Hollywood Content? Do you agree?

[JosephConroy]

Not to enter the Yea or Nay fray here, BUT I do have an interesting first hand experience with Hollywood.

Through a very unusual experience I became friends first over the Internet and later and for some time now personal close friends with several Academy award nominated screenwriters/directors IN Hollywood.


We had met on a writers group on Yahoo, and they really enjoyed my stories and stuff. they knew I lived in Europe, I had NO IDEA who they were other than their first names. And we would joke around back and forth over the months on the net. When I mentioned I was back in America for a short spell, they said they would like to meet me personally, and eventually we did.

They made a dinner at one of their homes and had quite an interesting array of guests, including not only screenwriters and a few actor friends but some Beverly Hills physicians and of all things a Biologist who was really fascinating I must say.


Anyway, in the midst of dinner the host kind of raised his voice and said "Joseph....tell us one of your stories!" Oh man, NO!" I said. But he kept on, "Come on Joe, that's why were here, we read you and think your stories are great!" Sooo I told them alright, I WILL tell you a story, BUT this story is TRUE! And I know it'strue because it happened to ME! I want to tell you how I got the Holy Ghost! And for the rest of the dinner I told my testimony how God had brought me step by step from darkness into this marvellous light!

After dinner we just talked and talked and talked... The two main screenwriters/directors were brothers and they are also Orthodox Jews, so we talked about all kinds of Biblical subjects, they asked me if I believed in Angels, I gave them some of my personal experiences with Angels and the intervention of God, talked about healing, Elijah and the messiah, on and on.


Anyway at about 4 am I really had to go, so the four of them (By then every one else had gone home.) But the two brothers and their wives were walking me down a gentle hill from their home to where I had parked my car. I was talking with the oldest of the two brothers and he asked me "Have you ever seen any of my movies? And I told him, "You're going to think I am so backward, but no I never have." He started naming them..."You mean you've never seen any of them???"

I said , I had heard about them or read about them and had seen them advertised , but no I never had. he said , "Even on television??? you've never seen them on TV?" I told him, "You're going to think I'm like Amish or something but, I don't have a TV" he was flabbergasted! he said "What You DON'T have a TV????!" I was kind of embarrassed because it kind of shocked him. I said "No, I don't." He said "Why not?" I told him I just don't like the atmosphere it brings into my home , or my mind. His brother was walking in back of us with the two wives, so the guy calls back to his brother "Stephen! you have to hear this!" So he kind of catches up to us and the Older Brother says, "Joseph, tell Stephen what you just told me! " Kind of frustrated I said "I don't have a TV!" The Brother says "Tell him WHY!" so I did. Then the older brother calls his wife, "Wendy Wendy come here you have to hear this!" So she kind of trots up to us leaving the last wife walking behind.
"Joseph tell Wendy what you told Stephen and I!" I said "I don't wanna!" " "Oh go on, Wendy you have to HEAR this! go ahead Joseph" "I don't have a TV." "Tell her WHY!" I said "because I just don't like the way I feel or the atmosphere in my home when there's a TV blaring." So Wendy turns to her sister in law who is wondering what we all are talking about and says to her "You have to hear what Joseph just told us! tell her Joseph!'

I said "NO! You guys won't really understand!" "Oh come on Joseph, tell her!" well now the other wife is all curious, "Tell me What? tell me What!?"

So I said it once again "I DON'T HAVE A TV! I don't like the subtle philosophies injected in every message from cartoons to corn flakes commercials, I don't like that it tends to want to do my thinking for me, I don't like the spiritual atmosphere that it brings into my home!!!!!! I DON'T HAVE A TV!!!!!"

At which they all start cracking up, the oldest brother put his hand on my shoulder laughing and said with one of those end of laugh sighs..."Oh Joseph, you're too funny! Listen you know why we are so amazed is that Neither my Brother or I have a television in our homes either! It robs us of our creativity, and it DOES create such a negative aura in the home! Do you know he continued that when I got rid of our TV within just a few months my daughter and my sons school performance accelerated unbelievably! Now Teddy's a published author and budding scientist in her field and my son Leo is following right in her footsteps! We wouldn't have a TV in our home if you held a gun to our heads!"

