War of Words: TV Feuds

By Eric Ivanov on 06/03/2009

Category: Appreciation      It seems like everyone is at each other's throats these days. People are on camera suing anything that walks, networks are taking potshots at their rivals, and TV personalities are pointing fingers and calling each other names. Not what I would call educated viewing, but it's what we have. Do TV feuds serve a purpose? Are they good for the viewer, or is it just good old fashion American television?
      Olbermann vs. O'Reilly, Rosie vs. Trump, Hasselbeck vs. The View, and Letterman vs. Oprah, there are just too many to name and they are growing in number every year. Every media outlet from Entertainment Tonight to Time Magazine is publicizing TV Feuds. Are they good for the viewer? There isn't much harm in them, we watch TV for information and entertainment and get it with shows that have rooted disagreements with others. Most of the time us will simply tune in just to listen and laugh at the childish games adults play. It is entertainment and break from the feuds that plague our lives on a daily basis.
       Are they more than just ratings? You can never really know if the feuds are real or just for show, but the fact of the matter is they present two very different perspectives on a whole array of subjects from business to politics. They may reinforce people's beliefs, or show them a way to find a middle ground on such controversial issues. The media seems to love reporting on these escalating battles of words. It makes good TV. Today, with the rise of reality shows seeming scripted people are taking a look somewhere else for a glimpse of something more entertaining. Networks put them on TV because us simple folk watch it, talk about how much we hate it, but then watch the updates of the dispute online and even twitter about it.
       However, with all of the laughs it seems information takes a back seat. It will be skewed and mutilated so it will serve the purpose of an attack. People may mistake this banter as good information that they should believe, and use to form opinions. But thanks to the Internet we can check information in a heartbeat, and see what is right and what is wrong. In the end TV feuds serve as a form of popular entertainment that we love to hate. It can deliver information, but it needs to be sorted through first. Don't believe it until you check it!

Additional Photos: ["Simon," Peoplemag.com, "Donald," Foxnews.com]

Tags: Entertainment News, Feud, Media Coverage, News, Truth, TV