I'm sure whoever paid for said programming would tune in to make sure that they weren't swindled out of their money... The rest of the public, I don't know.
I don't watch it, but one time when I'd been in another room when the shows changed, I came back to find a gym full of HAWT guys gyrating to some exercise video. Now, I did watch that, but just for the scenery. ;P
Insomniacs. I swear during a 72 hour run with maybe 6 hours of not particularly restful sleep, some of that stuff even starts to seem like a good idea.
And considering that Oxiclean got started on the infomercial circuit, and now manufacturers build washing machines adapted for using that stuff... Apparently exploiting insomniacs works.
Remember why there is spam? Because it works. There are people out there who actually click on spam links, and some small percentage of them actually give money to spammers. If spam didn't work, albeit in very small percentages, it wouldn't still be being used.
In the same way, paid programming works. There really are people out there who think that the special herbal, organic, guaranteed potent Vitamin D, in our special mixture, available only from our sponsers, now at a reduced price due to massive popular demand, and personally shipped direct to you for a small additional fee, will cure cancer. Enough people give money to the producers of "paid programming", and in such amounts that it is worthwhile for the producers to pay for the TV time. If they were losing money, they wouldn't pay for the TV time. So they are profiting. Which means people watch.
But that shouldn't be a surprise. Con jobs of all kinds work. People beg to give crooks and criminals money. "If it wasn't true, they couldn't say it was on TV." (Thanks, JTS)
Commercials and scammers now take up 50% of television time....and we pay the cable companies or satellite providers a monthly fee to bring us this crappolla...
I was going to say that the people who watch this shit also eagerly await the next spam in their inbox, but Tom beat me to it. So I won't mention it here.
But I should remind people of two things: (1) broadcast TV channels used to go off the air. There's a generation of youngsters out there who don't know that thirty seconds after The Star Spangled Banner plays, you hear static. (2) At one time CNN Headline News actually used to be a half-hour news program. Between HLN and The Weather Channel, I was good for a couple of hours in the middle of the night while writing. Pitiful when you can scan some sixty cable channels at 3am and find NOTHING worth leaving on.
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I'm sure whoever paid for said programming would tune in to make sure that they weren't swindled out of their money... The rest of the public, I don't know.
ReplyDeletePeople who tune in late and think it's just a lousy commercial and will be over soon so they can see what's really on.
ReplyDeleteOr people stoned late at night.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was on the shift that ended at 3am, I think I watched every Infomercial out there. It was background noise while I had my supper.
ReplyDeleteI often wondered who else was watching the same crap, and if anyone ever actually fell for the stuff they were selling.
I don't watch it, but one time when I'd been in another room when the shows changed, I came back to find a gym full of HAWT guys gyrating to some exercise video. Now, I did watch that, but just for the scenery. ;P
ReplyDeleteWendyB_09
Insomniacs. I swear during a 72 hour run with maybe 6 hours of not particularly restful sleep, some of that stuff even starts to seem like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteAnd considering that Oxiclean got started on the infomercial circuit, and now manufacturers build washing machines adapted for using that stuff... Apparently exploiting insomniacs works.
Remember why there is spam? Because it works. There are people out there who actually click on spam links, and some small percentage of them actually give money to spammers. If spam didn't work, albeit in very small percentages, it wouldn't still be being used.
ReplyDeleteIn the same way, paid programming works. There really are people out there who think that the special herbal, organic, guaranteed potent Vitamin D, in our special mixture, available only from our sponsers, now at a reduced price due to massive popular demand, and personally shipped direct to you for a small additional fee, will cure cancer. Enough people give money to the producers of "paid programming", and in such amounts that it is worthwhile for the producers to pay for the TV time. If they were losing money, they wouldn't pay for the TV time. So they are profiting. Which means people watch.
But that shouldn't be a surprise. Con jobs of all kinds work. People beg to give crooks and criminals money. "If it wasn't true, they couldn't say it was on TV." (Thanks, JTS)
Oh, and Opus. (obligatory obscure cultural reference)
ReplyDeleteCommercials and scammers now take up 50% of television time....and we pay the cable companies or satellite providers a monthly fee to bring us this crappolla...
ReplyDeleteSteve, the cultural references was not obscure to me!
ReplyDeleteMy mother falls for stuff like that all the time. T.T
ReplyDeleteSteve and Vince, me neither.
ReplyDeleteI love Opus...
I had Opus' love-child.
ReplyDeleteThe Turnip Twaddler!
ReplyDeleteTurnip-Twaddler & Diaper Steamer!
ReplyDeleteOh, man - we miss you, Opus...
::snorts dandelion::
We should all go find a field and lie staring at the sky in homage with Opus.
ReplyDeleteAnd bring Calvin & Hobbes too...
WendyB_09
I was going to say that the people who watch this shit also eagerly await the next spam in their inbox, but Tom beat me to it. So I won't mention it here.
ReplyDeleteBut I should remind people of two things: (1) broadcast TV channels used to go off the air. There's a generation of youngsters out there who don't know that thirty seconds after The Star Spangled Banner plays, you hear static. (2) At one time CNN Headline News actually used to be a half-hour news program. Between HLN and The Weather Channel, I was good for a couple of hours in the middle of the night while writing. Pitiful when you can scan some sixty cable channels at 3am and find NOTHING worth leaving on.
Dr. Phil