With the possibility that real health care reform will be delayed until September ...

... what tool could the status quo use to lull everyone into believing the way things are now is the way they ought to stay?

Why, the new Fall TV Season, of course!

According to TV Guide, broadcast TV has three (count 'em, 1, 2, 3--and possibly four by the start of next year--4!) new one-hour medical dramas scheduled to begin airing in September when the new season begins:

Gosh, I hope the characters on these shows can be fair and balanced about how a single-payer system would work!

But, for me, the most disturbing thing about the coming Fall TV season is ABC's primetime schedule for Wednesday nights, that has five brand new shows:

None of them seem to be about medicine, but let's take a closer look at them, anyway, shall we?











Oh well, when the TV isn't pushing the all-American nuclear family and all varieties of superstitions down our throats, we have to swallow heterosexual, Christian propaganda, too!

But, you may be asking why are there are no cable shows included in this post (it's been long enough)? (Just an FYI, the USA Network does have a new "medical" show, but it's already airing and it's called Hawthorne", but no one can take it too seriously since the title character is played by someone who is in a cult that eschews modern medicine science) But, I digress, why are the only shows covered in this post on network (or broadcast) TV?

The reason for excluding TV that costs money is because the propaganda won't be targeted toward people who have enough money to pay for TV. The GOP and their insurance syndicate buddies aren't worried about losing the support of those people.

They're worried about losing the support of the people who can barely afford electricity, much less cable TV. Like the people who live in places like Wise County, Virginia, who--if you don't already know--were finally able to get some healthcare this year when Remote Area Medical came by with their annual free clinic. And, then, the President followed up less than a week after that to talk about the possibility that they could get healthcare all year long.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=wise,+virginia&daddr=bristol,+virginia&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=36.979244,-82.581654&sspn=0.065138,0.107803&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=10">Sixty-two miles away! Right there in the Kroger's!



To be honest, the GOP isn't really concerned about losing these people, so much as losing their loyalty (there's only so much insurance propaganda the radio and direct mail can deliver before diminishing returns set in). If Congress can pass healthcare reform that includes a public option, the GOP will have lost not just the votes in Wise County and the rest of the Appalachian region, but every rural vote in America and the insurance syndicates cannot allow that to happen.

So, if a bill isn't signed before the August break, watch for the propaganda on your TV this fall.

(EDITED TO INCLUDE) TWOP descriptions for "Hank" and "Cougar Town".

More power to you!

Those bastards!

And they think nobody's watching their antics.

K&R

you don't get out much, do you?

Is there an unbiased source?

How many people watch this crap?

Fascinating stuff by the way!

It's very odd that ABC cleared an entire night's schedule though.

There will be no way to know how many people watch until they start airing.

Although, broadcast gets more viewers than cable.

I am rather scared of this one commercial wherein the narrator starts talking about the recovery and how people with their businesses are stepping up and getting loans.

Except for those Americans trading in their alleged "clunkers," I don't know of people getting loans for their businesses. I know people want to, but the banks are not loaning.

SO in the commercial, one of the shops helped by the economic recovery is a cake shop. All I could think of is Marie Antoinette's remark.

Commercials are sneaky little devils.

You really believe that TV networks are adding medical shows to their roster because they want to kill the health care bill? And you believe this without seeing any of these shows? :rofl:

I'm suggesting that the networks (and the sponsors) may be using these new shows for propaganda purposes.


Are you suggesting that TV has never been used to promote any agenda? Ever?

next life!