Since then I have visited them countless times, participated in some of the most interesting Hollywood get togethers in their homes and in fact was on the yahoo Messenger with one of them just before I checked on this group tonight!

We have all heard it and I think it bears some consideration, but Pentecostals are NOT the only people who have felt to omit television from their life style.

Anwyay just thought to throw my two cents in....
Joseph Conroy

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by JosephConroy

Not to enter the Yea or Nay fray here, BUT I do have an interesting first hand experience with Hollywood.

Through a very unusual experience I became friends first over the Internet and later and for some time now personal close friends with several Academy award nominated screenwriters/directors IN Hollywood.


We had met on a writers group on Yahoo, and they really enjoyed my stories and stuff. they knew I lived in Europe, I had NO IDEA who they were other than their first names. And we would joke around back and forth over the months on the net. When I mentioned I was back in America for a short spell, they said they would like to meet me personally, and eventually we did.

They made a dinner at one of their homes and had quite an interesting array of guests, including not only screenwriters and a few actor friends but some Beverly Hills physicians and of all things a Biologist who was really fascinating I must say.


Anyway, in the midst of dinner the host kind of raised his voice and said "Joseph....tell us one of your stories!" Oh man, NO!" I said. But he kept on, "Come on Joe, that's why were here, we read you and think your stories are great!" Sooo I told them alright, I WILL tell you a story, BUT this story is TRUE! And I know it'strue because it happened to ME! I want to tell you how I got the Holy Ghost! And for the rest of the dinner I told my testimony how God had brought me step by step from darkness into this marvellous light!

After dinner we just talked and talked and talked... The two main screenwriters/directors were brothers and they are also Orthodox Jews, so we talked about all kinds of Biblical subjects, they asked me if I believed in Angels, I gave them some of my personal experiences with Angels and the intervention of God, talked about healing, Elijah and the messiah, on and on.


Anyway at about 4 am I really had to go, so the four of them (By then every one else had gone home.) But the two brothers and their wives were walking me down a gentle hill from their home to where I had parked my car. I was talking with the oldest of the two brothers and he asked me "Have you ever seen any of my movies? And I told him, "You're going to think I am so backward, but no I never have." He started naming them..."You mean you've never seen any of them???"

I said , I had heard about them or read about them and had seen them advertised , but no I never had. he said , "Even on television??? you've never seen them on TV?" I told him, "You're going to think I'm like Amish or something but, I don't have a TV" he was flabbergasted! he said "What You DON'T have a TV????!" I was kind of embarrassed because it kind of shocked him. I said "No, I don't." He said "Why not?" I told him I just don't like the atmosphere it brings into my home , or my mind. His brother was walking in back of us with the two wives, so the guy calls back to his brother "Stephen! you have to hear this!" So he kind of catches up to us and the Older Brother says, "Joseph, tell Stephen what you just told me! " Kind of frustrated I said "I don't have a TV!" The Brother says "Tell him WHY!" so I did. Then the older brother calls his wife, "Wendy Wendy come here you have to hear this!" So she kind of trots up to us leaving the last wife walking behind.
"Joseph tell Wendy what you told Stephen and I!" I said "I don't wanna!" " "Oh go on, Wendy you have to HEAR this! go ahead Joseph" "I don't have a TV." "Tell her WHY!" I said "because I just don't like the way I feel or the atmosphere in my home when there's a TV blaring." So Wendy turns to her sister in law who is wondering what we all are talking about and says to her "You have to hear what Joseph just told us! tell her Joseph!'

I said "NO! You guys won't really understand!" "Oh come on Joseph, tell her!" well now the other wife is all curious, "Tell me What? tell me What!?"

So I said it once again "I DON'T HAVE A TV! I don't like the subtle philosophies injected in every message from cartoons to corn flakes commercials, I don't like that it tends to want to do my thinking for me, I don't like the spiritual atmosphere that it brings into my home!!!!!! I DON'T HAVE A TV!!!!!"

At which they all start cracking up, the oldest brother put his hand on my shoulder laughing and said with one of those end of laugh sighs..."Oh Joseph, you're too funny! Listen you know why we are so amazed is that Neither my Brother or I have a television in our homes either! It robs us of our creativity, and it DOES create such a negative aura in the home! Do you know he continued that when I got rid of our TV within just a few months my daughter and my sons school performance accelerated unbelievably! Now Teddy's a published author and budding scientist in her field and my son Leo is following right in her footsteps! We wouldn't have a TV in our home if you held a gun to our heads!"

