Reality TV Shows Taking Over Television

Reality Television shows first burst onto the scene back in early 1990s when the Television show Real World first premiered. Even though that show started in the early 1990s, more Reality shows did not really pop up until the late 1990s. Once Survivor came out and was a huge ratings hit, everyone started to jump on the bandwagon and produce shows about anything and everything. Their have been shows such as The Bachelor and For Love or Money that are dating shows. Their have been shows such as Big Brother in which people live together and compete for prizes.

A lot of Reality shows have been broadcast but many of them bomb. By now this is a trend that most would think would have died down but it has only picked up lately with Skating with Celebrities and Dancing With the Stars being popular. With the way things are going there is only a certain amount of time for shows to broadcast and Reality show will not get dropped in favor of them even though many of them fail, so who will be the loser. If more and more Reality shows get picked up less sitcoms will get picked up. Dramas are just as popular as Reality shows right now so networks wont bet against them.

In sum, if you are not a big fan of Reality shows you can sell your Television because it looks like networks will keep coming up with anything and everything until they run out of ideas.

Andre Bias is the owner of the websites http://www.enlargementdeals.com, http://www.goodbyeacne.net, and http://www.inkjetdealz.com.

Author:: Andre Bias
Keywords:: Television, Tv, Reality, Apprentice, Survivor, blind date
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Long Live the King? Notes On Democracy Tolerance and The Christian Faith From "Larry King Live"

Now and again Larry King's tele-circus comes to town, showcasing a religious panel to tackle tough questions. And, of course, they never offer any serious logical analysis. But they do go on. Typically, Larry will choose one person on the panel who -- we are led to believe -- each represents one of the major (or occasionally minor) religious viewpoints. The underlying assumption here -- assumed, but never stated -- is that, somehow, all religions are of the same value, and that each deserves a say-so no more (or less) than any other.

To be sure, Larry King has the best of democratic intentions. He tries to show himself impartial to all sides, but seems completely unaware that, in doing so, he has put his foot down, taking a specific position on the issue himself. He has opted for agnosticism, the view that no one can really know for sure what the ultimate answers are. In some of his rare moments, I have witnessed Larry saying as much. He does not merely consider it t hat he himself doesn't know the ultimate answers; he thinks no one else really knows them either. This stands behind his pluralism: for if no one knows such answers for sure, then it follows that we ought to give a hearing to each set of answers. For we do not have, on this view, the answer sheet by which to check the work of Larry's experts.

But this presents Larry and company with some extraordinary logical problems. First, Larry seems quite confident (at times) about his own views. He may say that no one knows, but note this: the agnostic pretends to KNOW FOR SURE that no one knows for sure. This is the inescapable contradiction of agnosticism. This position short-circuits, for it would eliminate itself as a candidate for (knowable) ultimate truth along with all others. In other words, something must be true, and we know it isn't agnosticism. This means Larry won't be inviting me on his show anytime soon. Guests who refute the host do not stay long.

Second, La rry's pluralism assumes what most of his guests would deny. Each guest holds that his (or her) advocated religion names the true one, and that (they do not say this part, but only imply it, for the sake of PR) the religions the other guests advocate represent false ideas at best. They do not believe, as Larry does, that each of their views remains just as good as the other guy's. Just think about it. How could they? How could the Truth ever be just as good as some made-up, phoney religion?

By promoting pluralism, pluralists like Larry imply polytheism. But I am sure from listening to them that they do not realize this at all. If every religion is only as good or bad as the next, then no one god could be considered the One True God (and the others phonies). This shows that Pluralism logically shuns Monotheism -- and vice-versa. So religious pluralism really amounts to POLYtheism - the equality of gods, a kind of democratic theism where each god gets only one vote, and n ot merely the equality of my views and your views. This also shows that agnosticism and polytheism find each other a logical match, while standing over against Monotheism. In other words, democracy applied to religion implies the denial of the Christian faith. Fortunately, pagans aren't all that consistent, so the two can coexist alongside each other for quite some time.

