# The worst moments on pop-cultural, non-important television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310 "2005-09-12T19:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/1 "2005-09-12T19:53:32Z")
There was a special on TV Land about the 50 most memorable tv moments a while back, and the dumb thing was that they weren’t just including the sitcom/pop-cultural/fluffy-but-greatly-admired television programming that TV Land is _based_ on for Chrissake, they included actual news events and tragedies, which is ridiculous!- TV Land should be making a special only on the most memorable moments in, I guess you’d call it ‘pop-cultural, non-important’ television history; their list ended w/ the moon landing and then September 11th, with some guy coming on at the end saying that well, the triumph of the human spirit will be remembered long after the tragedy of the human spirit from 9-11. Frankly, I’ll remember the stupidity of TV Land longer than either for including important television events in with what they should have been sticking to 😃 . Anyhoo, let’s make a list of the worst moments in television history, but sticking to the non-important pop cult. fluff but-greatly-admired stuff. For instance [ul] [li]Rudy loses Survivor 1[/li][li]Jennings loses Jeopardy UTC[/li][li]The Lone Rangers are killed off in a terribly stupid way on the X-Files (so I’ve heard)[/li][li]The last episode of Seinfeld- nuff said[/li][li]Sinead O Connor tears picture of the Pope on SNL- you may argue this is one of the _best_ moments ever, though, but I personally would feel SO awkward and embarassed if I’d been there, kinda like if I’d been there when Ashley was caught lip-synching or the whole Janet breast thing- I would just implode w/ embarassment and then sneak out when I could [/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/2 "2005-09-12T20:04:28Z")
let us not forget Janet Jackson’s half-time saggy star-crossed boob… \_my eyes, my eyes_\ ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/3 "2005-09-12T20:07:16Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > their list ended w/ the moon landing and then September 11th, with some guy coming on at the end saying that well, the triumph of the human spirit will be remembered long after the tragedy of the human spirit from 9-11. Frankly, I’ll remember the stupidity of TV Land longer than either for including important television events in with what they should have been sticking to 😃 . That “guy” was Walter Cronkite, legendary anchor for CBS, whose career spanned from World War II to the 1980s. Why is it stupid for TVLand talk talk about ‘real’ TV events – or at least any more stupid than MTV doing news? ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/4 "2005-09-12T20:08:03Z")
The entire last episode of _Roseanne_. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/5 "2005-09-12T20:15:55Z")
Without having ever seen it & maybe defying the “non-important” part, I have four words- Star Wars Holiday Special. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/6 "2005-09-12T20:35:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Why is it stupid for TVLand talk talk about ‘real’ TV events – or at least any more stupid than MTV doing news? Perhaps b/c the part of I Love Lucy with Vitametavegamin doesn’t belong on the same freakin list with Tiannamen square :D- oh yeah that was such a legendary sketch, oh yeah that was such a horrible human tragedy. 😃 Those dumbasses. I stand by my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/7 "2005-09-12T20:40:16Z")
[QUOTE=andrewdt85] [li]The Lone Rangers are killed off in a terribly stupid way on the X-Files (so I’ve heard)[/list][/li][/QUOTE] The Lone Gunmen. I would suspect the final episode of St. Elsewhere ranks as one of the worst moments. It was just a dream, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/8 "2005-09-12T20:41:44Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > I stand by my opinion. Even if it is a weak one? TV LAND wasn’t doing the FUNNIEST tv momments or MOST IMPORTANT. It was doing MOST MEMROABLE right? Well there you go. ---
**Author:** ![marque\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/9 "2005-09-12T20:49:13Z")
Any "Reality " show. Reality is more than just turning the camera on and pointing at some designated group of people. Reality happens when people don’t know they’re being watched. I think that knowledge of the camera will always affect the people in front no matter how “natural” they think their behavior may be. Also, I’ll never understand how people can be entertained for long periods of time watching idiots act idiotically. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/10 "2005-09-12T20:57:43Z")
> [@](#): > > I think that knowledge of the camera will always affect the people in front no matter how “natural” they think their behavior may be. I just learned of this today- [the Hawthorne Effect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect). > [@](#): > > Also, I’ll never understand how people can be entertained for long periods of time watching idiots act idiotically. Remember that the first tv was just vaudeville- and now we’re just returning to that. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/11 "2005-09-12T23:47:14Z")
