# What cable channel has suffered the most from network decay? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641 "2011-01-14T20:34:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/101 "2011-03-01T22:25:45Z")
Seems like once Fox News hit 51% opinion, they should have rebranded their network. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/102 "2011-03-01T22:49:53Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > American Movie Classics has redefined classic movies to include .. all movies. Last night they showed Demolition Man and if that ain’t a classic I don’t know what is.\* \*Which is probably true either way. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/103 "2011-03-02T04:55:25Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > Last night they showed Demolition Man and if that ain’t a classic I don’t know what is.\* > \*Which is probably true either way. Wasn’t the whole movie just an advertisement for Taco Bell? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/104 "2011-03-02T05:10:55Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > National Geographic Channel is doing shows called “Prison Women.” What is it with otherwise intelligent channels and reality dreck about people in jail? As noted earlier, MSNBC turns into a pumpkin every weekend and shows prison reality dreck. 😃 Oh, that was cute! The Discovery Channel was doing that, too, reality shows about jails. They are probably mad cheap to make, they only have to pay their leading men with cartons of Kools. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/105 "2011-03-02T12:35:43Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Wasn’t the whole movie just an advertisement for Taco Bell? Which, surprisingly, was the one prediction of the future they got right! (PizzaHut/LongJohnSilver/A&W RootBeer/Taco Bell/Pepsico) ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/106 "2011-03-02T14:20:20Z")
Discovery Channel. I remember when it used to have actual shows about discovering new things. Now it’s all docu-dramas like Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, lumberjacks, those idiotic motorcycle and car pimping shows, and of course all the nutball conspiracy theory shows. A good percentage have such little redeeming value so they have some fake tittied bimbo talking in that WWF Announcer Voice (like that Jessie girl who stood in for Kari Byron on Mythbusters while she was on maternity leave. God I hated that callow annoying voice) prancing around jiggling all over the place. Yes I’ve been watching daytime TV. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/107 "2011-03-02T18:52:11Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > The Travel Channel, IMO, has made a bit of a comeback in recent years. It seemed that for a while in the early to mid-2000s they were showing nothing but World Series of Poker and shows about the gaming industry. Personally I’d much rather watch Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern, which, even if they are focused on food, also incorporate travel to exotic places. You are right. It’s a nice combination. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/108 "2011-03-02T19:02:52Z")
**TLC** takes the cake as the worst. They used to have ieducational programs, documetaries, and even shows for children now they air pretty much shit. **A&E** runs a close second since they rarely show anything to do with the Arts and the entertainment quotient is subjective. ETA: I forgot to add the hours and hours of infomercials TLC airs. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/109 "2011-03-02T19:06:53Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > Last night they showed Demolition Man and if that ain’t a classic I don’t know what is.\* > > \*Which is probably true either way. And how do you use the three shells anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/110 "2011-03-02T19:17:15Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Why can’t they pay Robertson to go away? It is rather more serious than the Reverend being an annoyance. He is always citing the foul NIV Bible instead of the Holy King James, he does NOT believe in (or preach) the inerrancy of Scripture, and he allows women (!!!) to make pronouncements about the faith to men. Pat is a clear and present danger to ones chances of ever being allowed into heaven. ---
**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 2, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/111 "2011-03-02T19:18:54Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > And how do you use the three shells anyway? The writers speak: [I-Mockery.com - How To Use The Three Seashells! The Three Seashells Project! Demolition Man!](http://www.i-mockery.com/shorts/three-seashells/) Personally, I think they were just fucking with Stallone. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/112 "2011-03-02T20:30:19Z")
While I can see how that method of using 3 seashells would work (to varying degrees of work), I fail to see how it is an improvement over paper. What are the seashells made of? If you dispose of them along with the crap, is there a seashell dispenser? That seems wasteful. I imagined seashells that were auto cleaning or something, reusable but sanitary. And scraping your but with a seashell? Like a hard object? Rather than paper? Geez, my butt get’s sore enough without that level of indignity. And I don’t know about you, but my crap doesn’t always come out in one long log, but rather in small clumps. So I’d be either trying to hold the shells while emptying them, or else dropping them in the toilet and getting new ones a fair amount. That seems even worse. No, this explanation does not make sense with the description in the movie, and has several disadvantages over toilet paper. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/113 "2011-03-02T20:44:11Z")
One theory I heard on another message board, was that the seashells were really just buttons for some sort of advanced cleaning device. You press one seashell-shaped button to spray a poop-dissolving solution on your derriere, another button to spray water to clean off the solution and another to dry off. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/114 "2011-03-03T03:52:51Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > And I don’t know about you, but my crap doesn’t always come out in one long log, but rather in small clumps. Believe me. When all restaurants are Taco Bell…you’ll be crapping big long logs. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/115 "2011-03-03T23:53:38Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Believe me. When all restaurants are Taco Bell…you’ll be crapping big long logs. Not me. Nothing even remotely log like comes outta my rear after eating Taco Bell. Unless the log’s been liquefied. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641/116 "2011-03-04T23:00:43Z")
Yeah, just how well do those shells help with diarrhea? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cable-channel-has-suffered-the-most-from-network-decay/567641.md?page=5)