (marketing onus) and hypocrisity rules the day, do as I say not as I do. It's interesting how this hobby of ours falls into such a quagmire, we're told that our "outdated" equipment from last year is unfulfilling so go out and buy the new one. The marketing department tells the engineering department "leave some room for 'improvements' so we can keep selling the same models as much as possible." It's interesting, when in high school we who read 1984 wondered what would happen in '84, well, here we are in 2007 and big brother is here, but in a different format, we are lulled to sleep by rampant ad campaigns, instituted as a form of 'soft' brainwashing. Where did our intellectual acumen go? Maybe the dumbing of America? Where did our fiscal discipline go? When did we stop telling our kids: "no, you can't have that, it's not good for you"? It is a hive mentality. Welcome to 1984, we're to blame, we lost the courage to stop and ask the tough questions, to challenge the prevailing mind-set, we're willing to sacrifice our convictions (if we have any left) at the altar of universal acceptance rather than to stand for what is right. Remember Mr. Roark in The Fountainhead, he is what we are not.

 

[Tomorrow]

Tom,

Excellent article. We've mutated into a society that can't think for itself, its become easier to let a few form our opinions and views. We're lazy, malcontent, even with all our luxuries, we're constantly told not to be happy with what we have (marketing onus) and hypocrisity rules the day, do as I say not as I do. It's interesting how this hobby of ours falls into such a quagmire, we're told that our "outdated" equipment from last year is unfulfilling so go out and buy the new one. The marketing department tells the engineering department "leave some room for 'improvements' so we can keep selling the same models as much as possible." It's interesting, when in high school we who read 1984 wondered what would happen in '84, well, here we are in 2007 and big brother is here, but in a different format, we are lulled to sleep by rampant ad campaigns, instituted as a form of 'soft' brainwashing. Where did our intellectual acumen go? Maybe the dumbing of America? Where did our fiscal discipline go? When did we stop telling our kids: "no, you can't have that, it's not good for you"? It is a hive mentality. Welcome to 1984, we're to blame, we lost the courage to stop and ask the tough questions, to challenge the prevailing mind-set, we're willing to sacrifice our convictions (if we have any left) at the altar of universal acceptance rather than to stand for what is right. Remember Mr. Roark in The Fountainhead, he is what we are not.

Well....half the population does have an IQ of less than 100. Dumb by definition. One should expect such events to permeate our culture. Yes?

 

[Buckle-meister]

...

Hey Stratman, why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?

All I've read so far is how low we've sunk. Get over feeling sorry for yourself. We achieve some pretty spectacular things these days!

Woof woof!

 

[stratman]

Hey Stratman, why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?

All I've read so far is how low we've sunk. Get over feeling sorry for yourself. We achieve some pretty spectacular things these days!

Woof woof!

Hey B! Long time no talk, hope you're doing fine!

I stopped living in utopia after college, life smacked me hard (I count it as a blessing). Life is beautiful my friend, but only as long as you live by what's important. Don't get me wrong I'm a hopeless optimist, tempered by the reality of our society. There's plenty of hope to go around, just wake up, smell the coffee and don't run with the herd. Spectacular achievements come by the dozens these days, but I don't see the human condition being improved because of these. I've never felt sorry for myself (haven't had the time, living life and all), I've been awake long enough to realize how good we have it in the US. If television,as they say, is the mirror of our society, well then, tell me Mr. B. how low have we sunk.

 

[stratman]

Well....half the population does have an IQ of less than 100. Dumb by definition. One should expect such events to permeate our culture. Yes?

Hey T,

Yes.

But my question is: Who perpetuates the situation? The culture is permeated with half wits that sit glaze-eyed and drink the pre-packaged moires as defined by a minority that specializes in thought-shaping. I root for the independent(the optimist, the one who hopes), the one that says no to the system, the one that says just because you said it is , it doesn't make it so.

 

[Buckle-meister]

Spectacular achievements come by the dozens these days, but I don't see the human condition being improved because of these.

Life is what you make of it.

If television,as they say, is the mirror of our society, well then, tell me Mr. B. how low have we sunk.

I wouldn't know; I very rarely watch television. I have other things that fill my time.

 

[stratman]

Life is what you make of it.


I wouldn't know; I very rarely watch television. I have other things that fill my time.

My point exactly, I refuse to let anyone tell me how my life should be, especially at my age.


You my friend don't live in the land of Entertainment Tonight, if you did you'de be the rare exception, it's obvious your IQ is way beyond 100. The average American spends roughly 4 hours per day in front of the boob-tube giving their noggin a thorough washing. At the age of 65 that's roughly 9 years of brain bbq.

Here are some stats:

videos rented daily: 6 million
public library items checked out daily: 3 million
total tv hours watched by Americans yearly: 250 billion

Why do you think marketing, focus groups and advertising is so important to retailers, manufacturers, politicians, and opinion makers: they have a willing, dumbed out, captive (by their own choice) audience.

