English Argument

Argument

Who doesn't watch t.v. after a long day at work or school? Modern television is a common activity that all people participate in. From watching the news to a documentary about whales, people these days are always glued to the television screen. Barbara Ehrenreich, in her book The Worst Years of Our Lives, clearly hints at the reality of modern television. Modern television is very unnatural, in that it broadcasts the activities that are not participated in by most viewers. As Ehrenreich would agree, the majority of television shows centered on sex, violence, and drugs do not reflect the actions of average people, yet are shown as if they were more common than not. .

Sex in television has been around for many years. In the beginning of the television era it was appalling to see a couple in the same bed together, but in present society it is way too common to see sex as a daily activity on television. Despite the fact that many viewers of t.v. are indeed having sex, the way television portrays sex is not reflective of how the majority of viewers participate in sexual relations. The t.v. show Jersey Shore, extremely popular with teenagers and young adults, references sex in every single aired episode, sometimes even showing scenes of sex! In this show, like other television shows about partying and sex such as Buck Wild, sex is commonly between two complete strangers that is completely meaningless and void of romance. In real life, however, the majority of television viewers

are participating in sexual relations with people they know, care about, or love. This misconception between sex in modern television and real life portrays the lack of reality in modern television that Barbara Ehrenreich clearly states is what keeps viewers from being far too bored when watching t.v.

Violence is another common theme found in modern television. Brawls and shootings are found all across popular t.v. shows, as if every television viewer was a thug that fought and shot others on a daily basis.