How can local news programs get away with these SCARY ads?

[Death Metal Moe]

I've noticed it before, but it REALLY made me take notice tonight while watching The Simpson's on Fox.

Lisa had just figured out that she could be a buddist AND celebrate Christmas with her family, and we faded to credits with Lisa searching for her pony that would never be. Silly Lisa. And then, suddenly..........

WHAT IF YOUR CHILD SWALLOWS POISION?!?! THEY HAVE 5 MINUTES TO LIVE!!!! FIND OUT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT AS 10!!

5 MINUTES TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What the FUCK is this?!?! Instead of just saying they have info to HELP you in the event of this unfortunate and live threatening event, they put all this frantic editing together with scary music and stern announcer's voice.

They do this EVERYTIME there's a snow storm too. Like we're NEVER going to be able to get out of our houses again.

So my real question is HOW can these programs get away with these SHAMELESS scare tactics? It's very irresponsible in my opinion. I enjoy being informed, but I will NOT be SHOCKED or SCARED into watching something.

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[TheMojoPin]

It's like I said in another thread, the most successful tactic TV news has used, be it cable or local, to gain ratings in the last 20 years is to try their best to literally scare you into watching. I suggest reading the book "Culture of Fear" and pretty much any book by Douglas Rushkoff as a good starting spot to understand how and why these people get away with what they do...

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[ChickenHawk]

SNL made fun of this and did a sketch on it when Seinfeld hosted. So true.

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[Steels]

These commercials are absolute atrocities. I completely agree.

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[SoLost22]

the scare tactics used in the news are also being used in the whole Al Quiada issue, threat code Orange? what the fuck does that mean....not much but it scares the public into believing what ever the Gov tells them


"God looks after drunks, fools, and the United States."

[HordeKing1]

I love Dave Barry's columns on these commercials. My personal favorite: That lunchtime frozen yogurt is tainted with harmful bacteria that can kill you.

Turns out that no one had died from eating this "tainted" yougurt, or even gotten sick. How's that for journalistic integrity.

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[fluffernutter]

Al the things MojoPin noted and I would HIGHLY recommend watching Michael Moore's "Bowling For Columbine" when it comes to either video or DVD. Now yes, I am a HUGE fan of his but this movie shows me that the US news reporters if ANYTHING are acting and trying to scare the living shit out of us.

The contrast between the US news and Canadian news in the movie was indeed shocking. Pretty much how the US news "speculates" and the Canadian news for the most part broadcasts the "facts". Also there was this clip of a news reporter from Detroit who was covering the killing of a six year old girl by her classmate and how the news guy was all straight forward before the camera were rolling and then how he put on the facade (sp) of being emotional and "teary" and then after the cameras stopped rolling, the guy bitches about his hair and swears at the camera guy. I know this was only one scenario but it made me think , how often do these reporters care about the story and how often do they care about how they looked.

I CANNOT stomach the news anymore cause I don't know what to believe because it is ALL ratings. FOX is a prime example of this. The one staion in Philly said "The Ten O Clock News - It's where the ACTION is" Is this a NEWS program or a DRAMA? You tell me.

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[TheMojoPin]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...abandon US news! Stick with BBC News...

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[kc7586]

those fuckers are so desperate for ratings that they'll say anything to get you to watch.

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Thanks for the sig CZM!
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[ozzie]

"It's not enough that people want to watch... they have to be SO SCARED TO MISS IT!"

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Mucho appreciation for the sig CZM!

[Death Metal Moe]

I'm pretty scared of Murray's hairline.

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[canofsoup15]

Did anyone see that ikea commercial, it was so fucking wrong, awful, and stupid. A girl is sitting in a chair in an ikea store and she says im pregnant. The father then yells at the mother telling her its her fault she did drugs in high school. They continue to argue until an ikea guy comes in a says "it this ok" or something and they say yea its great, referring to the furniture. All the while your thinking its a teen poregnancy commercial, ITS SO FUCKING AFUL, WHOEVER MADE IT SHOULD BE SHOT.

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[Death Metal Moe]

Actually, I batched to that commercial.

That room setting was pretty sexy.

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[JiZ]

I agree with you on the whole news thing Moe. The ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings started off with telling us of an intercepted transmission. It said how there will be attacks in the subway system. Then they were questioning whether they were playing with our minds.

[reeshy]

I have given up on US news shows for years now. All I listen to is BBC world news on the internet-strictly the news and no editorials!!

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[satan-2]

the scare tactics used in the news are also being used in the whole Al Quiada issue, threat code Orange? what the fuck does that mean....not much but it scares the public into believing what ever the Gov tells them


that's the idea. if gov says the first three letters of the alphabet are Z Y X you better believe it and you better say it. if you don't you are "Un-american."

god is an absentee LANDLORD!!!

later

[Cannon]

Thats why i stick to the UPN 9 news, they are too busy doing wrestling stories and playing movie trailers to care about anything else.

I mean why worry about Terrorists or Local news when there is important things to find out like what Lita's favorite color is.

Cannon

Producer and Shill Whore of
Phoenix Championship Wrestling.

AIM:uwccannon or Cannonballfx

[reeshy]

What's the matter, Moe-is you scaredy???

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This message was edited by reeshy on 2-12-03 @ 7:33 PM

[Heavy]

an ikea guy comes in a says "it this ok"


I can't believe ikea let a gramaticl error like that get by in a commercial.

And what about Fox news? Everytime they have a news update they say "We break for a Fox news alert!" Then those loud racing car noises come on while the bright "ALERT" image pops on the screen.

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[Heather 8]

And what about Fox news? Everytime they have a news update they say ''We break for a Fox news alert!'' Then those loud racing car noises come on while the bright "ALERT" image pops on the screen.



Ugh, they just had a !!FOX NEWS ALERT!! about 40 minutes ago. Greta van Sustern (sp?) started her show with the news that NYC hospitals are on high alert for a possible cyanide attack. She then started interviewing a representative of St Vincent's, who basically said, ''What cyanide threat? I didn't hear anything about this.''

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