I surf around the internet quite a bit, and one of the main things I visit are TV related sites. Mainly I seek out message boards because they can be quite fun. That being said, they can also be very weird or way too serious about the subjects at hand.
Specifically, people who post things about how they can’t stand a character or how much they love a character (some bordering on the romantic), can get quite annoying. They may also go on about how bad a show is for people to watch.
Some people feel that if others watch certain shows, they’ll follow some supposed bad example. In terms of say crime drama, people have always thought with all the gun play, it would lead others to buy and use guns. Of course, people have done so, not because of TV but they simply went out and bought one for some reason that makes sense to them.
In the sitcom world, it’s far funnier. Best example of this is the following. I came across a message board about CBS’s new hit Mike & Molly. A show about a male & female who are both overweight,who find each other at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. One of the many posters on this board claims that the show “glamorizes” being overweight.
He believes that if people watch this show that are overweight, they are going to start eating more and exercising less and feel good about it because, “hey Mike & Molly are fat and happy, so I will be too.”
I can’t fathom how others think that people take that much stock in things seen and said on a fictional TV series. If that were the case, when Fonzie on Happy Days, long ago, said smoking is not cool, then everyone would have stopped buying and smoking cigarettes. Nancy Reagan said in the 80s “Just Say No” (to drugs), did everyone up & say “Hey! She’s right!” and then quit cold turkey? No, of course not, but it would be nice.
It’s also amazing how some people think that all overweight peole are listless slugs & couch potatoes that do nothing. When I was overweight, I still had my energy. Mainly because I kept a good outlook on myself and on life. I also can’t stand to just sit or lay around and do nothing. Mike & Molly shows the very opposite of this and it’s evident in how Molly’s character is presented.
What’s her portrayal of an overweight woman supposed to be? Sitting on a couch whining about how big she is and stuffing her face? Who’d watch that? Is Mike supossed to be a large man with absolutely no self confidence or ambition? Of course not.
My final point is that some people are taking a half hour sitcom far too seriously. The people that love this show don’t, so why do others? It’s not a PBS documentary, just enjoy it. You want a show that takes it seriously, watch Dr. Oz. For that matter, if you think TV has too much power that way, then send yours to a recycling center and read a book. ….or do you take “War & Peace” that seriously too?