# People being shoved down our throats... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539 "2011-03-13T14:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/81 "2011-03-19T09:49:37Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > Because in the post-Britney era, her faux-virgin (I say faux because she dated Jake Gyllenhaal and unlike a Jonas brother I don’t think he’s the chastity type) good girl shtick excites parents and her “I’m awesome, cute and get the boy, that other girl is an ugly whore” lyrics excite little girls and feed the long held cultural convention of pitting women against one another for the sake of men which excites record executives. Other than saying she’s a sweet girl, does anyone care about Taylor Swift’s virginity? I’m not a country music fan, but that seemed to be something that only Britney got tagged with. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/82 "2011-03-19T11:10:49Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > This, of course, completely and conveniently ignores the fact that there’s no requirement for TV news to be bullshit. Sure, one can ignore it, especially if one has access to the internet and is willing to be discriminating, but there’s nothing inherent in the medium that requires TV news to be crappy infotainment. I’m not complaining about it because i am unable to avoid it; i’m complaining about it because it seems to me that improving it is a worthwhile (though perhaps rather unrealistic) goal. Speaking as someone with a postgraduate degree in the subject, there is quality journalism out there and it’s not especially hard to find- but if it’s on TV and hasn’t come from someone like the BBC (or your country’s equivalent thereof), it’s probably closer to “Infotainment” (or at least aimed at trendy women) than what many of us might want to consider “News”. Is there much that can be done about it? IMHO no, there isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/83 "2011-03-19T12:38:10Z")
[Click here](http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100820) and go down to "Chewed-On Theory No. 3: “Why can’t Jennifer Aniston find a man?” for Bill Simmons’ explanation for why Aniston will be a story until she either gets pregnant or goes menopausal. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/84 "2011-03-19T13:08:24Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > … until Prince Charming dumped her as soon as something better came along. Do you seriously think that Brad Pitt hasn’t averaged about three opportunities a day to do better than JA since he turned 13? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/85 "2011-03-19T15:10:54Z")
> [@brocks](#): > > Do you seriously think that Brad Pitt hasn’t averaged about three opportunities a day to do better than JA since he turned 13? Considering the average male’s opinion of Angelina Jolie’s looks, I’d say the answer is no. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/86 "2011-03-19T15:39:02Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Other than saying she’s a sweet girl, does anyone care about Taylor Swift’s virginity? I’m not a country music fan, but that seemed to be something that only Britney got tagged with. You and I don’t, but considering that Ms. Swift’s demographic skews heavily to pre-teen girls, it matters to conservative parents who view morality as an important determinant in who they will allow their kids to listen to. Same with Justin Bieber; his apparent lack of puberty appeals to parents for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/87 "2011-03-19T15:59:19Z")
I’m sure Taylor is lovely and sweet but IMHO too old to care who’s sleeping with whom. I don’t know much about her music but what I’ve heard of her lyrics bugs me. I think they’re bad lyrics and she can do better. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/88 "2011-03-19T16:08:34Z")
> [@anya\_marie](#): > > I’m sure Taylor is lovely and sweet but IMHO too old to care who’s sleeping with whom. I don’t know much about her music but what I’ve heard of her lyrics bugs me. I think they’re bad lyrics and she can do better. Eh, I assume her lyrics will get better (however you want to define that) as she gets older and more experienced. A lot of her songs off her first couple albums were written when she was still _very_ young - apparently she was 14 when she wrote “Our Song”. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/89 "2011-03-19T17:16:22Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Eh, I assume her lyrics will get better (however you want to define that) as she gets older and more experienced. A lot of her songs off her first couple albums were written when she was still _very_ young - apparently she was 14 when she wrote “Our Song”. I think she’s one of the best songwriters with a record contract. Sure, songs like “Fifteen”, about what it’s like to be starting high school and your first crush may be a little hard for us older people to identify with. Then again, if “The Best Day” doesn’t bring back feelings of a special day(s) you had as a kid with a parent, you probably never had such a day or you’re made of stone. Too bad either way. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/90 "2011-03-21T18:26:54Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > And I’d take Anniston over Jolie any day. I’d take Anniston over a kitchen table given the opportunity. ER I’m dreadfully sorry… I’ll get my coat. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/91 "2011-03-21T21:24:56Z")
American Idol/Bachelor/Trashy Jersey Housewives whatever. Shut up, go away! Jennifer Aniston – agree with everything said about her. Leave her alone! **tumbleddown** and **Mister Rik** nailed it perfectly. Charlie Sheen/Lindsay Lohan/Britney Spears… PARIS HILTON, GO AWAY! I don’t particularly follow entertainment news anymore but I do see banner ads from entertainment websites and “Trending” headlines on Yahoo! Why am I supposed to care when celebrities get pregnant? Are there women in Iowa or somewhere who relate to these strangers as if they were family? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/92 "2011-03-23T16:48:46Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Jennifer Aniston – agree with everything said about her. Leave her alone! **tumbleddown** and **Mister Rik** nailed it perfectly. And **Lust4Life** wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Troutsqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Troutsqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troutsqueezer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/93 "2011-03-24T20:23:38Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Sarah Palin. She can’t complete a sentence, much less a term in office. This would be the same Sarah Palin whose teleprompter quit working a few minutes into her speech at the Republican National Convention and who finished the long speech without any indication she was giving it entirely from memory with millions of people all over the world watching? I’ll tell you who I’ve been sick of for years…OPRAH! Yeah girlfriend! Oprah! Talk about shoving someone down your throat. And the thing is, she does most of the shoving! She’s everywhere, all the time! She’s on Jeopardy, she narrates Nature shows, she’s on the cover of every issue of her magazine (and others), she’s in political shows, she’s got her daily talk show, she’s in commercials, she’s on book covers, she listens to this music, she likes those books, she’s for this politician, she makes this amount of money, she’s got her own network, she goes camping and it’s national news, she’s friends with Gale, she gives away cars, yada yada yada. I’m sick of it, sick I tell ya…the Oprah-ization of the world, right before our eyes, and I can’t do anything about it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539/94 "2011-03-24T21:02:49Z")
Right now I’m a little sick of hearing about Rebecca Black, but I suspect that will be over soon. Her 15 minutes were up sometime last week. Other than her, I’d say Brett Favre. Not so much now, but for awhile a couple of months ago, you couldn’t turn around without hearing something about him or seeing that fuzzy mug staring out at you from some TV screen. The spouse watches a lot of ESPN and SportsCenter so that makes it much worse. It got to where I would leave the room when somebody started talking about him. These days I’m kind of sick of Charlie Sheen, but I also find him amusing in a trainwreck sort of way so he’s not so bad. And then there’s Snooki or however the hell you spell it, and that “Situation” guy. I’ve never seen Jersey Shore, but the media seems not to shut up about these two. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-being-shoved-down-our-throats/574539.md?page=4)