It seems that we as a society no longer admire intelligence, or achievement. We prefer to gloat at people who have no brains, enormous egos, fake tans and preferably fake breasts, so that's who TV producers choose to feature. That's the only way to explain how Celebs Go Dating got given the green light.
(No, I don't watch it. But I caught Rose watching it the other week and it took me about a minute to realise that this programme set a new low in the already abysmally low standard of television.
It's sad.
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
Yes, I looked at the application criteria once, it seems that you need a loud shouty personality and nothing about a modicum of intelligence is mentioned. Dentures on your feet was an answer this week!
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 28/9/2023
How do such dim people get on it?
It's no different to the old version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' though as trying to get on the show was a daunting experience by telephone as you had to answer 3 difficult questions. The ones that did pass and managed to get on the show were not as intelligent as you would have thought.
What I find quite amazing is the number of teachers or lecturers that flunk the show on simple questions where the answer is in the question. I can understand on the cash builder, but not the multiple choice questions. Same applies to Tipping Point where generally the questions are a lot easier!
The other thing that jumps out is poor geographic knowledge on simple questions especially if they are related to the UK itself.
Re. geography - I was taught the geography (location of major cities/rivers/mountains/etc, products - minerals, grain, meat, etc.) of all the continents - EXCEPT the UK - literally NOTHING of this country! This was at a grammar school 1955 - 1960.
In the course of an entrance "exam" for a job, two questions that I remember -
1."Out of the following cities, which would a train from London to Glasgow (where?) pass through? (cities 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc)". I could not name one; I chose at random!
2."Where is the Dogger Bank?" I've heard of this on the shipping forecast; it must be at sea! I'll show that I know something - "It's off the mouth of The Wash, which is between the south coast of Wales and the north coast of Cornwall...."
Incidentally, I did learn UK geography over the next few years after joining British Railways....
------------- What's the difference between a chicken?
We learned something of UK geography in the 60s, but history started off with ancient Greece and then Rome if I remember correctly. I didn't become interested in the subject until we went to see Richard 111 at Stratford when I was about 14.
Quote: Originally posted by daveyjp on 29/9/2023
No one has ever been alive who knows everything. I know absolutely nothing about films, TV, musicals etc and never will as they don't interest me.
One interesting feature of TV quiz shows with a significant prize is that episode 1 will generally be one where the jackpot or main prize is won.
My knowledge of TV especially soaps is puerile! Although I enjoy music very much knowledge of band playing song is dismal. Some films maybe a bit of knowledge.
What you have to remember with TV programs is that it's all staged to some degree, with failure expected to be a feature, pretty boring program if everyone won everything! Every chance the questions are stacked against someone who is already known to be weak on that subject!
Aware of the program, and Shaun Wallace is in fact a neighbour and known to me (by mutual friends, not the program), but never watched the program in earnest, just not my taste in TV.
I know how contrived TV can be, and really not to be taken at face value. Couple of examples.
Friend was on Dragons Den, and it was clear from the start he'd been picked and set up to be a 'reject' and made to look foolish for his idea, long before he uttered a word in front of panel/camera! - his presentation may have been genuine, but reactions were scripted and editing removed highlights of his presentation when broadcast!
Ex Mrs was interviewed by BBC news when she got caught up on her way to work in a major failure of the train network due to a derailment. The broadcast interview after careful editing presented her as a moron who had gormlessly stood on the platform for 4 or 5 hours waiting for nonexistent trains! Fact was she'd only just arrived at the station, and immediately got collared by the presenter. She was one of Europe's top and much head hunted managers in pharmaceutical drug regulation, she didn't get that far up the heap being gormless and not realising there were no trains anytime soon, and also a very high scoring member of Mensa too - a VERY smart cookie, one of something like one of the 2% brightest people on the planet!
Some of my friends adult and university educated kids do make me despair for the future of the planet though, but TV is far from the best place to be judging people, there is a hidden agenda with the program makers!
The Race Across the World is similar? People didn’t recognise Portuguese or have a scoobie about where Tromsø is - one sharp cookie said: ooh it’s got a line through it, it looks Viking.
It just makes you wonder what is taught in schools now, or maybe not? We have just been away and during that time kids were supposed to have returned to school. There seemed to be so many of them everywhere.
Not wanting to turn this into “room 101”, but keeping on the subject of tv programs, I find it deeply disturbing that real murders of real women are dramatised into tv shows for entertainment. I refuse to watch. A one off, maybe, but they’re now almost monthly. It’s salacious, it’s feels wrong that companies make money out of relatively recent tragic events, and I worry about the people who enjoy watching. Sorry if I’ve offended anyone here who does, but it’s not the same as a fictitious Inspector Morse or Miss Marple or Agatha Christie.
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Topic: The Chase
via mobile 28/9/2023 at 5:42pm
