What to Watch?
Trashy TV inspired me to read more
I never watch television. And when I say never, I mean NEVER. I’ve been in Thailand for three years now. There is a television in my room, but not one time have I ever turned it on. Of course, most of the programs here are in Thai, and I can’t understand that language, but there are cable programs in English. I guess. I’ve never turned the TV on to find out.
Television and movies started going into the toilet in the 1970s, and have only degenerated since. Increasing violence, sexual promiscuity, foul language—that doesn’t appeal to me at all as a Christian. Back when I was a child, in the 1960s, there were some decent programs to watch. They were well-written and the comedy was funny. I still enjoy watch Get Smart, Hogan’s Heroes, Mister Ed, McHale’s Navy, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Dick van Dyke Show, Gilligan’s Island—and there were others. They had some romance, but they were all “G” rated, though there was no rating system back then. Everything was “G” rated. The 1950s movies are corny to us, but they were still good, family movies. Is there anything nuclear family oriented on TV or in the movies today? I gave up on both, so I really don’t know. But, from what I read in the news, the answer is largely “no.”
It began to change in the late ‘60s-early ‘70s after the civil rights movement. Political correctness became increasingly popular, and Marxists started moving into Hollywood in huge numbers attacking capitalism, Christianity, and nuclear family values. It was gradual, and not always overly noticeable. But if you go back and watch some of the old shows, you’ll see it. Two of my favorite shows were the first Mission:Impossible (it had a 7-year run), and the first Hawaii Five-0 (12 year run), with Jack Lord doing a marvelous “Steve McGarrett.” The latter, especially, got increasingly violent, and the political correctness is occasionally apparent, but I still enjoyed it. And still do. I pretty much turned the TV off in the 1980s when trash started to predominate, and I’ve only turned it on since to watch sports. And since the NFL, MLB, and NBA went woke, I never watch them anymore, either.
Some of you old-timers know what I’m talking about. “Gunsmoke” never was one of my favorites, but it was still head and shoulders above anything on TV today. For you younger folks that grew up after the ‘60s, check out some of the shows I listed above if you are sick of the woke garbage Hollywood puts out now. You’ll see the difference, believe me.