Pluralists tout the tolerance line, but they in fact require much more than religious tolerance. They require monotheists to talk like polytheists. They demand the equality of gods. This is why polytheists never tolerate monotheists, unless the monotheists talk like polytheists, using the language of tolerance. You see, religious pluralism depends on the notion that ideas (religions are at least that) do not have consequences. For if bad ideas have harmful consequences, then the bad religions should be outlawed, and for the same reason we outlaw the act of screaming Fire! in a crowded Movie theater (bad consequences).

Finally, Larry's pluralism overlooks the simple fact that Islam, Christianity and Judaism each logically excludes the others. If they are each equal -- which his view demands and each of these three religions denies -- then they would have to be equally false. Now, any atheist who is even remotely self-conscious about his views, would agree with this assessment. But Larry's agnosticism now crumbles. For if his pluralism is correct, then WE KNOW in fact that some of the views out there -- namely monotheisms -- promote falsehood. But again, Larry does not seem to realize these implications of his own views. But I do.

So here we have, by logical necessity -- the Atheist, Agnostic and Polytheist -- landing on the same side of the fence over against any form of monotheism. That is, lik e it or not, how the current political landscape has taken shape in the cultural and political history of the U.S. too. But that story remains the topic for a different day.

For now, it suffices to note that pluralism -- the operating political philosophy of agnostics, polytheists and Atheists -- has many built-in contradictions. Chief among these, Christians will be quick to notice, is that in claiming to include everyone, it excludes those who do not believe that everyone should be included. Think on THAT over a beer. In other words, pluralism only works when everyone in that society is a pluralist. Hence the demand for total conformity (tolerance speak) by pluralists - even if they invite you on their shows. Larry's show is no exception.

Carson Day has written some 1.3 gazillion articles and essays on a variety of topics which aim to help others live wisely and well. You can visit his websites at http://ophirgold.blogspot.com (The Omniblog) and http://extremep rofit.blogspot.com (Carson's Day Trading Outpost)

Author:: Carson C. Day
Keywords:: Larry King, religion TV, CNN religion, CNN democracy, CNN God, CNN Christian faith, CNN Larry King
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Sick Twisted and Perverse: The Mystique of Midnight Movies

When you buy a Movie ticket for a much-reviewed, two thumbs up major studio release starring A-list actors, you pretty much know what to expect. When you load up on caffeine and sugar to attend a Midnight Movie, however, you never know what might appear on the screen. In fact, the allure of Midnight Movies isnt the time the Film is scheduled, but the risk involved with watching something designed to push your buttons.

While youre physically safe and comfortably snuggled inside the theater, you can be exposed to shocking, crude, or frightening images that are intended to make viewers uncomfortable -- physically, emotionally, and intellectually. They may be Horror Films, Concert footage, over-the-top Animation, or off-color comedy, but Midnight Movies have one thing in common: You certainly wont be bored.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show has long been a popular Midnight feature because of its bizarre interactive blend of comedy, violence, and sexuality. The Blair Witch Project, which premiered as a Midnight Movie at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999, is another late-night favorite because of its guerilla-style camera techniques coupled with its pseudo-documentary presentation and growing sense of fear and doom.

Art houses and second-run theaters may feature Midnight Movies regularly or on special occasions, such as Halloween, but you can usually find the best selection of outrageous Midnight feature Films and shorts programs by attending a Film Festival.

The Midnight Movies program for the 2006 Florida Film Festival, for instance, includes Ben Meades American Stag, which explores the origin of dirty Movies, Brett Leonards Feed, which examines a fetish subculture devoted to large women, and Joshua and Jeffrey Crooks Salvage, a thriller about a w omans gruesome nightmares. Titles from the Midnight shorts program include Phone Sex Grandma and The Tozer Show: The Urine Bomber.

Matthew Curtis, programming director for the Florida Film Festival and Enzian Theater, says many factors determine which Movies make it to the Midnight slot. Usually we like Midnight Movies to be edgy, off-the-wall, very funny, sexual, perverse, visionary, extreme, cutting edge, violent -- something that people can't see anywhere else, he says.

