Discovery Networks

[TheAppropriator]

Is it just me or has Discovery Networks (History, Discovery, TLC, A&E) fallen off the god damn wagon?

First Sarah Palin's Alaska, now "Only in America" hosted by *LARRY THE CABLE GUY*. Larry the ****ing cable guy.

For a group of TV stations founded on the principle of education and learning, they sure are making some shows aimed at and featuring the bottom demographic of the IQ and gene pool.

It would be like TBN showing Slayer music videos.

Larry the cable guy sucks. Being a redneck sucks. Being proud of being a redneck is like being proud to be a piece of ****.

There, I said it.

[Domnu]

PBS still puts out some good stuff!

I agree with you about the Discovery Networks though, utter trash at this point. The Alien Civilization/End Times bull**** that seems to be on loop on History channel, the serial reality TV shows on TLC, etc. etc. Total waste of time.

[ReputableReprobate]

i want to have sex with sarah palin, in the alaskan wilderness, in a den of hibernating bears, while watching ancient aliens on the discovery channel.

there, i said it.

[TheAppropriator]

i want to have sex with sarah palin.

there, i said it.

You must not get out much, live in a colder climate, or be much, much older than I am.

[Diz]

I've always thought Sarah Palin should've just transferred into pron.

I don't have a problem with rednecks, they are usually pretty chill people to be honest.

Domnu explained what I dislike about History Channel/Discovery, etc. That being said, Planet Earth and stuff like that is pretty cool in HD but stuff like that is never shown, it's always "The Secret Lives of Midget Truffle Hunters" and **** like that.

[Evil Mii]

damm my gf is always watch TLC and thing like this

Cakeboss
48 hours
say yes to the dress !

OMG im tired of this channel

help me someone !!!! :p

[ReputableReprobate]

"The Secret Lives of Midget Truffle Hunters"

You just painted a picture that i cannot get out of my head, and its beautiful.

[Shmufle]

You just painted a picture that i cannot get out of my head, and its beautiful.
Holy ****... that is beautiful.


Anyways I still dig all of the war / religion related stuff from History and all of the space related stuff from Discovery. I don't watch much else from these channels TBH.

[Basia]

Texan agrees with OP.

Fun story. Someone comes into my store the other day and asks if we sell "shirts with the sleeves cut off". My answer? "Like you wash your car with?"

"No! That I can buy and wear!"

"Oh, I always thought people cut up shirts for washing the car or painting the house, not to leave the house in."

"...so do you sell any?"

[Barbarossa]

Okay...Larry the cable guy is a persona...It's like having Adam Sandler host Swamp people and bill it as "Swap People with Bobby Boucher".
Daniel Whitney isn't a household name, so the guy played to the strength of the brand he created. Bravo.

I think the guy is funny.

What I don't find funny is people who stereotype Rednecks, hicks, etc. I abhor people who generalize and marginalize a demographic.

If I said all Japs are sneaky gooks who killed my grandfather; most would find that statement unfair.

Saying all hicks are stupid is an equally unfair generalization.

We're all humans shaped by our environment. Grow up.

[ReputableReprobate]

Okay...Larry the cable guy is a persona...It's like having Adam Sandler host Swamp people and bill it as "Swap People with Bobby Boucher".
Daniel Whitney isn't a household name, so the guy played to the strength of the brand he created. Bravo.

I think the guy is funny.

What I don't find funny is people who stereotype Rednecks, hicks, etc. I abhor people who generalize and marginalize a demographic.

If I said all Japs are sneaky gooks who killed my grandfather; most would find that statement unfair.

Saying all hicks are stupid is an equally unfair generalization.

We're all humans shaped by our environment. Grow up.

If Appropriator had said that all "Southern Americans" are stupid and suck then your argument might have some validity, but he didn't so... :) Lighten up.

hick   
[hik] Show IPA
–noun
1.
an unsophisticated, boorish, and provincial person; rube.

red·neck   
[red-nek] Show IPA
Informal: Often Disparaging .
–noun
1.
an uneducated white farm laborer, esp. from the South.
2.
a bigot or reactionary, esp. from the rural working class.


Claiming to be a redneck or a hick is claiming to be stupid. Taking pride in being stupid is... well stupid.

There, I said it.

[Jay]

Only similar thing I watch is national geographic adventure... And that channel ****ing owns.

[TheAppropriator]

Okay...Larry the cable guy is a persona...It's like having Adam Sandler host Swamp people and bill it as "Swap People with Bobby Boucher".
Daniel Whitney isn't a household name, so the guy played to the strength of the brand he created. Bravo.

I think the guy is funny.

What I don't find funny is people who stereotype Rednecks, hicks, etc. I abhor people who generalize and marginalize a demographic.

If I said all Japs are sneaky gooks who killed my grandfather; most would find that statement unfair.

Saying all hicks are stupid is an equally unfair generalization.

We're all humans shaped by our environment. Grow up.


I disagree with it being an unfair generalization; being a redneck is huntin' and fishin' and being proud that you're a good ol' boy that don't need no book smarts because you're an outdoorsmen, workin' with your hands, etc. The term redneck in and of itself describes the behavior. It would be like saying, "Saying all racists discriminate people based on their nationality is an unfair generalization". Their actions bring the title, not the other way around.