Check out this site for appaling stats: www.csun.edu/health/docs/tv&health.html

Don't misunderstand me, this is where we stand as a society today, but I refuse to be molded by the hype.

By the way I hope you understand I'm being very sardonic about this.

 

[Buckle-meister]

...I refuse to be molded by the hype.

Only a person living in complete isolation could claim not to be influenced by their environment.

Like it or not, hype forms a part of our everyday lives. Hype is as apt to influence for something as against, so who's to say that your refusal to be molded isn't a concious choice made by you, but actually the subtle manipulation of you by the hype you claim to be immune from?

People like to think of themselves as independant thinkers. The reality is that people are so easily manipulated.

 

[Resident Loser]

Geez...

...We've mutated into a society that can't think for itself, its become easier to let a few form our opinions and views. We're lazy, malcontent, even with all our luxuries, we're constantly told not to be happy with what we have (marketing onus) and hypocrisity rules the day, do as I say not as I do. It's interesting how this hobby of ours falls into such a quagmire, we're told that our "outdated" equipment from last year is unfulfilling so go out and buy the new one. The marketing department tells the engineering department "leave some room for 'improvements' so we can keep selling the same models as much as possible." It's interesting, when in high school we who read 1984 wondered what would happen in '84, well, here we are in 2007 and big brother is here, but in a different format, we are lulled to sleep by rampant ad campaigns, instituted as a form of 'soft' brainwashing. Where did our intellectual acumen go? Maybe the dumbing of America? Where did our fiscal discipline go? When did we stop telling our kids: "no, you can't have that, it's not good for you"? It is a hive mentality. Welcome to 1984, we're to blame, we lost the courage to stop and ask the tough questions, to challenge the prevailing mind-set, we're willing to sacrifice our convictions (if we have any left) at the altar of universal acceptance rather than to stand for what is right. Remember Mr. Roark in The Fountainhead, he is what we are not.

...it's like I have a twin! I oftimes rail against the mindset typified by the average Col. MacWendybelle's et al customer...You know, the sheep who never realized they needed__________(enter useless article/product here) until they were told they did by the suited marketeers.

jimHJJ(...I take it by your moniker you're a Fender fan?...)

 

[stratman]

Only a person living in complete isolation could claim not to be influenced by their environment.

Like it or not, hype forms a part of our everyday lives. Hype is as apt to influence for something as against, so who's to say that your refusal to be molded isn't a concious choice made by you, but actually the subtle manipulation of you by the hype you claim to be immune from?

People like to think of themselves as independant thinkers. The reality is that people are so easily manipulated.

Let's define hype: An idea propagated by a small minority (usually marketing ) spread through the repetitious, influential mass media that has a captive, receptive audience with lackluster convictions, that are willing to accept such ideas as fact at face value, that are so lazy that they would rather accept such an idea than to actually get their face off the boob tube and investigate the genuineness of such an idea. Is this convoluted enough for you yet?

People that are manipulated fall into two categories: the above and those that can't help themselves (mentally imapired). If your opinion happens to follow the hive, and you really believe it ( conviction) most likely you gave your intellect over to the opinion makers. An independant thinker listens to the hype and makes an informed decision, why is it informed? because the intellectual curiosity was there to discern if such an idea (or product) was genuine. The hive just dives head long without asking.

The act of questioning and debating a rule, principle, or idea that's held as inviolable automatically seperates you from the hive and proves you're independant from the hive, you may react with the hive, but you're seperate from the hive.

You don't have to live in cultural isolation, you just can't let the culture dictate your thoughts. Naturally, as you live in the culture and interact with it you adjust YOUR thoughts while carefully looking out for undesirable influences. I do this everyday, more so that I have a small child and as a parent I need to guard his undeveloped intellect (yet he must react with the culture in school).

I'm still buying you the Guinness

 

[Buckle-meister]

I'm still buying you the Guinness

You may need to send me it...

 

[stratman]

I can't believe you're upset

 

[Tom Andry]

Alright, hug it out

 

[Buckle-meister]

I can't believe you're upset

Ha! Now who's got it all wrong? I've no idea why you think I'm upset with you Stratman. Nothing could be further from the truth. My comment about 'sending it to me' was because I may not be here in Glasgow when you arrive. I'm currently looking for employment elsewhere.

Chill babe.

Alright, hug it out

Group hug?

 

[no. 5]

Let's define hype: An idea propagated by a small minority (usually marketing ) spread through the repetitious, influential mass media that has a captive, receptive audience with lackluster convictions, that are willing to accept such ideas as fact at face value, that are so lazy that they would rather accept such an idea than to actually get their face off the boob tube and investigate the genuineness of such an idea. Is this convoluted enough for you yet?

have you ever read the book "Trust Us, We're Experts"?

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I wouldn't know; I very rarely watch television. I have other things that fill my time.

I'm with you. I use my TV exclusively for watching DVDs, and then only about 1.5 hours per night. (I do occasionally watch TV programs recorded on DVD, if they are good ones, but haven't seen an actual broadcast in over 10 years.)