Likewise, Thomas Ethan Harris, former programming director for the Los Angeles Film Festival, says when he schedules Midnight Movies he seeks obsessed, twisted, satirical work that re-envisions a genre.

The first thing to look for in a Midnight Movie is creative obscurity, Harris says. It doesn't have to be a weird cult Film or a Horror classic, but it must be inspired by a far-reaching inspiration that has a style or look that is more challenging than traditional coverage of the subj ect.

Harris observes that although Midnight programs have changed recently to include all genres rather than just Horror Films, the type of people who attend remains the same. Midnight audiences are a really intelligent group of people. They have to know Film history in order to understand new satire.

Midnight Horror Films usually attract young male audiences and Midnight musicals attract older mixed audiences -- two of many examples that each Film must find its niche.

Midnight audiences tend to be a little more open-minded and forgiving, Curtis says. Although the majority of Midnight audiences are college-aged males, we see lots of mixed crowds because women can enjoy a sick joke as much as the next guy.

So if youre looking for a sick joke, new satire, far-reaching inspiration, creative obscurity, or just something different from your normal routine, skip the afternoon matinee and head for a Midnight Movie.

Copyright 2006 Leslie Halpern

< p>Leslie Halpern is the author of Reel Romance. The Lovers Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies (Taylor Trade Publishing), a book that reviews date Movies for couples and suggests romantic ideas inspired by these Films. A Central Florida-based entertainment writer, Leslie also wrote Dreams on Film. The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science (McFarland & Company) and more than a thousand articles in trade and consumer magazines. Visit her website at http://home.cfl.rr.com/lesliehalpern/lesliehalpern.htm.

Author:: Leslie Halpern
Keywords:: Midnight,Movie,Florida,Film,Festival,Blair,Witch,Rocky,Horror,Sundance,Concert,Animation
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Ravenous Hungry for a Scary Movie?

Tagline: You are who you eat.

Ive always been a sucker for Movies that are a bit outside the norm. Hell, who am I kidding? I love Movies that are way outside the norm. Sure, most of them may be doomed to box office failure and critical ridicule, but theyre a nice change of pace from the mindless drivel Hollywood routinely churns out. Now, dont get me wrong--I actually like some of the aforementioned mindless drivel, but variety, as they say, is the spice of life. Its just like pop music. Theres nothing wrong with liking Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake, but, if you dont occasionally broaden your horizons, youll end up with the intelligence of a stump (which might explain some of the people I see in my local Wal-Mart). And, as we all know, nothing will broaden your horizons like a cannibal Film set in the 1800s and featuring liberal amounts of black humor, gore, and David Arquette.

Did that last sentence get your attention? Good. Lets proceed.

After receiving a promotion for bravery during the Mexican-American War, Captain John Boyd (Guy Pearce) is transferred to an isolated fort in California when his commanding officer realizes hes not as brave as initially thought. Once there, Boyd meets the inhabitants of the sleepy outpost: Colonel Hart (Jeffrey Jones), the bookish commanding officer, Major Knox (Stephen Spinella), the alcoholic second-in-command, Private Reich (Neil McDonough), a tough-as-nails soldier, Private Toffler (Jeremy Davies), the nervous chaplain, Private Cleaves (David Arquette), the soldier who likes certain herbs a little too much, and an Indian brother and sister named George and Martha (Joseph Runningfox and Sheila Tousey). As Boyd settles in, the fort receives a late-night visitor in the form of one F.W. Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle), the near-death survivor of a doomed wagon train. As the terrified man tells his story, the residents of the fort are unwittingly drawn into a ghastly web of murd er, deceit, and cannibalism.

Two quotes open the Film. Both are fairly well-known, and each gives the audience a clue as to what kind of Movie theyre about to see. The first is from Nietzche. He that fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. The second quote is attributed to an anonymous source. Eat me. A simple but effective way to establish the Darkly humorous tone which is to follow.

But make no mistake about it-Ravenous, for all its moments of twisted mirth, still has more than enough frights and gore to please the Horror crowd. After all, this is a Movie about cannibalism. Based on the myth of the Wendigo, the basic premise is that a person may steal anothers strength by consuming his/her flesh. And, trust me, thats a theme we see explored over and over throughout the story.

