Where I live we don’t get television reception, so my viewing time is spent the old fashioned way: watching DVDs from Netflix. On those occasions when I find myself flipping channels somewhere that has cable, the rapidly-spreading spate of “reality” wildlife 
snuff shows gets me so worked-up I feel like pulling a John Denver and blowing up the TV. But that would do little to slow the scourge of brainless, conscienceless drivel plaguing our society like a pandemic super-bug.
Clearly, cooler heads than mine are needed to combat this ever-growing menace. Therefore I hereby relinquish the pulpit (temporarily) and turn it over to Justin Forte, who, ever since nimrod networks started cropping up across the cable TV wasteland, has been asking the question…
Why Are T.V. Networks Airing Reality Shows That Glorify Stupidity And Cruelty To Animals?
Guest Rant by Justin Forte
What is it with television networks showing these stupid reality shows about bumpkins and glorifying killing and exploiting wild animals lately? It is beyond disgusting! All you see any more on most networks is one brain-dead reality show after another! Networks like Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, and The History Channel are supposed to show programs that raise IQ levels not lower them! All you see on these networks and several other TV networks anymore are garbage shows that glorify trapping, torturing, and killing wildlife for profit and entertainment!
If it isn’t that, the networks show other reality shows of people acting like brain-dead yuppie idiots or people craving attention for doing ordinary stuff that other people do all the time that they think they should be on TV and get a medal for doing! WTF?
It is really sad, disgusting, and disturbing that the media has gone so low and is force feeding this garbage to the masses, and our society is suffering for it! Personally, I would love to see a social study experiment conducted to show the negative effects these reality shows are having on our society. I think these brain-dead reality shows glorifying animal killing and stupidity is dumbing down the masses and I think it is high time we stand up to the networks airing this garbage before they turn us all into brain-dead idiots and zombies from all this lousy programming they keep airing!
One of the best things we can do to put an end to these lousy reality shows that glorify animal killing and stupidity is to start complaining to these networks by calling, emailing, and sending letters of outrage over their programming. Another is to boycott the networks that show them. Cut the networks off from their ratings and they will begin to lose money, then we will be able to force them to bring back intelligent programming and entertainment like they used to show before they started showing the garbage they are showing now.
Exposing the Big Game 
I don’t watch TV at all. On those occasions when I catch glimpses of reality shows while I’m doing cardio at the gym, I can feel my brain implode from having to witness such sheer stupidity.
I know the feeling–especially modern programing, or when the commercials come on.
I don’t watch TV. I can get my education from the internet and my entertainment from videogames where I seek out the kind of experience I want on my terms. At least in the UK we don’t get animal torture porn being passed off as entertainment… yet…
We didn’t used to have that on t.v. here either. It’s the process of de-evolution in action.
Reblogged this on Sherlockian's Blog and commented:
Media needs to be responsible and not be so crazy about their ratings, that they promote animal cruelty.
I remember when A&E used to be about Arts & Entertainment and History used to be about History. Yesterday I noticed that the programs on both channels were about murdering animals. Even straight documentaries about something like astronomy have been simplified and overly-dramatized to the point of stupidity.
Yep, I’m not sure if we’re witnessing the dummying-down of the masses, or if the majority of viewers are already there. Is life imitating “art” or the opposite?
Your points are good but you left out the responsibility of advertisers. We should be sending emails, letters and phone calls to any company that advertises on these shows. Letting them know we will not buy their prodcuts when they support this kind of abuse.
That’s right, thanks. I guess someone will have to suffer through those programs to see who advertises…
Also, if you could give examples of specific shows that are abusing animals so that we can tell them exactly which shows we find offensive.
I’ve been wondering the same thing and wondering if the timing of the recent Sportsmen’s Heritage Act is just a coincidence. There seems to be an increase in gun-mania and the glorification of shooting anything that moves. I do watch TV and there are still a lot of good nature shows on that don’t glorify killing – if you stay away from cable.
That’s good to hear; and there are still documentaries like the Cove and Blackfish. But I’m sure it’s more than a coincidence that these pro-kill shows are out just as the “Sportsmen’s” Act is gearing up for a senate vote…
I only watch TV for action sports and the occasional House marathon, but everything else can go die in a hole. (sorry Law and Order)
I turn on the TV in the evenings while I eat dinner. I usually select a paranormal show. Other than ghost shows and the history channel there is not much. Murder shows are wall to wall and those animals shows like Duck Dynasty and there was one called Hogs Gone Wild and ungroomed mountain men with guns. There is always Lizard Lick Towing and Dance Moms where you can watch another catfighting bunch of women like the plethora of Housewife shows.
