I think the first in this Genre was American Chopper. But it may not be just a means of celebrating Capitalism. It could also show all the Cube Dwellers that this is what REAL work looks like.
that was my take on it. Trying to show the evil white collar bourgeois criminals (we all know everyone who's not into menial labour is a criminal...) how the proletariat has to risk life and limb every day and work under the worst conditions to scrape together a meager existence.
Pawn stars is all about shock value. Evil capitalist pigs ripping off normal people by offering them a pittance for their most valued posessions in their time of need.
You know, I would not be in the least surprised to learn that EUropeans see these shows that way - "how the proletariat has to risk life and limb every day and work under the worst conditions to scrape together a meager existence ... Evil capitalist pigs ripping off normal people by offering them a pittance for their most valued posessions in their time of need" - but AMERICANS don't.
It could be another test for those people born American but in another nation, and who need to get here, as Elon Musk put it, "as fast as they can."
I dunno whether I should be proud or disturbed at the number of times I've walked by the TV as Dirty Jobs was on, looked, and said, "Yeah I've done that one."
otoh they also have a tendency to turn everything into an ecoweenie propaganda gig.
Everything bad is explained as being caused by global warming, and they now (at least in Europe) run an outright propaganda show for those pirates that assault whaling vessels and industrial fishing fleets in an attempt to sink them, in which the pirates are the good guys.
All we get on free Broadcast teevee is Undercover Boss and some cooking shows...
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JS-Kit/Echo comments for article at http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2010/10/capitalism-tv.html (11 comments)
Tentative mapping of comments to original article, corrections solicited.
I think the first in this Genre was American Chopper. But it may not be just a means of celebrating Capitalism. It could also show all the Cube Dwellers that this is what REAL work looks like.
that was my take on it. Trying to show the evil white collar bourgeois criminals (we all know everyone who's not into menial labour is a criminal...) how the proletariat has to risk life and limb every day and work under the worst conditions to scrape together a meager existence.
Pawn stars is all about shock value. Evil capitalist pigs ripping off normal people by offering them a pittance for their most valued posessions in their time of need.
You know, I would not be in the least surprised to learn that EUropeans see these shows that way - "how the proletariat has to risk life and limb every day and work under the worst conditions to scrape together a meager existence ... Evil capitalist pigs ripping off normal people by offering them a pittance for their most valued posessions in their time of need" - but AMERICANS don't.
It could be another test for those people born American but in another nation, and who need to get here, as Elon Musk put it, "as fast as they can."
"Cake Boss" is pretty cool, at least the season I watched.
I think you just succinctly explained why I love those shows so much.
'Dirty Jobs' is also very popular with the ladies, who evidently enjoy watching Mike Rowe get dirty. :D
I dunno whether I should be proud or disturbed at the number of times I've walked by the TV as Dirty Jobs was on, looked, and said, "Yeah I've done that one."
Discovery does a good job of actually finding/creating programs that are worth watching. Dirty Jobs is my favorite show on TV.
otoh they also have a tendency to turn everything into an ecoweenie propaganda gig.
Everything bad is explained as being caused by global warming, and they now (at least in Europe) run an outright propaganda show for those pirates that assault whaling vessels and industrial fishing fleets in an attempt to sink them, in which the pirates are the good guys.
Actually, "Whale Wars" is on Animal Planet here, not Discovery.
And I'd like to see a special on how the "Whale Warriors" got their boats sunk underneath them.
All we get on free Broadcast teevee is Undercover Boss and some cooking shows...
Note: All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost; references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>