Since then I have visited them countless times, participated in some of the most interesting Hollywood get togethers in their homes and in fact was on the yahoo Messenger with one of them just before I checked on this group tonight!

We have all heard it and I think it bears some consideration, but Pentecostals are NOT the only people who have felt to omit television from their life style.

Anwyay just thought to throw my two cents in....
Joseph Conroy

WOW.........what a story!

I remember reading years ago that John F and Jackie Kennedy wouldn't let their kids watch tv when they were young.

It's a "robber", that's for sure!

[joyful]

No one is spoon feeding me what I choose to watch on TV. I have channel and ratings locks setup that prohibit undesirable programming from being viewed on my TV. I also have a TV Guardian that blocks any other rude or suggestive language that I do not want to hear. Finally, I choose not to watch shows live. I have a DVR that records programs that I like and when I watch them I skip the commercials. This is a very active process.

[Harmony]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Movies are wrong because:
A) They are made in Hollywood (and of course Hollywood is "wrong" because they make movies)..... however, if the movie is NOT made in Hollywood then....
B) They are wrong because of their "entertainment" value. If the movie in question is not meant to be entertaining (case in point, a dry documentary) then proceed back to item A. If it still falls though, then proceed to C....
C) They all too closely RESEMBLE movies made in Hollywood. See item A for quick review.
D) They're is simply too much "objectionable" material to sift through. If you see through the obvious flaw in that logic and then ask about restaurants, universities, the internet, libraries, bookstores, and even other people in your own church that you don't agree with, then please review A -again, or continue on to E.
E) The pastor says they are forbidden and since rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft....

love it!

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by pentecostisalive

In summary, the internet is a spoon in your hand, with which you choose what to eat. TV is a spoon in someone else hands feeding you what they want to give you. This is the difference between interactive internet, and passive (feed me) TV.

Good grief.
You act as if you don't have the ability to use your remote control to select among the different channels.

[TRFrance]

There are women's underwear ads in newspapers.

...So should I not buy newspapers any more?

When I was at my doctor's office, laying on the exam table (with my shirt off!), his female assistant walked in and asked me a list of medical questions.

...So should I stay away from the doctor's office now?


See my point? We could take this thing to a ridiculous extreme if we wanted to.

[RandyWayne]

Concerning post #21, I also know of several people who work for various studios who do not own "televisions", of course on further clarification, they do.... just don't subscribe to cable or satellite. They work in the industry to such a degree that to actually watch anything on their off time is too much like "work".

[Scott Hutchinson]

I appreciate Pentcostisalive and the views he or she presents here.

[Mosby48]

Originally Posted by revrandy

V-Chip...Blocks any content...

Cable comes with Security Codes and Access Restriction....

You Block content on TV just like the Internet....

Also on Television...Animal Planet...Discovery....Home& Garden... Nasa... among others...Fox News....

Just an honest question. I haven't dealt with V-chips and the like since I haven't had a TV for a long time. When I have seen TV in homes or stores, what hits me are the ads. You can be watching a good show and "boom!!", you're hit with a half naked lady selling viagra or underwear. Or worse yet, Bob Dole. How do these filters and v-chips work against ads? If its a decent show with bad ads, does it block them?

[joyful]

Originally Posted by Mosby48

Just an honest question. I haven't dealt with V-chips and the like since I haven't had a TV for a long time. When I have seen TV in homes or stores, what hits me are the ads. You can be watching a good show and "boom!!", you're hit with a half naked lady selling viagra or underwear. Or worse yet, Bob Dole. How do these filters and v-chips work against ads? If its a decent show with bad ads, does it block them?

In my experience the V-chip doesn't block commercials, but the TV guardian will block offensive language in commercials that are setup with closed captioning.

Dealing with commercials is where DVR technology comes in. By just delaying when you begin watching a show by 15 minutes by hitting pause at the beginning of the show, you can avoid seeing any commercials. You can skip in 30 second intervals to just skip over them entirely. Also, for the most part commercials are very dependent on the programming that they are being shown during. You will not really see Victoria's Secret commericals on animal planet or the history channel.