Show 1314 Friday 24 September
Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today we’re studying a song called: Television, the Drug of the Nation.
I think the lyrics in this song are interesting to study. And this could also be a good song to study in a class or a study group or just a group of friends.
The song says that TV is like an addictive drug that makes us stupid.
TV is the reason why less than 10 per cent of our nation reads books daily, why most people think Central America means Kansas, socialism means un-American, and apartheid is a new headache remedy.
I’m not sure why people would think apartheid is a headache remedy. Maybe the word is similar to a headache remedy in the US?
Anyway, do you know what apartheid is?
It is: the system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race in force in South Africa 1948-91.
Two of the questions in the song that I think are really interesting are:
TV, is it the reflector or the director?
Does it imitate us or do we imitate it?
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today a town called Denny asked to be given the award for the worst town in Scotland after another town refused to accept it.
The Carbuncle Award is given to the town in Scotland with the worst planning and architecture.
This year’s winner was a town called John O’Groats, but apparently no one from the town was keen to collect the award, so people from another town said they’d have it.
Residents from Denny said they hoped the award would pressurize local authorities into doing something to improve their town.
And that was Stick News for Friday the 24th of September.
Kia ora.
I’d like to thank the inept officials, the lousy architects…
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Wow. What an ugly town.
I think we’ve found a winner!
Clap! Clap!
Do you think there’ll be a red carpet?
Let’s write a speech!
Word of the Day
Today’s word is oxymoron.
An oxymoron is: a phrase that combines two words that seem to be the opposite of each other, for example a deafening silence.
In the song they give some examples of oxymoronic language that they say has become standard on TV:
virtually spotless
fresh frozen
light yet filling
military intelligence
Can you think of any other oxymorons?
friday joke
Daddy, I got an A in spelling!
You fool! There’s no A in spelling!
conversations with sarah
#843 I don’t have a TV
Step 1: Repeat Jim’s lines.
Step 2: Read Jim’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Jim Do you watch much TV?
Sarah Well, I don’t have a TV.
Jim Really? Why not?
Sarah Because my place is too small, so I think it would be a waste of a corner.
Jim So you never watch TV?
Sarah No, but I watch TV shows on the internet, so it’s the same thing, but heaps better, because you can watch them when you want to.
Television, the Drug of the Nation by The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - LYRICS
Thank you for joining us live on the air.
My pleasure.
One nation under God
has turned into
one nation under the influence of one drug.
Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
TV, it satellite links
our United States of unconsciousness
Apathetic, therapeutic and extremely addictive
The methadone metronome pumping out
150 channels 24 hours a day.
You can flip through all of them
and still there's nothing worth watching.
TV is the reason why less than 10 percent of our
nation reads books daily,
why most people think Central America
means Kansas,
socialism means un-American,
and apartheid is a new headache remedy.
Absorbed in its world it's so hard to find us,
it shapes our mind the most.
Maybe the mother of our nation
should remind us
that we're sitting too close …
to the Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
On Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
On the screen is an address where you can mail your ..
TV, is it the reflector or the director?
Does it imitate us
or do we imitate it?
Because a child watches 1500 murders before he's
twelve years old and we wonder why we've created
a Jason generation that learns to laugh
rather than to abhor the horror.
TV is a place where
armchair generals and quarterbacks can
experience first hand
the excitement of video warfare
as a theme song is sung in the background.
Sugar sweet sitcoms
that leave us with a bad actor taste while
pop stars metamorphosize into soda pop stars.
You saw the video,
you heard the soundtrack,
well now go buy the soft drink.
Well, the only cola that I support
would be a union C.O.L.A.(Cost Of Living Allowance)
On television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
On television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
Back again, "New and improved"
We return to our irregularly-programmed schedule
hidden cleverly between heavy-breasted
beer and car commercials.
CNN, ESPN, ABC, BCB, TNT but mostly BS.
Where oxymoronic language, like
"virtually spotless", "fresh frozen",
"light yet filling" and "military intelligence"
have become standard.
TV is a place where phrases are redefined
like "recession" to "necessary downturn",
"crude oil" on a beach to "mousse",
"civilian death" to "collateral damages"
and being killed by your own army
is now called "friendly fire".
links
music
show start
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: Future Cha Cha
from: Brooklyn, NY, United States
WOD start
artist: DJ iPep's
album: Home Mix 2007
track: Game Toy
from: EVREUX, France
friday joke start
artist: AdHoc
album: Toutes directions
track: Sumbala
from: Annecy, France
cws start
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: The Jazz Woman
from: Brooklyn, NY, United States
qa start
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack2
from: Saint Raphael, France
qa bgm
artist: TSF
album: Mystic Opus
track: Question
from: Toulouse, France
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