Accent Reduction

<<Not including BBC America - going by what you have told us over here that is -I'm perfectly willing to believe what you say about their naturally more realistic coverage of UK affairs - or indeed, the affairs of any country outside of the borders of the United States! The simple fact, though, is that a large % of Americans don't really give a toss about those, do they? >>

Unfortunately, this is true to an extent. It's the most intelligent 20% that keeps informed of world affairs; the other 80% couldn't give a fig. BBCAmerica has a rather small audience.

Our nation has a rather narcissistic zeitgeist--self-absorbed, and little interested in foreign affairs, unless we're affected in some way. This is probably true of all very powerful nations.

I wish there was a way we could fix our media problems but that seems impossible. It's all about money--demagogues will always sell more papers, etc., than boring, nice ol' Frank, who works 9-5, supports a family, and never gets into any trouble.

There's a BBC America?

I jest, of course. I've heard of it. But I think I only had access to it once, for a few months! Not common on most cable packages -- I think you might have to have satellite. And the fortitude to wade through all those channels to find it. And then they better not be playing some crappy reality show, which often they are.

In short, I didn't watch it much, even back when I could.



<<Unfortunately, this is true to an extent. It's the most intelligent 20% that keeps informed of world affairs; the other 80% couldn't give a fig. BBCAmerica has a rather small audience.

Our nation has a rather narcissistic zeitgeist--self-absorbed, and little interested in foreign affairs, unless we're affected in some way. This is probably true of all very powerful nations.>>

Well, personally, I take littlel interest in international affairs myself, not because I'm narcissistic or live in a powerful nation, but because I certainly can't do anything about them. But I even it out -- I also take little interest in domestic affairs....for much the same reason. ;)

We get BBC America with Charter cable TV. They tend to have a lot of silly domestic shows, but they do have some good stuff.

>>>which is where one of my two samples mentioned earlier is hosted.

I've just put a new thread in the other board.

Thanks for that, Jasper, and others for your interesting comments. I must say that that there is a pretty substantial section of the UK population who also have little or no interest in international affairs. I'd like to know the % of the British population at large who can correctly name the main contenders in the political tussle currently going on in the USA, or even the two main "in-fighters" for the Democratic Party nomination, which seems to be the main focus of interest.

Indeed, a fair number don't know all that much, if anything, about what goes on here in the UK itself, so it certainly is not a solely American situation. I've mentioned this before in this forum. Any society, anywhere in the world, will have people who care little for anything outside of their own wee sphere of existence.