Tonight while I was with my family, including a host of cousins, a question came up to which no one had an answer: What does ESPN stand for? To be fair, my mom and one other male in the room were the only avid ESPN watchers there, but I just wonder who can post the answer the fastest.
Also, I think ESPN would make the cut for non-ridiculous channels that I would not ban if I were made dictator. Some channels just seem like vehicles for commercials, where the shows are less substantial than the advertisements. In any event, I would be happy with only maybe 10 channels: PBS, MTV, VH1, BET, CSPAN, Comedy Channel, maybe one local channel (AMN in Austin), maybe Bravo, maybe Sci-Fi (if they ever start showing stuff I'm a fan of again), and maybe the Weather Channel (though I do believe its function would be negated by simple internet access). So I could see how for some ESPN would be desirable for the same reason the music channels are for me. Also individuals would be free to substitute a channel of equivalent comedic value (e.g., Nick at Nite or TV Land) for The Comedy Channel. The crowning jewel of such a programming revolution would be that Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, Food, Travel, etc., etc. would be eliminated, indeed, eradicated! Trent Ascendency!
Posted by tdupuy at June 18, 2004 3:10 AM#1: Food Channel needs to remain. Seriously, how can you not appreciate Iron Chef? That Morimoto is one crazy fucker.
#2: MTV?!?! . . . ?!?!?!?!?
Talk about a vehicle for commercialism. It's disgusting how much that channel is a foundation for sick, pre-teen consumerism. It's a double edged sword though. With all the commercials they run on that shit, between Bam Marghera sticking shit up his own ass for fun and Xzibit playing pocket pool, you end up with only about 20 minutes of actual show for an hour's worth of your time. But would more of those two really be better?
Either way, MTV should be shot.
Posted by: andy at June 19, 2004 4:59 PMI would make every channel a public access channel. The quality can't possibly be that much lower than what we have now (even if the production values would be) and there would be far more variety. TV would go back to how it was originally, basically plays made really fast and broadcast live.
Posted by: Tsunamio at June 19, 2004 6:08 PM