Director Antonia Bird (who replaced the original director two weeks into production) and Editor Neil Farrell demonstrate an excelle nt understanding of pace and shot selection, allowing the Movie to roll briskly along while creating scenes of remarkable tension. Take, for example, the scene in which Colqhoun tells his horrible tale to the residents of Fort Spencer, or the one where Boyd flashes back to being trapped under a mountain of his dead comrades- their blood and guts flowing into his eyes and mouth. These are scenes dripping with suspense and ones which would have been far less effective in the hands of someone else. They also serve to once again remind us just how important editing and scoring are to the finished version of a Film.

Speaking of scoring, Id be remiss if I didnt mention the excellent soundtrack. The rustic, backwoods music drives the picture relentlessly and further enhances the feeling of inevitable doom. If Deliverance had been set in the 1800s, this would have been the soundtrack.

A solid cast of actors were put together for the Film, and this becomes obvious in the more over-the-top moments. Less experienced thespians might have really camped it up and ruined the overall tone of the Film, but these fellows downplayed even the most gruesome moments, and, despite the outlandish subject matter, the restrained performances gave the picture a greater sense of realism and Horror.

Jeffrey Jones is excellent as always, and the character of Colonel Hart allows him some room to stretch his acting muscles (something Jones, a veteran of comedic Films, doesnt always get a chance to do). Even when Hart begins to develop less-than-socially-acceptable-behavior, Jones convinces us that we should still like and care about the character. Guy Pearce is also solid, although he doesnt really have a particularly strong role to work with. Captain John Boyd is an introspective sort of fellow who doesnt utter a full sentence until about 25 minutes into the Film. While he gets more dialogue as things get rolling, I couldnt Help but think that Pearces talents werent fully utilized by the Ted Griffin script. And lets not forget about Robert Carlyle. I first saw his talents on display in the otherwise horrible Trainspotting, and Ive been a fan ever since. His performance as Colqhoun is another fine moment in whats becoming a very impressive career. From pitiful to sadistic, Carlyle gets a demonstrate a wide range of emotions as we peel away the various layers of his character.

On the flipside, I didnt really care for Jeremy Davies as Pvt. Toffler. I dont know if Ive ever seen such a nervous and irritating character (well, there was John Leguizamo in The Pest). Having also seen Davies in Saving Private Ryan and Secretary, I suppose its just his style. But that doesnt mean that I always have to like it. Viewing Davies is often like watching an addict trying to kick the habit--lots of mumbling, sweating, and twitching. Still, at least hes original, and thats more than can be said of many of todays actors.

And, in a way, that might best sum up Ravenous- At least its original. Sure, the Film loses momentum around the halfway mark and becomes a bit generic. Sure, David Arquette plays another goofy jackass. And, sure, the final showdown is a disappointment. But you wont find many Films out there which are able to blend themes of cannibalism with wry, Dark humor and actually pull it off. Its got bite (insert cornball joke here), and thats more than can be said of most Films these days.

http://www.Cinemathreads.com/

Author:: Shane Rivers
Keywords:: Horror,Scary,Film,Cinema,Movie,Flick,Dark,Review,Health,Money,Help
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BBC Tasks

The BBC was formed in nineteen twenty six as a public company. It was recognized by an act of legislative body, Royal Charter, and a declaration about what the administration is and what the main purposes of it are. BBC has numerous objectives which it has to fulfil. Over the years he BBC has in addition become more commercialized as they are attempting to get a superior split of audience.

They have come under great external scrutiny as well as increasing commercial competitive pressures, and they know a modern business has to understand the drivers of its performance in order to prepare itself for this very tough competitive environment.

BBC has also reviewed its strategy and has made this into a system which supported their strategic business.