I'm not saying all rednecks are racists or anything like that, just that the term "redneck" and Larry the Cable guy's persona as a whole is characterized by an outdoorsmen, GED, proudly ignorant state of mind that has no place on a tv station supposedly devoted to education. So for a television station based around the fundamental idea of education and learning to have a show hosted by someone that is or is playing a persona who's primary characteristic is being proud of their ignorance, it's ass backward. It would be like having a show on the science channel hosted by tom cruise because he's a scientologist.

There are few things I have a distaste for more in the world than proud ignorance.

[Barbarossa]

Intolerance is intolerance.

[Jack]

I've never heard someone defend rednecks or Larry the Cable guy by appealing to tolerance. This is some twisted **** :p

[Jay]

Intolerance is intolerance.

No one here is being ignorant or intollerent though? That other guy gave a dictionary example just to show exactly what the word means. You seem to be of the opinion that they are generalizing people from a certain area or cultural group defined by outsiders, but they are refering to people who label themselves as a term that has been defined IN DICTIONARIES as all these things.

[Barbarossa]

I agree the premise of the show is absurd.

What gets me is prejudice that rural = dumb.

I like a-hunt'n and-a fish'n, and werk'n on cars! I also have a B.S. in Marketing and make a good living.

If actions bring title is it acceptable to say someone is a Jew becasue they are cheap? or a N***** because they steal?

"Larry the cable guy sucks. Being a redneck sucks. Being proud of being a redneck is like being proud to be a piece of ****."

Martin Luther king Sucks. Being African-American Sucks. Being proud of being African American is like being proud of being a blah blah blah...

@ Jay: A dictionary is only a listing of word. It's how you put them together that makes hate speech.

[Jay]

At what point did anyone say "rural = dumb"?

[Barbarossa]

Okay Mr. Dictionary


red·neck   
[red-nek]
Informal: Often Disparaging .
–noun
1.
uneducated

[TheAppropriator]

"Larry the cable guy sucks. Being a redneck sucks. Being proud of being a redneck is like being proud to be a piece of ****."

Martin Luther king Sucks. Being African-American Sucks. Being proud of being African American is like being proud of being a blah blah blah...


I don't think your grasping the concept between a title you appoint upon yourself and a cultural/racial trait you can't change. I like hunting and fishing and working on cars too, but I wouldn't call myself a redneck. I think you do make a good point though that outdoorsmen traits are often applied to the label redneck when they shouldn't be.

[Barbarossa]

Bah... Back to your regularly scheduled programing... "Zeb the plumber pours oatmeal over his head" Presented by PBS with special permission from the Smithsonian.

[Basia]

I work at an outdoors store. I see plenty of rednecks. I have quite a few in the family. I still don't understand the draw.

[Jay]

Okay Mr. Dictionary

I am fully aware that it can be disparaging and used as an insult... But it's an unsult to those who call themselves rednecks. Someone here says "Jesus christ rednecks do stupid ****" Do you consider yourself a redneck or a person living in rural America? If you are the latter who said "Jesus christ people in rural America do stupid ****"?

[ReputableReprobate]

I don't think your grasping the concept between a title you appoint upon yourself and a cultural/racial trait you can't change.

I think its safe to conclude that Barbarossa is just trolling us now :P

[Dodger]

Oh man there was redneck bashing going on a week ago and I missed this beautiful thread some how? I am very disappointed )=

[Jack Straw]

I disagree with it being an unfair generalization; being a redneck is huntin' and fishin' and being proud that you're a good ol' boy that don't need no book smarts because you're an outdoorsmen, workin' with your hands, etc. The term redneck in and of itself describes the behavior. It would be like saying, "Saying all racists discriminate people based on their nationality is an unfair generalization". Their actions bring the title, not the other way around.

I'm not saying all rednecks are racists or anything like that, just that the term "redneck" and Larry the Cable guy's persona as a whole is characterized by an outdoorsmen, GED, proudly ignorant state of mind that has no place on a tv station supposedly devoted to education. So for a television station based around the fundamental idea of education and learning to have a show hosted by someone that is or is playing a persona who's primary characteristic is being proud of their ignorance, it's ass backward. It would be like having a show on the science channel hosted by tom cruise because he's a scientologist.

There are few things I have a distaste for more in the world than proud ignorance.

Outdoors type =/= Redneck.

Plenty of people enjoy the outdoors. Your redneck statement may not be off but the equation of people who work with their hands and enjoy working in the outdoors being rednecks is. I've run into Ph.D's on trails and grad students on trail crews. Are they "dumb rednecks"?

___

On the dictionary note, the etymology of the word "redneck" begins and ends with US English and therefore is a definition created with a bias and not an evolved word or anything of the sort. It is also initially started off as slang. When a slang word is added to the dictionary its connotation becomes denotation. So using the word to talk about someone else isn't at all an impartial observation with a word like redneck.
However, someone like Larry the Cable Guy self identifying as a red neck is just a guy who is smart enough to realize that people love stupid humor and love humor that makes fun of whatever category the person speaking self identifies as. He doesn't belong on the Discovery channel.

___

I don't watch much TV but the fact that the Discovery Channel's channels (hm?) run reality TV shows really irks me. I used to love watching their shows, but now they just want ratings and need to keep up with the reality TV show/devolution of humanity process.