Apocalypse Island

[PRB]

Ok, I watched this History Channel show last night. A two hour event called <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Apocalypse</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Island</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. The short version is this guy discovered a Mayan temple monument thing on an island in the Pacific, and he thinks it has clues to the end of the world in 2012. That alone should have been warning enough for me, but, no, I continued to watch. First of all, they make like the identity of this island is a big secret, but they show us where it is on a map, and they show a detailed outline of the island at one point, which was all that was needed to identify this island as Robinson Crusoe Island. Second, they make a big deal of the trip out by chartered fishing boat, and finding a suitable “landing beach” amidst the mostly rocky coastline, but a quick look at FSX reveals there is an airport on the island. Ok, maybe they couldn’t afford an airplane ride, and it’s possible the airport is new. I’ll let that one slide (for now)… Third, they say there are no paths to the “monument”, being on a secret uninhabited island and all, but the camera shot at one point clearly shows a path, upon which our two intrepid explores are walking, and at another point there is a neat row of white trail markers winding up the hill… Hmm… Forth, and finally, when they finally get to the “monument”, it’s clearly a natural rock formation. And after two hours, do you suppose they found the secrets to the 2012 Apocalypse? No, of course not. They found nothing. I’m shocked! Why do I watch these shows?? :icon_lol:

[OBIO]

Yep...watched that one too. Big disappointment. But a couple hours later, on What The Heck Are You Still Awake And Watching TV At This Hour channel, they had a show in which a deaf, dump and blind pin ball wizard found the true meaning of the 12-21-12 thing. It seems that on that date, in Hoboken, New Jersey, a 3-eyed field mouse will be born on the exact spot that Hey Stop Eating Buffalo Poop, a village idiot of the Chipewa Tribe, had his left big toe torn off and eaten by a giant snapping turtle 10,000 years ago.

OBIO

[tigisfat]

Yep...watched that one too. Big disappointment. But a couple hours later, on What The Heck Are You Still Awake And Watching TV At This Hour channel, they had a show in which a deaf, dump and blind pin ball wizard found the true meaning of the 12-21-12 thing. It seems that on that date, in Hoboken, New Jersey, a 3-eyed field mouse will be born on the exact spot that Hey Stop Eating Buffalo Poop, a village idiot of the Chipewa Tribe, had his left big toe torn off and eaten by a giant snapping turtle 10,000 years ago.

OBIO


but that deaf dumb and blind kid SURE PLAYS A MEAN PINBALL!!! duhduh duh duh duuuuuuuuuuuuuhhh!!!!

[CrazyPants]

I watched that show too, it was utter crap. I hated how the show was trying to depict the drama and life or death risk of the nervous experienced climber making his first ascent up the "monument," from a top down perspective of a camera crew already at the top!:isadizzy:

[Trans_23]

Did Geraldo Rivera Produce it? :bump:

[PRB]

I watched that show too, it was utter crap. I hated how the show was trying to depict the drama and life or death risk of the nervous experienced climber making his first ascent up the "monument," from a top down perspective of a camera crew already at the top!:isadizzy:

Yep I noticed that too. I remember talking to the TV set at one point, saying: "Why doesn't the camera crew drop them a rope or something?!?" Hehe. It's just like MonsterQuest. Love that show. They're on their tenth season now and they have documented exactly zero monsters!

[Bomber_12th]

It amazes me how much the History Channel has changed since the 'new lady' took over. No more history, now it is just fantasy/future crap and reality television. I used to be loyal to the channel since I was a kid, but for perhaps the last two years, I haven't watched much more than the recent WWII in HD series, which really wasn't all that it was cracked up to be either. Luckily, History International still plays a lot of the classic History Channel shows I enjoy, but I wonder how long that will last. I recently saw one of the History Channel's many "Nostradamus/Apocalypse shows" crop up on HI, and I guess it will only be a matter of time before re-runs of Axe-Men show up as well. :rolleyes:

[Dain Arns]

It amazes me how much the History Channel has changed since the 'new lady' took over. No more history, now it is just fantasy/future crap and reality television. I used to be loyal to the channel since I was a kid, but for perhaps the last two years, I haven't watched much more than the recent WWII in HD series, which really wasn't all that it was cracked up to be either. Luckily, History International still plays a lot of the classic History Channel shows I enjoy, but I wonder how long that will last. I recently saw one of the History Channel's many "Nostradamus/Apocalypse shows" crop up on HI, and I guess it will only be a matter of time before re-runs of Axe-Men show up as well. :rolleyes:


Yeah I agree. I'm really disappointed in the direction cable television overall has gone, period.
But History, Discovery, and TLC have really taken a "Reality show" turn for the worse lately, IMHO. Just too much of it.
And the amount of commercials on any channel anymore has really turned me off on TV altogether.