Geraldo Riviera spending an entire night of prime-time tv to dig into Al Capone’s vault to discover…it was empty. The “possessed by Satan” storyline from “Days of Our Lives”. Woodstock III: Fox ran a special with two cast members from “That 70s Show” as hosts which was obviously scripted & filmed even before the festival ended (in rioting & mass raping.) One host: “Woodstock in 1969 defined a generation! Woodstock in 1999 did it again!” Definitely something that wouldn’t have been shot _after_ the debacle. The alien-autopsy “documentary”. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/12 "2005-09-13T00:10:37Z")
Who Wants To Marry A Multimillionaire? The “It was all a dream” YEAR from Dallas. Chevy Chase’s late night talk show. “Wesley Crusher singlehandedly saves the day” episodes of TNG. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/13 "2005-09-13T04:08:13Z")
> [@Art Vandelay](#): > > Geraldo Riviera spending an entire night of prime-time tv to dig into Al Capone’s vault to discover…it was empty. The worst thing is, he didn’t even find an actual vault. My picks are behind-the-scenes ones: Lin Bolen as head of NBC daytime, mid-1970’s. She took the #1 daytime network, and, through asinine programming moves (such as randomingly shuffling programs on the schedule), left it the number #3 daytime network. Fred Silverman as NBC president. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/14 "2005-09-13T09:46:12Z")
> [@marque elf](#): > > Also, I’ll never understand how people can be entertained for long periods of time watching idiots act idiotically. Hey! I’ll watch C-SPAN coverage of Congress if I damn well want to! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/15 "2005-09-13T15:21:45Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Even if it is a weak one? > > TV LAND wasn’t doing the FUNNIEST tv momments or MOST IMPORTANT. > > It was doing MOST MEMROABLE right? > > Well there you go. I stand with the OP. It’s just dumb to lump Fonzie jumping the shark with Tianamen Square, or Who Shot JR with the moon landing. Dumb, dumb, dumb, and there’s no way of defining your way around such dumbness. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/16 "2005-09-13T15:45:45Z")
Star Trek, The Omega Glory. Worst. Episode. Ever. The Price is Right: A woman gets so excited about winning that they have to haul her off the stage. 10.5. Fantasy Island. The whole stupid series. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/17 "2005-09-13T16:13:56Z")
Lawrence Taylor breaking Joe Theisman’s leg on Monday Night Football. Taylor, the epitome of the tough, heartless, opponent-crushing NFL linebacker, sprung up after the tackle with his hands to his head and started calling for the medical staff. Theisman’s leg bent in about 12 different places as he was going down. It was sickening. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/18 "2005-09-14T00:02:15Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Lawrence Taylor breaking Joe Theisman’s leg on Monday Night Football. Taylor, the epitome of the tough, heartless, opponent-crushing NFL linebacker, sprung up after the tackle with his hands to his head and started calling for the medical staff. Theisman’s leg bent in about 12 different places as he was going down. It was sickening. Don’t forget the 63 different slow motion replays, from every angle possible, of the leg actually breaking. I’d like to add: Any reunion show/movie of a show that wasn’t that good to begin with. Yeah, I’m looking at you Brady Bunch. Couldn’t even get all the original cast members to do it, weak. Britney’s marriage debacle (either one). That episode of _The Real World_ where that one guy said something stupid and that one girl took offense and the whole thing spun out of control and turned into a huge house-wide fight where sides were chosen and feelings were hurt and… Oh. Yeah. That’d be all of them. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/19 "2005-09-14T00:20:59Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > I stand with the OP. It’s just dumb to lump Fonzie jumping the shark with Tianamen Square, or Who Shot JR with the moon landing. I do too: there’s a difference between **TV events** and **real life events that TV covered, but that still would have been significant if TV hadn’t been there to show them**. My contribution to this thread? Maybe something from Letterman—an appearance by Crispin Glover or Andy Kaufman or Madonna? And surely Fonzie jumping the shark deserves to be on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310/20 "2005-09-14T03:49:26Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Star Trek, The Omega Glory. Worst. Episode. Ever. You misspelled “Spock’s Brain.” 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-moments-on-pop-cultural-non-important-television/321310.md?page=2)