I laugh at you when I read this. It is sad that wherever there is a confliction between americans and europeans or canadians, many times the "Americans are stupid subject" always seems to come up. Since you know so much about America, I presume you live here. If you don't, you are just a rambling child repeating the same thing someone else said and is not getting his own personality from television but common hate from other people. A couple of people's actions, words, or ways do not speak for the rest of the nation. So sorry that you feel that way, but seriously you are in need of a reality check.

I don't see what the big deal is. If Americans are walking tv sets, if anything we should be happy. That means there's less complex personalities for us to deal with. That also means we only need to turn on the T.V. to see what state America is in. So what's the big problem Chief

Look, I find the OP offensive, but it's true that people take at least some of their behaviour from television. They also take it from family, friends, games, internet, books, ect.
So you don't watch TV, big woop. Still, you go online, read books (which means you at least partially borrow from or agree with the writers' viewpoint) and generally have just as much of an oppurtunity to fill your head with rubbish as if you watched TV. Heck, even more probably.

The television is a programming machine and yes we Americans probably watch too much, lets not forget though some of the programing is good.

I use television mostly as backround noise when I'm working alone, so I'm different than most television babies.

I suppose I can't help but be influenced by television having been raised with it most of my life. When I lived in Switzerland they called me Hollywood, not because of my sunglasses but because that's what most the world knows Americans by. I'm a big guy 74" 265lbs, so many people have the tendency to call me Arnold (after Schwarzenegger) as a joke and sometimes I'll play along to humor them, because I've seen the movies and remember the lines - I'll be back ect.. - big deal doesn't mean I don't have my own personality.

We all take bits and pieces of everything and everyone we come in contact with everyday and we add the parts we like as our own or the ones that may help us get what we want in life. Nothing new its been happening for centuries, television is just the latest medium- we just have to be careful that theres allot of bad stuff on TV and like it or not it programs our world.

Isn't that why some governments in the past and present have burned books or made certain subjects illegal - so we can't make them part of our repertoire or programming?

I despise going to social functions where everyone discusses the lifes of characters on television shows they watch, because I don't get into sitcoms. Those are the people or the parties that bore me the most. I'd rather talk about the real world & what I like & what I'm doing and not get engaged about make believe persons too much.

Overall big deal - we are all programed by our environments. Knowing you are being programmed gives you a little more control. Many successful Americans saw someone else being successful on television and decided they wanted to do that and they did. All good athletes become better from watching others either on TV or in person if possible. As humans that's just the way we learn - nothing to be ashamed of. I'm proud and lucky to be an American.

[edit on 26-7-2008 by verylowfrequency]

Does anyone else find this topic ironic? It seems the OP thinks us Yanks are idiots from watching too much TV yet they see Osama on TV, Osama tells them he is coming, Osama travels to THEIR countries to campaign for president of America and they flock to him as their savior based on what THEY saw on TV...

You hate America types step in it every time don't you...

You're all just upset because you know it's true... we can all thank America for infecting the world with it's self centered Hollywood heroin needle.

I do know that where I live in NE Florida, everyone is a parrot of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. They will listen to nothing else and believe that everything else is lie. It's really frightening that the whole area has become like a cult worshiping Rush and Fox News as Gods!

I'm in the top four hottest threads... just goes to show that Americans are suckers for insults on they're ignorance.

I'm an American. I don't watch television except for sports. Otherwise I can't stand watching television. I don't care if some reality TV show is on televisio. I won't watch it. I don't give a # about American Idol. I don't give a # about Fox News. I don't give a # about television personalities. And I'm proud of it. .