[MudMarine]

I just hope the world does come to an end, now that would be fun!!:jump:

[Willy]

I pretty much quit watching the History Channel a couple of years ago myself.

Paul, that airport on Robinson Crusoe island is in FS9 as well.

[PRB]

... Paul, that airport on Robinson Crusoe island is in FS9 as well...

Ha, I knew it!

Yep, the "History" Channel is indeed "sliding". Agreed History International is still pretty good. And the Science Channel isn't either.

[Ken Stallings]

The level of orchestrated indoctrination along singular issues is truly alarming. I have always considered myself an environmentalist. But, I've never needed to have scare tactics drilled into my head to convince me environmentalism is rational policy. Consequently, this mania to link doomsday into the equation is simply counterproductive, because when date X arrives and event Y hasn't happened, it only encourages people to rebuke the entire premise, including the underlying rational ideas.

For me, the common sense reason for environmentally savvy policy is simply the idea that the three rivers confluence also known as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is now a truly beautiful city to live in as opposed to how it was in the 1970's when it was a really dirty and polluted city.

You see, that's all the argument I need. It's the one that makes the most sense, results in the most rational balanced policies, and it yeilds real and immediate dividends. These benefits only encourage more such rational policies.

The whole slippery slope toward trying to scare the crap out of people reminds me of the 1970's Irwin Allen disaster movie craze. Except, he was a Hollywood producer who made no other claim that producing cheap fictional movie entertainment. He really wasn't trying to send "messages," which as Alfred Mayer correctly observed was best left to "Western Union!"

Add in the fact that it seems every channel on television today is trying to warp everything around these select "messages" and I've really grown sick of it!

Frankly, when it reaches saturation point, it no longer matters how rational and accurate the message it -- it's enough and for the love of God and all that's Holy, move on to something else!

Ken

[Ken Stallings]

It amazes me how much the History Channel has changed since the 'new lady' took over. No more history, now it is just fantasy/future crap and reality television. I used to be loyal to the channel since I was a kid, but for perhaps the last two years, I haven't watched much more than the recent WWII in HD series, which really wasn't all that it was cracked up to be either. Luckily, History International still plays a lot of the classic History Channel shows I enjoy, but I wonder how long that will last. I recently saw one of the History Channel's many "Nostradamus/Apocalypse shows" crop up on HI, and I guess it will only be a matter of time before re-runs of Axe-Men show up as well. :rolleyes:

Who's this "new lady?"

Because I agree they are ruining a once mighty fine channel.

Ken

[Bomber_12th]

Nancy Dubuc is the person, and from the few articles I have read concerning her mission for the channel, it is one to attract a larger audience, and one to attract a younger audience - all about ratings and competing with other channels. I believe she took over in 2007, and many will recall that about this time, shows like Dogfights and Mail Call were canceled - much to the horror of many loyal fans.

[crashaz]

I have been wondering the same thing the last year... what the H E double hockey sticks is going on?

History Channel's advertising for

http://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars

Pawn Stars... go inside a pawn shop.

Cheese and RICE!!!!

Also... has anyone also noticed what's going on with TCM??? They hardly are showing classics anymore... bad 70s horror and artsy fartsy movies.... Sunday night .... Akiro Kurosawa.

http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/index/

When is the last time someone saw a John Wayne movie on cable... not counting local channels?

I am not one for conspiracy theories... but you take away shows about history and movies about Americas past or American heroes..... you are UNeducating people or making them some ignorant people.

weird... or maybe I am.... just something I noticed.

[Prowler1111]

Well.. my wife and i like to call this the "Myth Busters effect" paired with a pinch of "Orange County Choppers" syndrome and a bit of "Overhauling" fever, not to forget also a bit of "pimp my ride" rash all over...all high ratings reality shows (sans Myth Busters) played on "science" channels. You remember early 2000´s THC? it rocked biog time when discovery became "CSI channel" (all about murders) and TLC became the solution to insomnia, not to mention it was about that same time MTV played it´s last music video to become a channel i personally think is an insult to anyone with an IQ higher than a tomato.I live in South America, and while i can get most US channels on cable here i also get the latin american version of them, THC included and you still can get to watch some old dogfights reruns or mail call as well, when you´re not swamped with somnolent Argentina dictatorship documentaries or programs in that lane (even as Falklands war documentaries are quite interesting, even as they come from the argentina point of view, that makes you wonder why they lost the war?..if you believe what´s told there)...at the end, i leave it at Universal channel and watch whatever is there, specially Dr. House my one and only show (after 2 and a half men) that makes me turn on that flat screen on the wall..

Best regards
Prowler