Yesterday I was listening to one of my favorite radio shows. It's a science show, and I find science interesting, thus I like the show. However, recently they have instituted a "call-in" portion of the show.

Now I think it is pretty well documented that Americans lag behind many other countries when it comes to science education. And I am not proud to say that the average Joe has the scientific acumen of a box turtle. But, that is a topic for another thread.

What I find most disconcerting are the people who find their way onto these shows. It seems like any idiot can get onto these talk shows via their telephone. All that is required is the ability to punch a few buttons. Sometimes they do provide comic relief but most of the time they are just aggravating and provide little substantive input to the conversation. The topic yesterday was "Global Warming" and some moron called in with the idea that we could just pump water out of the ocean and onto the polar ice caps to maintain their current ice mass. He offered no explanation as to how he was going to get that water to freeze into ice, when the ice that was already there was melting.

So what to you think? Do you like call-in talk shows or do find the requirements for participation substandard?

-- Hal

I dont mind participation....depending upon the announcers.

For example...if someone calls in with an idea such as that, I'd like to then hear the host make fun of them until they cry

Is the show you listen to syndicated? I didn't know there was a "science" radio show.

I'd like to listen to that one too.

These people that call in are put on hold for at least an hour, the average person with a life is too busy to sit with a phone to their ear for that long, which I believe is one of the reasons for the quality of the calls they get.

Snow: Yes, but I don't want that to distract from the discussion.

-- Hal

Hal, I majored in Radio/Tv and communications. Those radio shows are looking for people just like you described in order to prove their own agenda. They screen out callers with legitimate questions and opinions and take the crazies, its a common practice all about ratings, which sell commercial air time.

But I agree with you. I'm always amazed when a news show goes to lets say a natural disaster. Instead of finding an educated, articulated witness they seek out the most ignorant, worst talking individual they can.

Example. During college I would have a break for lunch. I lived close to campus so I' would go home and eat food that was edible rather then the dog food at the cafeteria (LOL). I would watch a lot of news channel shows. There was a fire in the projects in Chicago, many people were displaced from their apartments and some injured seriously. The reporter is walking around , searching to talk to a witness. Instead of picking an adult with some sort of communication skills they pick out this 8 year old boy with terrible speech. The reporter ask the kid what happened , and honest to God the kid responds verbatum :

"da ambulance cames n taks all de hurteds peoples aways"

brilliant, absolutely brillant.

I thought you were an open minded person,? Is that nice to make fun of people that have a mental disturbance?

"Those radio shows are looking for people just like you described in order to prove their own agenda. They screen out callers with legitimate questions and opinions and take the crazies, its a common practice all about ratings, which sell commercial air time."

In this instance, that is unquestionably not the case.

Hal

During the WTO riots in Seattle a few years ago they asked a kid with a skateboard breaking windows what he was protesting. "I don't know, it's just exciting!"

Well, a certain percentage of the water would freezer Hal, the polar ice mass is melting primarly from the warmer waters. At least thats what two scientist I saw on a show explained, but what do they know huh?

And your wrong, all calls are screened and believe me the producers are looking for "morons" as you called him.

Good point, Buzz. A lot of the primetime TV shows rely on morons for their popularitly.

Maybe it makes the viewers/listeners feel better, to realize there are folks out there dumber than they are.

Jim

You have no basis for making a determination that I am wrong, without knowing the nature of this program, unless you have powers of clairvoyance.

Furthermore, comments like this:

"but what do they know huh?"

are nothing more than inciteful, and I will be reporting you to the moderators.

Hal

My good friend, Keith Buzzard, has lost his mind.

I apologize to the rest of y'all for that.

Poor Keith Buzzard

-- Hal

Lost his mind, or lost his patience?

Jim

Watch out Frosty!!

My good friend, Keith Buzzard, has tossed this thread out of the Politics forum. This is good ol' Trapper Talk.

You've wandered off the Ponderosa, and you're back here where the real folks hang out.

Suckhole.

-- Hal

Only if it's warranted. I ain't broke no rules yet -- I don't think.

-- Hal

People can still be suckholes on TT, right?

-- Hal

And my good friend, Kith Buzzard, ain't been right in the head from the git-go, so you can't blame me if he does something goofy.

-- Hal

LOL, buzzy put this in the wrong place... shoulda been in the humor forum.

I told ya it wasn't my fault.

You oughta ban him.

-- Hal