What a bunch of crap.
While I am at it must mention two of the most repulsive shows right up there with animal killing shows…Man vs Food and Andrew Zimmermans Bizarre Foods. Terrible meat eating shows and Bizarre Foods has a theme song about gopher guts. Thank heavens for the remote control.
This gross-out, let’s see who has a strong stomach for eating guts and gore fad must be an offspring of the popularity of “Survivor.”
I have to wonder (as I’ve seen more and more previously-deemed ‘paranoid fantasies’ turn out to be true — like the skinning of live animals for the fur trade or the boiling of live dogs as a ‘delicacy’ — if part of the impetus behind the rise and saturation of these animal-snuff shows on the airwaves is to give a false image of wildlife and wild resources (as in the logging shows) that will mitigate the public wariness of commercial exploitation of animals and the environment.
If you can seduce people into not only seeing vanishing treasures like rhinos as commodities, but fool them into believing that plenty enough are around that you can ‘get one for yerself’, and if you can convince them that the planet as a whole is healthy and still thriving with all sorts of ‘stuff’ we can use as much of as we wish – PLUS deaden any sense of compassion, intelligent insight or empathy by normalizing and glorifying greedy blood-lust and killing sprees, then the TOP exploiters (big oil/gas/fishing/logging/coal etc) will garner less scrutiny – and face fewer challenges – as they go about pillaging and raping what people, under other circumstances, would never stand by to see laid to waste.
In short – Pacifying/manipulating/diverting the public – Dumming/Numbing-down of the population – MIND CONTROL OF THE MASSES Deaden them so they can’t actually feel/see or balk at the horrors of what you’re planning.
Science Fiction warned of this in many shows and stories. It’s all coming true. Next comes live chase and public executions of undesirables. Family entertainment.
Sounds alarmingly like the Roman Colosseum days near the collapse of their empire.
It’s sure seems that way.
very good point. Deaden us to the horrors so business can continue. But the thing is being a vegan has awakened me to the pain of it all-I almost long for the days when I was completely stupid. I was never a hunter but once was a meateater and I recall those times now like I was in a fog. I could never be deadened again.
That’s exactly what the Roman coliseum days were about – To DEADEN the populace and make then compliant , distract them and make them lust for blood because they couldn’t feel anything otherwise – in order to prepare them for the nightmare of going to war.
It worries me that these shows are being aired more and more, in more places. Even Nat Geo! It feels deliberate.
With the wolf hunts being pushed forward no matter how much public opposition there is, with armed military guards being posted at destructive mines, the tar sands devastation and mountaintop removal coal mining being forced upon us, and corps like Monsanto seemingly impervious to legal recourse, being protected against public outrage (and even outrage by the farmer they are supposedly meant to help), I worry just WHAT we are being so carefully prepared for . . .
Good question.
Do you feel things are quickening?
Well, the rate of increase of the human population (along with all it’s attendant environmental degradations) is quickening, if that’s what you mean…
A few months ago I engaged that revolting slob Andrew Zimmerman on twitter. When I told him he was a “repulsive glutton that would probably eat the last surviving member of an endangered species” he had no reply…
Maybe his mouth was too full to get a word out.
Revolting and repulsive he indeed is-and that fat grin…That opening photo of the show he is pictured with a chicken foot hanging out of his mouth so that is why he couldn’t sanswer you. Or he may be too engaged with eating deer penis soup…
I don’t watch reality too much. Just Dancing with the Stars and America’s Got Talent. Guess in a way I’m boycotting. If I did happen to see such a show I would be very upset! What happened to the entertainment industry not harming animals? This is disgusting!
That’s a good point–what happened to the ethic, “No animals were harmed in the making of this program”?
Why is it that these “reality show” people who are endangering or killing, aren’t being brought up on any kind of charges? To me it is animal cruelty at its worst because it is being condoned on so many levels. What has mankind turned into??? SMH
The fact that they get away with it on TV just legitimizes it all the more.
I agree, but what are you going to do when the majority of this country is brainless and watching this crap every night?
Play the violin as the human race goes down with boat into the deep dark sea.
And this is why I don’t watch that kind of shit. I’ll take Top Gear USA over Swamp People or Mountain Men any day.
I’ll take ghosts anyday…They are the perfect vegans. (heh heh)
Have thought this so often. All about money, it always is and the animals lose. I will NEVER watch any of this garbage.
Nope, no way–never.