The Iraq War in HDTV?

[Pangloss]

Is anyone else slightly disturbed by the fact that Discovery HD Theater and Milnet have a special 2-hour show about the Iraq War filmed in HDTV?

 

I dunno, maybe it's just me. It does look amazing, but... it just seems like it's kinda inappropriate somehow. I mean it's *entertainment*, or at least EDUtainment....

[Sayonara]

It's no less appropriate than those ghastly videos that appear on the net, showing people being mown down by attack helicopters with vulcan cannons mounted on them, accompanied by ragey rock music.

[Dave]

If it's portrayed in the correct light, then I would expect it to be good. Even so, I wouldn't watch it - I suppose I don't like the idea of TV companies making a nice profit off of all of this.

[TimeTraveler]

I seen a commercial for a new military channel that will be showing the war. I agree I don't like how they turn it into entertainment. I find it strange that they would be starting a military channel for the war if they were not expecting that this war will continue on past Iraq. I think they are probably planning an Iran war no matter what the resolution comes of them seeking nuclear technology.

[Pangloss]

So it's not just me at least, thanks.

 

At risk of getting too hypothetical, how would you all feel about serious, non-entertainment-oriented documentaries about the war after it was over?

 

One slightly interesting twist to this is that I watch HDTV using a Tivo device. It's not well-known (though it was much-discussed during the Janet Jackson Superbowl gaff), but Tivo actually collects data on what programs owners watch. Here comes the real twist: They SELL that data to entertainment-industry customers. So in theory my viewing of the show (whether I record it or not) could be a statistic on some National Security Council worker's desk by morning.

 

Kind of a sobering thought, isn't it?

[Dave]

Quite.

 

I doubt I'll watch any kind of documentary on the Iraq situation. I don't want to know. I've always been opposed to it, and to see it on the news every day is quite enough (to be brutally honest).

[Static]

Is anyone else slightly disturbed by the fact that Discovery HD Theater and Milnet have a special 2-hour show about the Iraq War filmed in HDTV?

 

I dunno' date=' maybe it's just me. It does look amazing, but... it just seems like it's kinda inappropriate somehow. I mean it's *entertainment*, or at least EDUtainment....[/quote']

 

I guess it would depend on the content, although it's a highly disturbing thought to contemplate. I don't like how it seems as if they're trying to blend war and entertainment together, although that's the feeling I've been getting from many since the war started.

[blike]

I can't remember what channel it was (believe it was on discovery), but I watched an excellent video on the Iraq war. It didn't serve to make a political statement, only to show what it was like day to day through the eyes of a soldier. It was very effective in conveying the emotions people feel as they go through these things.

 

I don't know that I like the fact that they're making a profit by filming the tragedy of men, but I found the show interesting and informative. That's what I pay them for, right?

[Skye]

War has been recorded throughout history, I don't really see this as any different.

[TimeTraveler]

It's the advertising and the excitement they illustrate that irritates me.

 

"For only 3 easy payments of $19.95 you can watch, on live TV, the United States military completely destroy the country of Iraq! And with this special offer we will throw in the destruction of Afghanastan absolutly FREE!!! You won't see a deal like this again, call today and sign up!"

 

Prices and participations may vary. This offer is not available everywhere. Shipping and handling is $4.95. Virginia residents send in $1.90 for tax. This program is rated E for Everbody.

[Pangloss]

rofl

 

Okay, so why is something like "Grand Theft Auto" okay then?

[mezarashi]

Anybody also heard of the new "documentary" kind of film theyre showing in theatres. It's called "Gunner Palace", here's the trailer:

 

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/gunnerpalace.html

[coquina]

The Gulf War made CNN.

 

The military watched it for intel.

[TimeTraveler]

rofl

 

Okay, so why is something like "Grand Theft Auto" okay then?

 

Lol, its not. And if you had seen the reaction I caused by even suggesting that in the Grand Theft Auto thread.... some people went off, it was interesting to watch people get so upset over a video game.

[Pangloss]

Hehe, wow. I must have missed that one.

[TimeTraveler]

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6780&highlight=grand+theft+auto

[Pangloss]

Thanks!

 

The bit with the guy telling you to cry to Joe Lieberman, and Sayo asking what that would do, was classic SFN. (grin)

[Anarchaus]

It's no less appropriate than those ghastly videos that appear on the net, showing people being mown down by attack helicopters with vulcan cannons mounted on them, accompanied by ragey rock music.

 

i don't think the actual footage of these things is nearly as disturbing as the fact that alot of people ENJOY watching people get cut in half/slaughtered/mutilated/eviscerated and having their insides pulled out, those people make me want to puke. Bunch of angry rage filled bastards they are.

[Anarchaus]

War has been recorded throughout history, I don't really see this as any different.

 

yes but those were in the form of documentaries, and the movies made were all about the tradgety of the war and how it changed the people that went there. But games are a different story, thats entertainment, but we dont mind, because we never went to war, so we think its fun.

[Anarchaus]

The media also do this with other human tragedies, like when those two girls were kidnapped in the states, their stories were made into made for tv movies, and then, they were pitted against each other in prime time!! for ratings no less, they turned two little girls tragedies into a money makers, i think thats sick.

[Lance]

I dont think its any worse than movies such as Black hawk Down.

[Anarchaus]

rofl

 

Okay' date=' so why is something like "Grand Theft Auto" okay then?[/quote']

 

well everyone knows that violence is not good, but all videogames have many other things in there as well, because seriously, if they were selling pure violence, it would be like manhunt, that game is twisted Most games with violence incorperate othewr themes like:

 

Adventure

plot

interesting characters

cool vehicles

interesting places/times

drama

just think of any violent game, they keep you playing it with these things, violence is a huge part, but lets face it, if the game was just you in a room with a chainsaw and you had to kill as many people as possible for points, only the angry loner/ sicko crowd would play, not little tommy from down the road.

 

now, we turn to violence on TV, same attributes as the games except

real

real danger

real death

real gore

real pain

but you only see the violence, not the soilders just being themselves, the medias not there for that they want to show you war the pure violence.

 

so trying to make a profit on pure violence is twisted and wrong.

You don't get adventure and plot out of real war, only death and pain.

[Dak]

It's no less appropriate than those ghastly videos that appear on the net, showing people being mown down by attack helicopters with vulcan cannons mounted on them, accompanied by ragey rock music.

 

what i thought was even more innapropriate, was when i saw an american soldiure being interviewed saying how lots of tank-crew rig up a portable CD to the tank's radio-com-system so that they can broadcast music to the soldures' radio earpieces, so they could listen to rock music whilst they were fighting. apparently 'killing in the name of' by rage against the machine was a popular choice.

[Lance]

what i thought was even more innapropriate, was when i saw an american soldiure being interviewed saying how lots of tank-crew rig up a portable CD to the tank's radio-com-system so that they can broadcast music to the soldures' radio earpieces, so they could listen to rock music whilst they were fighting. apparently 'killing in the name of' by rage against the machine was a popular choice.

 

Why do you think thats innapropriate?

[Dak]

1/ soldures have guns. they use the guns. this oftern results in someones death. they, at times, are around civillians whilst fully armed. therefore, i would conjecture that they should conduct themselves at all times in a profesionall manner, so as to limit the possibility of accidental deaths of friendlys and non-combatants. considering americas poor track-record at this, i would have thought that america should be trying extra hard to act professionally as they know this is an area in which they could improve. using a radio network which is desighned to co-ordinate troop movements and relay information and orders to play music is not, in my opinion, profesional.

 

2/listening to rock music whilst killing people smacks of enjoying it.

 

3/ common courtousy to the families of the diseased iraques should dictate that, even if you do listen to music whilst killing their fathers and husbands, you dont let them find out afterwards. that just ads insult to injury.