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On the subject of nothing...
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On the subject of nothing... |
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Severn Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-17
Posts 7704
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Since we are all having so much fun and hilarity watching Philip humiliate himself by putting down one of the greatest nations on earth...er...I mean...having so much fun and hilarity talking about nothing, I was wondering if I could garner your opinions on Talk Shows? You know, Oprah the Verbal Opera and Ricki the Teenager who never quite grew up... And also - since this is the English forum, tell me...how much of an influence do you feel the use of language on these shows has on the English language in general within Western Society, and perhaps even in Non-Western countries who are exposed to these types of shows? It's always interested me... In fact - let's think of some great new topics we could suggest for their shows!!  K[This message has been edited by Severn (edited 07-24-2000).] |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
humphhhh ...not playin' till you edit that outrageous post ~sulk~ SP |
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Severn Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-17
Posts 7704 |
Ain't gonna happen....deal with it - you insult my great and good nation...you just have to live with the consequences...told you I was an English butterfly kicking...  (heh) |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
yeah well a bit of rock with a few Koala bears wanderin' around could pass for a nation i reluctantly concede  talk shows ?.... kinda difficult for me ... I don't have a TV and never saw a "talk show" although from what i hear most of them (especially the US produced ones ...note please Jim!!) amount to little more than verbal pornography which really makes those who watch such c..p little better than unsavoury voyeurs ....... no? Certainly (again only second hand knowledge) i can't see that they have any benefit whatsoever, certainly not in terms of promoting the "right" moral values, and surely as K suggests, they will have an influence on language. Here though I'm not so sure that this is necessarily "bad" .. there was an interesting thread i think in Philosophy, started by Ron which covered the subject of the "watering down" or "pollution" of our language, and on balance i guess i tend to side with those who would think that diversity and development is a good thing ...... sorry Nancy !! No suggestions for a witty subject I'm afraid .. I'd axe the lot !!!!!! Philip |
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jbouder Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash |
And I suppose a bit of rock surrounded by cold, North Atlantic waters and perpetually shrouded in foul weather could also pass for a nation ... I reluctantly concede.  Can't say I have any interest in talk-shows. Shock value over substance, stereotyping, and little moral fiber (unless we are talking about the morality of tolerance ... then they seem to transform into soap-box preachers). The influence of such shows on language (let alone thinking *gasp*) is, in my opinion, a serious problem. No good ideas for a show right now ... I'll think about it some more. Jim |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
WHOAAAAAAAAA there ...where did you pop up from ..lol...... what about The Empire .. Land of Hope and Glory etc etc...? We even let you have your bit of the world back!! and now look what you did to the language in return ..hummphh ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ok Sharon I reckon it's call in time sooner than expected .. where are you to defend OUR Fair Island from these hideous slurs ...???  P |
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jbouder Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash |
I never said you English didn't have a flare for hyperbole. |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
splutter .....*&%$£*& .... |
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Jamie Member Elite
since 2000-06-26
Posts 3168Blue Heaven |
Now children...if we can't play nice, we Shan't play at all....lol.... there are about 59 million people in the UK, and 20 million TV's..(incidently the UK has only 1.1 migrants per 1,000 pop. compared to 3 per 1,000 for the US and NZ)and 78 broadcast stations. US--275 million people- 215 million TV's-- and over 1,500 broadcast stations-- NZ--3.7 million people 1.5 million TV's- and 41 broadcast stations... and in the for what it (we) are worth department-- the 1998 GDP's - UK= 1.252 trillion......US= 8.511 trillion.....NZ= 61.1 Billion 99% of the populations of NZ and UK are literate as compared to 97% US People in NZ live almost a year longer on avg than do those in the US and UK---  Jamie Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito. - Virgil. "Yield thou not to adversity, but press on the more bravely". |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
Oh yeah? Well... well... well... My daddy can beat up your daddy! |
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Lady Lost Member
since 2000-07-13
Posts 470 |
I believe that television absolutely has a major influence on the English language...I'm not sure about Talk Shows in specific, but MTV, WB...the kids are finding out what's cool, such as the lovely language of ebonics. (Having a "Thug Appeal" seems to be quite popular today, hence the Backstage Boys and the one who has the corn rolls..or is that N Sync?)...It is the future generation of pierced teens in cyberspace who will have a profound impact on how the English language develops. Did I make any sense or am I totally like a million miles away from the question that was originally asked? (Nothing, defined: not anything at all, non-existant) You can never have too much fiction; reality can be such a bore |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
American TV is so bad that we have ALWAYS imported shows from England..the land of taste and class (Ab Fab?). I will walk a mile to watch a British production. I remember seeing nudity on Elizabeth I (Masterpiece Theater) and gasped..it was part of the story and the British didn't mind...I think THEY have copied some of American TV and have been corrupted. Give me Sean Sharpe!!  |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
