[opendtv] Re: Say Yes to Undress, Then Things Get Complicated
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 07:23:15 -0400
On Jul 31, 2014, at 1:43 PM, dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> This is why I don't like the bundling in MVPD services. I really don't want
> to pay for and support programming that I believe has a negative impact on
> our society. I think a_la care might help, allowing me to purchase what I do
> want to watch and not what I find degrading to our society.
Don't you know that it is now a requirement to have an "open mind" in America?
;-)
The government can force us to pay for all kinds of things we may not believe
in, in the name of fairness and equality. Is not "the bundle" a logical
extension of this?
To be fair, you can opt out, as Bert does. You just have to give up something
you want in order to stop supporting things you are against in principle. As
Pink Floyd once told us:
"If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any
pudding if you don't eat your meat?"
It's just another brick in the wall Dan.
Then again, Americans have a puritanical view of nudity that does not exist is
most of the world. I chalk this up to capitalism - making money off of the
"forbidden fruit."
Still, I agree completely that we should be able to choose what we want to
support.
> I don't quite understand the argument that a la carte is not technically
> possible. Case in point, premium channels. For me, it suggests that
> bundling isn't a technological issue but rather a monetary strategy.
Might have been a technical issue for analog cable, but it is relatively easy
to deal with in our new digital world, and a piece of cake (or is that
pudding?) with OTT delivery.
>
> Unfortunately, I thought my alternative would be to forgo the MVPD (and my
> favorite sports) for a subscription streaming service--in my case, Netflix.
> Alas, Netflix is now producing original material that I wouldn't categorize
> as having "uplifting" values. Yet I still subscribe for the pleasure of
> commercial-free programming of what I do enjoy. So I guess I can't be too
> outspoken of my conscience objection to what is on the MVPD services.
You don't have to watch anything that offends you...
But you do have to support it financially. It's how we fundamentally change
society.
> But now I wonder, will the same overt nudity spill over to broadcast, as the
> networks, and the courts, so adamantly want?
No. It's the forbidden fruit scam. Big Brother is protecting us.
But the fix is in the works. Just keep pushing broadcasting off the digital
cliff. They need the spectrum for more "private bits."
It appears to me that there isn't much hope of keeping at least one service
that has high standards. Obviously, the marketplace bears what the people
want. I just wish we had options in the marketplace rather than having to have
everything in one place, thus, the need to prop up all of it.
The marketplace still allows alternative points of view. But there are core
institutions that must be controlled...
The schools, the media, speech...
Just another brick in the wall...
Regards
Craig
Other related posts:
