# Stupidest recent moment in television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271 "2013-01-24T23:41:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/41 "2013-01-25T18:06:07Z")
A friend of mine recently commented how she came across some medical show she did not watch. A doctor was performing an operation and for some reason, absolutely had to have someone stab her in the foot while she was operating. The show was Grey’s Anatomy. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/42 "2013-01-25T18:08:48Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Anyway, whatever television’s done, it isn’t the government doing it. The media isn’t a branch of the government. That’s what _they_ want you to think. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/43 "2013-01-25T18:16:29Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I’ve never understood the popularity of the CSI series, because it seems to be the most patronising, unrealistic, infuriatingly inaccurate, and ridiculously plotted show on TV. Nobody should be tolerating its absurdities, and yet it was the definitive runaway hit of the last decade. Yeah, I turned away in disgust after watching the first episode, but only because I had training in forensic anthropology and could recognize the bull crap for what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/44 "2013-01-25T18:25:07Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > You are correct. I have only seen Fishburn and Danson in reruns, and to be honest, I have become so used to the show, I don’t really actively watch it. It’s more in the background while I’m doing something else. The little I have seen of both Grisson replacements seemed to have the same formulaic approach. But if this isnt the case, I stand corrected. I haven’t watched CSI on prime time for years now. > > Why were the Fishbirn years so bad? I found him to be a decent replacement for Petersen. I mean, he’s no Gil Grissom, but who is? And since the show is still on, I thought it must be working. Originally, I thought when Grissom left, the show would die. But it is still hanging on. He wasn’t all that bad, but the show became obsessed with the stupidest serial killer in all history and so became unwatchable. I don’t know how it came out because I stopped watching, but I’m pretty sure that the producers decided he needed to leave if the show was to live. > [@Kimballkid](#): > > It’s Fishburn **e**. You missed Fishbirn. But I do apologize for getting the spelling wrong. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/45 "2013-01-25T18:27:27Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Wrong. 🙂 > > My cite is my sister, who is a fifty two year old secretary, and she and her classmates were definitely taught shorthand. I’m a fifty-six year old secretary, and was taught Gregg shorthand in _college_, which I attended rather later in life than the other students. It was oh, 1978 or so? And I still use it today, constantly. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/46 "2013-01-25T18:31:34Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > i’d like to see someone defend _that_. They are trying to hit F8 before Windows starts up. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/47 "2013-01-25T18:37:52Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Just watched a CSI episode I have never seen that program, and have no idea what the acronym stands for. I’m not proud, I’m just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/48 "2013-01-25T18:43:14Z")
When was the last time _Castle_ was on? The appeal of this show is entirely the charm of Nathan Fillion. The Kate Beckett character is wooden and boring. The dialogue is cheesy and the detective work is sloppy at best. Seriously, re-watch an old episode knowing who the culprit is; you’ll notice that if they had just performed a proper investigation initially, they’d be able to skip jumping through all of the hoops and catch the killer within moments of arriving at the crime scene because it’s almost always one of the first “witnesses” they talk to. And worst, the writers assume the entire audience is comprised of idiots; pretty much the only function of the Ryan and Esposito characters is to walk the audience through the explanation of the crime because apparently we’re too stupid to connect all those obvious dots on our own. And believe it or not, I _do_ like this show, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/49 "2013-01-25T18:58:33Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I have never seen that program, and have no idea what the acronym stands for. > > I’m not proud, I’m just sayin’. CSI = Crime Scene Investigators You know those jumpsuited drones you see gathering little pieces of forensic evidence that serve as meaningless background props for every other Police drama except _Bones_? CSI is what they dream about at night. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/50 "2013-01-25T19:44:31Z")
[quote=“Stink Fish Pot, post:17, topic:648271”] Because we Americans are by and large lazy, unthinking tubs of goo that want to plop our fat behinds on a chair or sofa and watch a show and not think about it.QUOTE] You know, we always get some dude with this silly meme about fat stupid Americans. But of course, internationally, TV is even worse. Look, a majority of Americans have a IQ of around 100 or less. \*Same with every other nation. \* And, the Lowest Common Denominator likes to watch what we call ‘stupid TV”- _Same with every other nation_. It’s ignorance that has people thank that overseas their TV is so much more highbrow than ours. Sure, BBC does have some pretty high level shows- but all we usually see is the cream of the crop. If you actually have watched TV overseas, you’d be goggled at the fact that most of it is \*even stupider \*than American TV. Personally, I nominate “Revolution”. \*Every single moment. \* ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/51 "2013-01-25T19:49:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > If you actually have watched TV overseas, you’d be goggled at the fact that most of it is \*even stupider \*than American TV. Benny Hill. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/52 "2013-01-25T20:13:30Z")
