# Fuck You, American television-watchers! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 17, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182 "2008-11-17T21:45:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/21 "2008-11-17T23:18:58Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’ve only just discovered that the lamest Survivor ripoff ever, _I’m A Celebrity_, is STILL SHOWING NEW SEASONS! I’ve never heard of it. What channel is it on? If it’s on cable, they have much different standards for viewership than prime time network TV. Eventually prime time network TV is going to fall to near-cable levels, but it hasn’t happened yet. And Pushing Daisies was probably a bit more expensive than the standard reality show, too. Amazing Race might be a bit pricier than some, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/22 "2008-11-17T23:31:07Z")
I’m a Celebrity does not appear to be an American show (there was one season, sure, but way back in 2003). It appears to be a British show. Here in America, we consider all things British to be erudite and superior. And yet, we have Pushing Daisies, an pretentious, eclectic reward fantasy built on a ridiculous premise, and you have… well, I’m a Celebrity. How is this our fault? We’re TRYING to export classy things, but you’re not listening. You’re not watching. Shouldn’t ITV or BBC take over production of Pushing Daisies, and leave the crass stuff to us? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/23 "2008-11-17T23:34:24Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’ve never heard of it. What channel is it on? As I noted, I mixed things up. Apparently the incident I read was about the British version. The American version (aired on ABC) does appear to have died after the first season. In other words, I’m an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/24 "2008-11-17T23:34:42Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > People still watch Network TV? Yeah! No shit! There’s so much other good stuff on. OOOPss, I lied. My wife makes me watch Desperate Housewives. Probably watch it tonight. And NO!!! I do not enjoy it!!! Maybe a little… ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/25 "2008-11-17T23:41:07Z")
I wish they’d ignore the Nielson ratings and instead start paying attention to bittorrent download numbers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/26 "2008-11-18T00:10:41Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > And this dislike also goes to the BRIGHT BUNNY who put wrestling on Sci-Fi. It should only be on there if the **wrestlers are going up against Cthulu-type monsters.** That would be _awesome_. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/27 "2008-11-18T00:27:27Z")
What do you expect? I’ve met people who think \*\*Family Guy \*\*is actually witty. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/28 "2008-11-18T00:33:40Z")
I hate reality shows and since that’s the crap that’s been on for years, I really have almost stopped watching television. If something different comes on I don’t know about it until after it’s gone. I don’t even tune in for Ugly Betty anymore, because I don’t think about it when on, or the signal keeps dropping out on the digital receiver. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/29 "2008-11-18T01:04:02Z")
For those of you dissing the current state of American television, have you not heard of **30 Rock** or **The Office** or **Big Love**? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/30 "2008-11-18T01:38:24Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > a gigantic herd of walking, breathing, slack-jawed, hominoid personifications of the extreme lack of taste and discernment! In other words, _Pushing Daisies_ viewers. And MaxTheVool, are you joking? 30Rock is perhaps the only tv show I’ve ever seen in my life that is worse than Pushing Daisies. I’d rather watch back-to-back _Becker_ and _American Dad_ marathons than 5 minutes of either one of those turds. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/31 "2008-11-18T02:09:32Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > In other words, _Pushing Daisies_ viewers. > > And MaxTheVool, are you joking? 30Rock is perhaps the only tv show I’ve ever seen in my life that is worse than Pushing Daisies. I’d rather watch back-to-back _Becker_ and _American Dad_ marathons than 5 minutes of either one of those turds. That desert sun is obviously getting to you. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/32 "2008-11-18T02:39:42Z")
I just installed our DTV thingy, and now we get like 8 flavors of PBS. The other night I watched three episodes of _History Detectives_ back to back to back. It was freakin’, geekin’ awesome. I love _History Detectives_. Oh, oh, and I saw a great \*Nova \*about a discovery of the prehistoric bones of a species of very small hominids in Indonesia. Fascinating stuff. But, yes, 99% of TV is crap\*. COPS is still on the air for fuck sake. \*Of course, [90% of everyting is crap](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon's_law) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/33 "2008-11-18T03:23:59Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > In other words, I’m an idiot. Aw. _pat pat_ You’re all ferklempt over your show. I understand. I still wake up in the night and wonder who I can bribe to bring back Veronica Mars. _sniff_ ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/34 "2008-11-18T04:30:33Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > In other words, _Pushing Daisies_ viewers. > > And MaxTheVool, are you joking? 30Rock is perhaps the only tv show I’ve ever seen in my life that is worse than Pushing Daisies. I’d rather watch back-to-back _Becker_ and _American Dad_ marathons than 5 minutes of either one of those turds. I’ve never seen 30 Rock, but count me among those who won’t miss _Pushing Daisies_. If I want sickening sweetness spliced in with scenes of death, I can drink a cup of maple syrup, open [CNN.com](http://CNN.com), and save myself 58 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/35 "2008-11-18T05:05:16Z")
> [@Ms2001](#): > > I’ve never seen 30 Rock, but count me among those who won’t miss _Pushing Daisies_. If I want sickening sweetness spliced in with scenes of death, I can drink a cup of maple syrup, open [CNN.com](http://CNN.com), and save myself 58 minutes. Joyless curmudgeons, the lot of ya… ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/36 "2008-11-18T05:09:36Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I wish they’d ignore the Nielson ratings and instead start paying attention to bittorrent download numbers. By Jaga, that’s brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/37 "2008-11-18T05:59:38Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > It’s only a matter of time until we’re watching a show with a guy getting kicked in the nuts. It’s called Americas Funniest Home Videos. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/38 "2008-11-18T06:16:17Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Don’t blame me, either. I’ve never heard of either of those shows. Don’t blame me either. My TV hasn’t been turned on since last year’s Academy Awards. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/39 "2008-11-18T06:41:43Z")
I would’ve thought DVD sales would count towards a measurement of true audience numbers. Not to mention potential revenue to sustain a TV series. But maybe my expectation of profit from that avenue is somewhat exaggerated. ---
**Author:** ![kitemaker\_chuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@kitemaker\_chuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitemaker_chuck)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182/40 "2008-11-18T06:45:49Z")
Bring back “My Mother the Car”! (Jerry Van Dyke will appreciate it…I think!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-american-television-watchers/473182.md?page=3)