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The idea came from the Billy and Mandy thread, in which someone described the show as "mean-spirited". I thought the show was lazy and mostly predictable, but not put on the air with the design to insult or hurt people. I realized, though, that it did not take much stretching of the imagination to picture a TV executive, or writer, or creator, or someone heavily involved in the creation or execution of a show, who has nothing but contempt for the people watching.
It's a pretty stupid creator that sets out with that intention.
Not neccessarily. Just a very angry one.
I should also point out that's unlikely that such a show would get past the legions of other people involved with its production - it's not like creators have free reign.
If the creator, or executive, or whoever convinces people that it will sell ad space, or get ratings, or do whatever it is TV shows do to create money for networks, he/she could put out anything that the FCC would allow. Why would anyone stop them?
For instance: that show with Pamela Anderson on Fox. I gave it a shot, and throughout the episode I cringed constantly. I got the distinct impression a man in a dark suit was laughing somewhere, not at the cheap, stupid jokes, but at me and anyone else watching Fox at that moment. "They'll watch it. Those bastards will watch anything. We can shovel load after load of stupid bullshit down their throats and they will keep coming back for more..." cue maniacal laughter. This show, by the way, just began its second season.
I guess it's easy, or at least easier, for me to understand someone's motivation in this. I recently switched from a cheap Italian restaurant chain to a very upscale Italian restaurant chain, and despite the extra money and the better class of clientele, I still sometimes hate the customers. Hate them a whole lot, actually. It comes easily, if I let it. I watch them stuff their fat fucking faces with terrible food that cost us a fraction of what they're paying for it, pay an obscene amount of money for the popular liquor, and leave lots of money for the servers, and I think "you would eat anything I put in front of you, right? I could piss in your wine and you wouldn't even know. I could get away with that shit easily." My job depends on them wanting to return and do exactly what I berate them (in my mind) for, but I still sometimes hate them and want to abuse them.
Is this rational? No. Is it healthy? I doubt it. I'm not sure where it comes from, but I'm not the only one who thinks like this. I've had several jobs where the staff, either lowly clerks or corporate goons, were keen to insult and hurt the people they depended on for job security. It isn't hard for me to imagine people in the entertainment industry going through the same thing.
So, all in all, I have begun looking for shows I think come from this sort of thinking. It's kinda hard, and all I can do is guess, but whatever. |
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