I can’t believe they’re **still** doing the “zoom in and enhance” thing. Last week’s **Elementary** , a show I enjoy, had Sherlock watching video footage from a security camera outside an airplane charter business from about 100 feet away, drag-selecting one guy’s shirtsleeve, zooming in and enhancing until he could read the shirtsleeve logo. Ugh. Compare that to the BBC’s **Sherlock** , in which the technology they show being used is damn near flawless. And all of CSI is ridiculous. Forget the **Minority Report** computers, I never got past the concept of the CSI guys acting like detectives. I can imagine a real-life encounter: “CSI. Where were you last night?” “I’m sorry…who are you?” “CSI. We need you to answer some questions.” “Still not getting it…are you the Police?” “Crime Scene Investigators. We found traces of your blood…” “Wait - so you’re not the Police?” “OK buddy, you need to come down for questioning.” “Uh…I don’t think you can place me under arrest. You’re just lab guys, right?” “CSI.” “Yeah. I’m leaving now.” “Stop! CSI!” ::drives away:: ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/53 "2013-01-25T20:23:12Z")
CSI and all of these kind of shows are ridiculous in many ways. I always am amused that some homeless guy is found shot in an alley - and they spend about $39,800 on building models of the body, running thousands of tests, researching DNA from the middle ages, contacting Interpol and having dozens of people work on the case - overtime is unimportant - until it is solved. Yeah, right - that always happens whenever a dead body shows up. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/54 "2013-01-25T20:37:12Z")
But it turns out he’s NOT a homeless guy! He’s the wealthy co-owner of one of Vegas’s hot new night clubs. We figured it out because one of our CSIs happened to see him 3 weeks ago while partying at the very same nightclub and they remembered that he had a scar over his left eyebrow, just like this “homeless man.” Coinsi-science! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/55 "2013-01-25T20:39:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You know, we always get some dude with this silly meme about fat stupid Americans. But of course, internationally, TV is even worse. > > Look, a majority of Americans have a IQ of around 100 or less. \*Same with every other nation. \* And, the Lowest Common Denominator likes to watch what we call ‘stupid TV”- _Same with every other nation_. It’s ignorance that has people thank that overseas their TV is so much more highbrow than ours. Sure, BBC does have some pretty high level shows- but all we usually see is the cream of the crop. If you actually have watched TV overseas, you’d be goggled at the fact that most of it is \*even stupider \*than American TV. When some Briton laughs at the stupidity of American television, I like to point out that when Americans had a choice of what to import from British television, they chose _Downton Abbey_ and _Monty Python_ and _Doctor Who_. When Britons had a choice of what to import from American television, they chose _Baywatch_ and _Friends_ and _Dallas_. So who really has the bad taste? ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_Elliot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jane_elliot/32/6166_2.png) [@Jane\_Elliot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_Elliot)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/56 "2013-01-25T20:52:29Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > A friend of mine recently commented how she came across some medical show she did not watch. A doctor was performing an operation and for some reason, absolutely had to have someone stab her in the foot while she was operating. > > The show was Grey’s Anatomy. I give Grey’s Anatomy a lot of credit for that scene. The doctor in question was dealing with phantom pain in an amputated leg, and they had her go through several different ways of dealing with the psychological issue of feeling pain in a part of you that is not longer there. Having the visual input of a knife in her prosthetic foot helped her deal with it when nothing else would. Grey’s has really done a lot with PTSD issues and this is just one of them. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/57 "2013-01-25T21:04:00Z")
CSI, ugh. I’ve been working in labs of some kind or another for the past 10 years. Not one has had funky glass walls with neon lighting, or lab techs in low-cut shirts and high heels, or throbbing dance club soundtracks. Clearly I’ve been in the wrong kinds of labs. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/58 "2013-01-25T23:33:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > When some Briton laughs at the stupidity of American television, I like to point out that when Americans had a choice of what to import from British television, they chose _Downton Abbey_ and _Monty Python_ and _Doctor Who_. When Britons had a choice of what to import from American television, they chose _Baywatch_ and _Friends_ and _Dallas_. So who really has the bad taste? Good point. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/59 "2013-01-26T00:19:08Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I’m a fifty-six year old secretary, and was taught Gregg shorthand in _college_, which I attended rather later in life than the other students. It was oh, 1978 or so? > > And I still use it today, constantly. I’m in my 40s and although I didn’t do it myself, I could have taken shorthand classes in my high school. Lots of people who took typing also took shorthand. I wish I had. This was in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271/60 "2013-01-26T02:17:00Z")
> [@missbunny](#): > > I’m in my 40s and although I didn’t do it myself, I could have taken shorthand classes in my high school. Lots of people who took typing also took shorthand. I wish I had. > > This was in the 80s. I dated a girl who was taking shorthand with her friends in High School. THis would have been the late seventies. Her friend was writing down what my date and I said to each other. I found this very disturbing. :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-recent-moment-in-television/648271.md?page=4)