The Sickest Show On Television

[Pirate1974]

I've been watching television for half a century and I think I just saw the most disturbing show I've ever seen.

I was stuck in a motel room in Macon, GA this weekend and the kids were flipping around the stations trying to find something to watch and they came across this piece of video garbage:

"America's Funniest Home Videos"

Now I thought this thing had been mercifully put to death years ago, but apparently not. When this was brand new more than a decade ago, I admit I found it mildly amusing. There were too many guys getting hit in the crotch for my taste, but some of the stuff was pretty funny.

Now goofy Bob Saget has been replaced by some dork named Tom Bergeron and the "home videos" now consist of two types:

set-up stunts and little kids getting hurt

This is funny? In a half-hour, I saw:

A kid getting hit in the mouth with a plastic bat

One kid pushing another one off an amusement park ride

A dog knocking a kid down a flight of stairs

One kid spinning around until they kicked a smaller kid right in the face

Several kids falling off a see-saw, one of them landing on her face on what looked like concrete

A dog dragging a kid around the yard by its leash until the kid finally hit a tree with his head

A kid falling off a swing on the back of her head

Now THAT's funny stuff!!! Of course, the mouth-breathing morons in the audience laugh like crazy. When did real children getting hurt become the stuff of comedy for adults? Who are the parents that would send this stuff to a tv show in the first place? It really creeped me out.

The only thing missing was somebody saying "Oh my God, they killed Kenny. You b*stards!!"

[Zixar]

I thought they had renamed it America's Wackiest Testicular Injuries and moved it to The Moron Channel.

Guess I was wrong...

[Mister P-Mosh]

I saw one recently that I think is a good competitor for the sickest show. I forget what the name is, but they take ugly women and give them plastic surgery in order to feel good about themselves. It basically provides evidence that appearance is everything, and that you can find all the happiness and adoration in the world if you get a boob job and a facelift.

[Zixar]

P-Mosh: Is it "The Swan" or "Extreme Makeover"?

[CircleGame]

I also think "America's Funniest Home Videos" is sick - it looks like the kids' injuries are set up!! It's just to get money!! It must be embarrassing and hurtful to the kids!! What would I think if my parents did that to me!!

I do like the funny animal videos - that is what caught my eye as I was channel surfing one evening.

[Trefor Heywood]

We have a UK version called You've Been Framed! which is largely composed of similar stuff. The strange things is that they are supposed to be UK home videos but many of them appear to have originated in the US or Japan. As there is a cash reward for every video submitted I wonder how so many of them are of non-UK origin as the programme is only advertised and shown here.

Like your US one, it ceased to be be funny years ago.

[excathedra]

i wonder if our "you've been punk'd" came from "you've been framed"

[shazdancer]

I haven't been watching much TV the last coupla years (not because I'm such a prude, we just don't get many channels!), but I saw this reality show the other day where they are looking for the WORST singer in the USA. They are insulting the ones with talent, and stroking the ones who are awful! I'm watching it like you'd watch a train wreck. I can't help but feel bad for the poor schmucks who don't know how untalented they are.

Pirate, I'm with you, kids getting hurt is a lousy way to get a laugh. I remember Bob Saget back on the first one, urging parents NOT to put their children in harm's way to get a video, but to PUT DOWN THE CAMERA and go save their kid! Lordy, someone call Child Protective Services....

Mr. P., the 23-year-old gymnastics instructor who works with me told me about her conversation with a parent today. The parent wanted to know when the classes end next month. The instructor couldn't remember the exact date, and asked why she wanted to know. The mother replied, "Because I'm getting a breast reduction next month, and I want to be sure to come in and show you the 'after picture' before the session ends!" Is that more than you ever wanted to know...?!

Dancingly,

Shaz

[Galen]

While I fully agree that the media is entirely out of control and TV is full of stuff that is over-whelmingly bad for us; That is also the 'Islamic' argument (and largely why they dont like us, thus our current war), it is the argument of religous fundys of many religions (consider the Mennonites, Amish, etc).

On the other hand, wow what prudes we are.

.

[WordWolf]

Periodically,

I'm surprised "America's Funniest Home Videos" is still around.

Once in a great while I'll catch a few minutes by accident. I can usually catch

an animal being clever without anyone getting hurt.

As for "the Swan", my main comment is an objection to the name.

The original fable was about "the Ugly Duckling", a bird that thought

that it was wrong for looking different, but actually was a SWAN, not a

duckling, and was fine just the way she was.

Does the show do the same thing?

No.

It starts with the premise these women are NOT fine the way they are,

and proceeds to make changes with surgery.

I don't watch so-called "reality tv" anyway.

[jezusfreaky]

Pirate pal...

In this, the days of reality tv...a show which used to be relatively funny is now lowering it's standards for it's share of the ratings taco...sad...not a big fan of TV anymore...rather read a good book...or spend my spare time shooting what God has created...(with a camera of course! :D--> )