Ok Sharon so now you are my heroine ..... you know all the right things to say heh heh... Note well Mr Bouder: quote: and quote: and quote: so where are your cheap jibes about our "public TV" and "low budget movies" (films actually) now ......eh .....eh .... ~maniac cackle~ ....... You are a veritable star Ms Devine ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ actually hilarity aside there is a sort of serious point here about the English and US attitude to extremes in whatever genre. I have this theory that, in the most general sense, for some reason Americans seems to be much more expressive and we tend to be incredibly reserved. There is a lot of truth in the phrase "British Reserve" ... so probably what was happening at the production you mention Sharon (which incidentally I read about) was that you were there as a truthful honest and outgoing yank (albeit a Brit in disguise) expressing your emotion at seeing what was obviously something fairly out of the ordinary... meanwhile unbeknown to you all these tight lipped Brits around you were actually desperately holding in even louder gasps of shock and outrage .. maintaining the stiff upper lip as it were in the face of adversity... and not only that but the ones that are good at it would no doubt all manage a kinda of nonchalant "been there got the teeshirt" kinda laid back smile ... funny eh? but true!!...................... rest assured though in the cars on the way home the air would've been thick with: "Well REALLY!!!!!!!!" and "Disgusting!!!!" and "Shouldn't be allowed!!!!!!!" and "Who can i write to and complain!!!!!" etc etc...... no public display y'see ...... and take me for instance .... you'd never get me behaving in this outrageous and forward manner in real life ... normally i am the model of urbane restraint and conservatism... .....true actually, ask my wife ...heh heh..... and yes we copy everything American (including your sit-com) .. good and bad ... it's a standing joke here that we are 5 years behind you .... but you gave us the wonderful Big Mac so i guess we can put up with everything else ...lol.... Frasier is good though ..i saw a couple of shows once .. but even that has Daphne (?) in it ... a real Lancastrian ~swoon~ ..... Sean Sharpe is pretty cute too.... Philip |
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Not A Poet Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885Oklahoma, USA |
Ooooo, Daphne is a fox |
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
heh heh .. pete where've ya been yer late .... been kinda expecting you to show, on the reasonable presumption that where there's conflict strife and mayhem there will be pete and jim dans le thick of it .. ... yeah she is isn't she ...lol P PS do they have foxes in NZ btw? ~smirk~ .... oh, but of course, the incomparable Ms Lawless ...lol |
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Severn Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-17
Posts 7704 |
Having a nostalgic moment... (And I told you P - about MS Lawless the short, rude woman...) |
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hush Senior Member
since 2001-05-27
Posts 1653Ohio, USA |
Philip- 'although from what i hear most of them (especially the US produced ones ...note please Jim!!) amount to little more than verbal pornography which really makes those who watch such c..p little better than unsavoury voyeurs ....... ' Is pornagraphy, verbal or otherwise, really such a bad thing? I'm not defending the honor of talk shows- in fact, I think you doing porn an injustice by comparing the two. Regarding the question; it's obvious that talk shows will affect the way viewers talk, as they will inevitably pick up slang terms, bad grammar, and "the lovely language of ebonics" (more on that in a few minutes.) I don't think the effect on speech patterns is nearly as important (or dangerous) as the fact that talk shows are constantly pushing ideas of right and wrong... in fact, a number of years ago when I was still young enough to be entertained by such programming, I was watching Jenny Jones. There happenned to be a mother with two promiscuous teenagers on the show, and the mother admitted to buying her girls condoms and birth control pills. The audience went into a chorus of boos and jeers, and while the mother tried to defend herself, saying that her girls are going to have sex no matter how much she disapproves, and that she wants to protect them as much as she can, jenny simply said, "well, we think you're wrong." Simple as that. It actually disillusioned me for a while, knowing that there are countless viewers who will probably take such advice to heart and use TV as parenting 101. Now, Lady Lost, I can't help but notice that you seem to have a negative attitude towards youthful slang, particularly ebonics and its use among white youth. Why is that? Now, I don't generally keep up with the teenybopper groups, but it you think that those pretty-boy bands are using "thug appeal" to propel their fame, you are pretty mistaken. The use of certain phrases and grammatical patterns that once were used mainly among black people has spread to most of America's youth, which you sum up as "the future generation of pierced teens in cyberspace". With that kind of attitude, what can you expect? In fact, how old are you? Did you belong to the generation that parents once summed up as "those goddamn long-haired hippies?" I don't like blanket statements, especially those condoning a negative attitude towards any age or ethnic group. A person's speech patterns and adherence to popular trends ultimately (in my opinion) do not affect that person's intelligence, or their ability to have intelligent conversations. There is evidence of that in your own reply, in fact, in the interjected "like" near the end of your comment. While the kids are all finding out what's cool via MTV and WB (seriously, who the hell watches WB to find out what's cool? lol.) you seem to be picking up some typically American speech patterns yourself. You are more than the sum of what you consume |
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