The BBC is a corporate body, governed by a Board of Governors, as provided for in the Charter. The independence of the BBC is noted in the preamble to the Charter and explicitly guaranteed in Clause 2.1 of the Agreement in the following terms:

The Corporation shall be independent in all matters concerning the content of its programmes and the times at which they are broadcast or transmitted and in the management of its affairs. The governing structure, both internal and regulatory, is not conducive to ensuring respect for independence in practice, notwithstanding the formal guarantee. Too much power is concentrated in the hands of the government, both directly and indirectly through its powers of appointment of the Governors. Crude interference in the running of the BBC is rare, though not unknown, but more subtle pressure undoubtedly exists and has been the subject of some debate. Despite this, it would appear that there was little support during the White Paper process in 1994 for reducing government control by establishing an independent broadcasting council to take over functions currently exercised by or by making the BBC subject to the jurisdiction of the existing ind ependent broadcasting regulators.

Their functions which include: approving clear objectives and monitoring compliance with those objectives; ensuring that the Corporation meets the highest standards of probity, propriety and value for money; and setting the overall strategy for the various services (Home, World and Commercial). For the Home Services, this strategy should ensure that the Corporations services, programmes and other activities reflect the needs and interests of the public. The Governors are also responsible for ensuring appropriate consultation with the various Councils and due regard for the views of listeners; monitoring fulfillment of legal and contractual obligations; and appointing a Director General and other senior members of management. Neither the Charter nor the Agreement sets out the appropriate relationship between the Governors and BBC officers and staff, although their respective roles have become clearer in recent years. Although it is cle ar that Governors have a legal right to assume control over programme matters, in practice they do so only in exceptional circumstances.

Another regulatory board which shapes up BBC objectives is OFCOM. OFCOM, as the independent regulator with responsibility for the UK broadcasting sector, should ensure that all public service broadcasters are effectively and transparently regulated with clearly defined public service remits. Regulation of the BBC - including the approval of new services, enforcement of the fair trading guidelines and determining whether it is achieving its public service objectives - should fall within the remit of OFCOM. It is anomalous, particularly in matters relating to competition, product placement, and undue prominence and programme standards that the BBC should fall outside the remit of OFCOM.

OFCOM should have the ability to monitor on an annual basis the commercial and market impact of the BBC's activities to ensure that excessive ma rket distortion does not occur. Furthermore the role of the Governors of the BBC should be refocused to deal with internal management and value for money rather than on regulatory functions.

Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service counselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.

Author:: Mary Anne Winslow
Keywords:: BBC tasks
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Prettiest Woman in Turkish Showbiz Stumbles Will She Fall?

Why Super-Star Hlya Avsar has (skinny) dipped in the Turkish popularity polls lately...

Our mama always told us that 'familiarity breeds contempt'... And it's exactly that truism that has drawn Hlya Avsar, over the past several months, into a blossoming controversy -- for which she is largely to blame.

It actually started understandably enough... when Hlya was recovering from unhappiness... around the time she finally got the courage to divorce her philandering high-society-bum-of-a-husband, Kaya ilingiroglu, late last year -- after Kaya admitted to national news services that he'd impregnated previously little-known socialite Feraye Tanyola, his latest mistress...

But having done one good thing, Hlya thought it gave her special license -- and she began to speak out on too many unrelated subjects, as if she had the answers to life's hard questions... as if everyone was interested in what she had to say.

And in the process, she exposed media watchers to much more than they ever needed to know -- including the sordid details of past love affairs (e.g. rehashed stories about the steamy affair she had as a budding starlet with notorious womanizer, [singer/actor Ibo Tatlises, made headlines for weeks)...Then, she really turned heads as she began to spout off about weighty political issues (e.g. The 'Kurdish Question') -- causing consternation among peers, regular citizens, the media, and political leaders alike. But she just blustered on, confident in her righteousness.

The controversy picked up speed recently when she got publicly entangled in an embarrassing relationship with a wealthy Turkish-Italian businessman who exchanged headline insults with Ibo Tatlıses (as Hlya watched on -- half in exasperation, half in shame). Shortly thereafter she made more headlines when the paparazzi caught her skinny dipping in her summer-house swimming-pool (see newsphoto at our website link below). And then yesterday, for some unknown reason, she decided to publicly revisit the details of a 20-year-old affair she had with ex-footballer Tanju olak, a married man with young children at the time. Here's the quote she gave to Hrriyet Gazetesi.

