mell scrie:5.How do movies or television influence people's behaviour? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
- "Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want !" ( Clive Barnes );
- "Television has a real problem. They have no page two !" ( Art Buchwald );
- "Television is not the truth. Television is a god-damned amusing park. Television is a circus, a carnival, a travelling troupe of acrobats, storytellers, dancers, singers, jugglers, sideshow freaks, lion tamers, and football players. We're in the boredom killing business." ( Paddy Chayepsky );
- "Why should people pay good money to go out and see bad films when they can stay at home and see bad television for nothing ?" ( ( Sam Goldwyn );
- "Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other !" ( Ann Landers );
Introduction :
- nowadays television plays a very important part in our lives;
- that is why it is essential to decide whether television is a blessing or a curse;
- obviously, television has both advantages and disadvantages;
Development :
- here are some advantages ( and possible disadvantages ) I consider television might present :
A. Television - as a convenient and very cheap source of entertainment;
- it is more convenient and cheaper to sit comfortably at home [ with unlimited entertainment available ] than to go outside for amusements;
- we do not have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the opera, or the ballet, for a bad show;
- by turning the magic knob we can see plays, films, operas, shows, political discussions, or the latest exciting football match;
- however, those that perceive television as disadvantageous say :
1). that the television viewer does nothing but simply watch it;
2). that the television viewer does not even use his legs when he watches it;
3). that the television viewer does not take any initiative;
4). that the television viewer does not make any choice;
5). that the television viewer does not exercise any judgement;
6). that the television viewer is completely passive;
7). that the television viewer has everything presented to them without any effort on their part;
B. Television - as one of the most important mass-media to keep people informed about current events:
- television allows us to to follow the latest developments in science and politics;
- television offers us a great variety of programs which are very instructive and stimulating [ the talk show, the game show, the comedy show, the cartoon show, the quiz show, the documentary, the sport show, the game show, the news, the TV serial ];
- it could be argued that the radio also performs this service;
- but on TV everything is much more lively, everything is much more real, and this just because the visual image has a more powerful impact on people' lives than the auditory image;
C. The television screen - as having a terrible effect on us.
- we get so used to looking at the television screen movements, that the television screen comes to dominate our lives almost entirely;
- people often criticize the quality of TV programs;
- but TV is a good comfort to many elderly people;
- we also know that television instructs children, as well as adults;
Conclusion :
- in conclusion, I think television in itself is neither good nor bad;
- the value of television to society is determined by the uses to which it is put;
- the value of television to me as an individual belonging to this society is determined by "what I do want to watch on TV" ( to quote Clive Barnes, the very famous American novel and screenplay writer )