From the early 1940’s TV has been a staple of American households. In those days they were even a showcase of wealth. Not only could you afford the television itself but you had enough free time to watch it! In the years that followed people became attached to these screens. As they kept on proving themselves to be integral in maintaining the status of an informed person. Digging themselves deeper and deeper into our lives, and our emotions.
Television had its biggest impacts during some of our toughest times. Being a place that scared and helpless families could turn for information and reassurance. During WW2 families would turn to news channels for information about the war. Even greater an impact during the length of the cold war, as most information (and propaganda) was shared on television. The television industry only continued to grow from these stages. They learned how to use a certain rhetoric to convey different kinds of news, or worse, how to persuade people into doing things they were against. With this is change television, specifically news television. Began to grow into the monster that it has become today, a place filled with 50% garbage 40% opinion pieces, and a strong and kicking 10% of real news.
Polarization
The photo above is one that I had seen online some time ago, it comes to mind every time someone talks about news. I think the fact this spectrum is even a thing says so much about greed and politics in our country. I find it astonishing that news outlets are not objective sources of news. Becoming less of a world shattering reality when you take into account that they are bias strictly for money. pandering to the beliefs no matter how radical of their listening demographic. A strategy that has had to be implemented since internet news has threaten to shut down most of the news channel industry.
The Brightside
Though it may seem like I hate television I should make it very clear. I hate the current state of news, along with Time Warner Cable or “Spectrum” whatever the freak that means. Though the multitude of amazing art that has been featured on television over the years should not be understated. I am obsessed with many shows, from SVU, to ‘Family Guy’ ‘South Park’ and ‘Rick and Morty,’ to more silly pointless shows like Brooklyn 9 or Bar Rescue. The amount of different types of TV shows is amazing, and something that I am extremely grateful for. My sense of humor most of my life could be dictated by the Family Guy episode that dropped on Sunday.
Overall I love TV, I love the creative nature of writers for shows, fiction or not. I love the industry making children superstars or ugly guys the dream boy in just a few weeks. Its amazing how far television has come in less than 100 years, and I can only imagine how it might shift in the years to come.
Mass Media & American Life 
Wow, this was a rollercoaster of emotions! It’s pretty easy to find the news distasteful these days, most reports do show a strong bias, and it seems that everything that get’s reported on are negative stories! Still, I think it’s important to know what’s going on in the world around us.
I’m not really a fan of any of the shows you mentioned, but as you say, there’s a huge variety out there and with so many types of humor, it’s great that everyone can find something they like. Humor is critical to our mental health as humans, and comedy is probably the genre I find myself gravitating to the most.
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