'My love for Tanju olak was a mistake of youth. We had an affair 20 years ago -- and I've always felt regret about it. After the affair was over, I sought out Aysu Hanim (Tanju Bey's wife) and said, I acted like an animal, and I'm filled with regret. I made a mistake, I fell in love. I'm sorry. Aysu Hanim accepted my apology and their marriage has survived. They have two grown children now, but the family still feels discomfort from hearing this kind of news.' Ed. Well, duh Hlya...So why reopen the wound now?

This unraveling of the once unassailable 'Avsar Girl' (as she's known to her fans) has been closely watched by peers and certain influential news columnists -- and many of them (who have seen and heard enough) are coming out of the woodwork, g uns a'blazing -- criticizing Hlya contemptuously in ways we never dreamed we'd hear...

Part 2 -- Girl Fıght! Turkish Newspaper Columnist Ayse Arman 'takes the gloves off' against
Beauty and Entertainment Queen Hlya Avsar

[Click following for a fully illustrated HTML version of Hlya's stumbles, will she fall?.

Jim and (co-author) Perihan Masters are a husband and wife team, living on the Aegean Coast of Turkey just 50 miles south of Izmir. Jim was born in Shanghai, China -- of American military parentage. Peri was born on the Black Sea coast of Turkey near Trabzon, of Turkish military parentage...Enticed by a Financial Times advertisement, Jim joined a NATO sponsored enterprise in Ankara in 1974 where he met the beautiful and brainy Perihan, a rising young Turkish banking executive. Settled now in the heart of what was once the ancient Ionian Empire -- the couple live an idyllic life by the sea.. writing, drawing and painting, teaching English, and providing computing service support to local businesses. They also sponsor the MSNBC award-winning Learning Practical Turkish Website which has built an enthusiastic international following of devoted Turkophiles and inquisitive language students of all ages.

Author:: Jim Masters
Keywords:: arts and entertainment,entertainment industry,Beauty,Health,movie stars,critics choice
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Coming Next Year High Definition Movies on DVD!

While HD Radio is the hottest technology today, HD DVDs are another new technology that will soon allow you to view high definition movies on DVD right in your living room.

What are HD DVDs? It depends on whom you ask, as there are currently two competing HD DVD formats under development. Both support high def films but one goes by the easy to remember name, HD DVD. The other is called Blu-ray.

An HD DVD disk has a single layer capacity of 15GB and a dual-layer capacity of 30 GB. And Toshiba is developing a triple layer disk that will have a capacity of 45GB. However, this is still smaller than Blu-ray disks, which support 25GB for one layer, 50GB for two layers and 100GB for four layers.

This means that both formats will be able to play movies and programs recorded in high definition but, as you would imagine, the larger capacity disks will be able to support more additional information such as out-takes, directors comments, interactive features, and eve n alternate high def versions of the same film.

In November of 2004, the DVD Forum decided that HD DVD would be the HD DVD successor to the DVD. On the other hand, the Blu-ray disk was developed outside of the DVD Forum, and was never submitted for consideration.

Why you should care

At this time, each of these formats requires a different HD DVD player meaning that you will be able to play high definition movies recorded in HD DVD only in an HD DVD player and Blu-ray movies in only a Blu-ray player.

Both HD DVD and Blu-ray provide enough space to store crystal-clear, high-definition movies and both are expected to launch early next year.

Be sure to watch for future articles on HD-DVDs to get the latest news on this battle of the formats.

Are you familiar with HD Radio? This amazing, new technology makes AM radio sound as clear and static-free as today's FM Radio ... and makes FM radio sound as pure and crystal-clear as if you were listeni ng to a CD. And, best of all, it's free! To learn more about this new technology, just go my Web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz. Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of numerous articles on HD radio and family finances.

Author:: Douglas Hanna
Keywords:: HD DVDs, Blu-Ray DVDs, high def DVDs, high definition DVDs, DVDs
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