question? V-chip

I might be a stupid kid, but what the hell is the V-chip?

Thankz Topher in Florida

Yes, you are stupid ! What planet have you been on?! Go ask your teacher or parents.

Imagine my surprise when [email] (VINCENT 15) wrote:

or

That was a good waste of electrons..... There's no need for insults if you don't know the answer.

The V-chip is supposed to be some way of getting the TV to block certain rated shows, I believe. It's probably comparable to the rating system lock-out on the DSS (Digital Satellite tv).

Lauren
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The Usenet Cabal (there is no cabal) would like you to believe that on Fri, 05 Dec 1997 16:52:18 GMT, Lauren Glenn posted an article to alt.tv.southpark saying: @ Imagine my surprise when [email] (VINCENT 15) wrote:

@ >>[email]> @ >> @ >>I might be a stupid kid, but what the hell is the V-chip?

@ >Yes, you are stupid ! What planet have you been on?! Go ask your teacher or @ >parents.

@ That was a good waste of electrons..... There's no need for insults @ if you don't know the answer. fnord

@ The V-chip is supposed to be some way of getting the TV to block @ certain rated shows, I believe. It's probably comparable to the @ rating system lock-out on the DSS (Digital Satellite tv).

Actually, the V-chip is a mind control device that turns children into Axe Wielding Homicidal Maniacs. But you didn't hear that from me.

Come on now...don't be mean. A V-chip is an upgraded U-chip. Personally, I prefer the potato chip. ;->

robert la barbera wrote:

For a real answer, the V-Chip is a little device that can be installed in the tv to block out certain programs containing sex, violence, and bad language. It's never really caught on, and I doubt it ever will. You only want to get it if you're stupid and lame and want to be kept in the dark.

Kha0s

To bring you to your knees and inflict massive unforgivable pain. That is the true meaning of terror. Your pain is my pleasure.

I have to disagree with this simply because the V-chip does *not* automatically censor content. The V-Chip would be great to have. It would mean that *anything* could be shown on TV, because the V-chip would block out those programs you had *programmed* into it.

Sure, it's censorship, but only if *you* choose it. Its in the hands of the individual, not the FCC. Give the people what they want, and let 'em turn on the chip if they don't want to see it.

Now, here's the problem. Would it be as funny if we actually heard what Kenny was saying? I think the muffled voices (and knowing that its actually dirty) contributes a lot to the humor.

yes but then it wouldnt be as funny this way you have to try and think of what hes saying

anyone else think its better that kenny mumbles

Michael S. Cooper wrote in article ...

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On Fri, 5 Dec 1997 12:30:27 -0600, "Michael S. Cooper" offered this unto Shub-Internet:

I must disagree with you, good sir. No doubt, if v-chips caught on, there would be the AOL equivolent of them. They'd be pre-programmed to censor out all the 'bad things' like immature toilet humor and nudity. Of course you'd be able to program them to anything you want, but then you'd actually have to _learn_ how to use it, which the masses aren't willing to do. Look at the success of WebTV and AOL, both thriving off people who don't want to learn what happens when they dial up. Or boot up, in the case of WebTVers. So all the shows that would exsist because of the v-chip would also die because not enough people would see them because they're too damn lazy to figure out the technology they'er employing. Rant over, class dismissed.

I think it would lose some of the charm. Like when Forestt<sp?> Gump did that speech at the Reflecting Pool with the mic off.

wow someone out there does think like me

bob i salute you

Bob the Soul Crusher wrote in article ...

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My God, there *are* intelligent people here. I don't believe V-chips would be "pre-programmed" to censor out content - but even if they were, why is that a bad thing? Problem still solved - you've protected the people and they'd have to be willing to make the change. If only we had a V-chip equivalent pre-installed for those users - but that's another offtopic thread.

Now this is something I hadn't thought of. But then again, not *everyone* votes for their favorite programs, only the Nielsen families. And I would think that the people who compile the ratings would take into account those TVs that had their V-chips disabled and split the ratings into two groups - those being the ones who had a choice, and those who didn't.

By your logic, if the V-chip came fully enabled, the only shows that would be viewable in the Nielsen households would be things like B'Harnii and anything else rated TV-Y. That would force everyone in the Nielsen households to learn how to program their chips, thereby still giving an accurate representation as to what the country is watching. The only caveat is the laziness factor - Joe TV getting partway through the process and then saying "Screw it, I'll just set it up so I can watch the programs I already like." You're right, the programs would most likely die, but *only* if the Nielsen families didn't care. It's democracy in action. And that's not to say that the advertisers care about Nielsen ratings if they're still making money from non-Nielsen viewers. I've never believed the Nielsens were true ratings anyway. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think they lean toward white-bread America.

Think about if from an advertising standpoint now. If you advertised on a show that was mostly blocked, wouldn't you still get your target audience? They would be the "intelligent" people who cared enough to learn to program their V-chips. And who wants "dumb" viewers, other than toy companies and other advertisers who cater to kids.

actually

I'm glad we agree on this. I had a ball listening to Mr. Garrison on the Leno clip. "The little ****ers say whatever the **** they want." To me, it wouldn't have been as funny if it hadn't been censored.

On Mon, 8 Dec 1997 14:50:40 -0600, "Michael S. Cooper" offered this unto Shub-Internet:

Amazing, isn't it?

<snip>

True, but why would advertisers buy time on a program that only reachers the people who have disabled their chips? Sure the advertisers that had people with intelligence enough to disable their chips as their target audience would, but why would a toy company waste their time on an adult<mainly> audience? I'm no marketer, but I'd rather advertise on a program that any moron can watch than on a program that only the percentage of people who can disable their chips can see.

B'Harnii, eh? Do you frequent alt.horror.cthulhu or any of it's spawn?

Could you define 'white-bread America'? Even if the thing came with instructions, they'd have to be incredibly simple for the Average Joe to figure out, do correctly _and_ not get so frustrated that they stop in the middle. If the put a switch or some other easily accesiabe and operated way of turn off the chip would defeat the whole purpose of said chip in the first place.

Now that I've already done my response up in the post a bit, I see that we have come to the same conclusion.

You can stillfigure out what Mr. Garrison is saying. Now if you look at what Cartman says, it likely wouldn't make any sense if it was uncensored and would lose it's humor, most likely.

Ever go to the garage to get your car fixed? WHY DIDN"T YOU LEARN TO FIX IT YOUR GODDAMN SELF? Gus Porterhouse "You think it's broken? Let me make sure..."

You sure don't get out much? �-) --- See ya, Richard Hunt

"Move it povs, I'm an American!!!" Eric Cartman "My weinies won't cook!" Also E.C.

robert la barbera wrote:

Its a little piece of technology, created to let parents be lazy. It would block questionable T.V. material from young people. Further proof that people just can't accept responsibility for their own lives. (off topic) Just like that kid that shot up his class in Kentucky. They now say he saw a movie with somthing similar in it, so its the movie's fault. I hope that they don't try to blame the New York Police Plunger sodomy incident on Cartman's anal probe!

Jake