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Are corporations/companies/agencies/franchises giving too much power to "po"

Does public opinion carry to much weight in regards to making big decisions?

  • Yes

    Votes: 5 41.7%
  • No

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • I don't care, it doesn't effect me

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 4 33.3%

  • Total voters
    12

herenow1

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Public opinion.

We've all heard about Bill Cosby and how he's being dropped from guest appearances,and shows left and right. Then theres' a petition to get the Duggars( 19 kids and counting) off the air,bc in a separate interview they shared that they were pro choice,and believed marriage should be between one man,and one woman. However they never expressed these views on their show. I have no doubt that if enough people yell loud enough, the show would be pulled.

Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Do you think the weight of public opinion carries more weight than it should?
 
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I think organizations should always listen to the public, but that they should only act on what the public says if the public's arguments are compelling. I don't think organizations should act on public opinion just because it is loud or threatens to take business away. If organizations act according to the latter principle, then they risk having their strings pulled by people who don't know what they're talking about which is a problem for a multitude of reasons.

Of course, what makes an argument "compelling" is subjective in itself and that would have to be judged on an argument-to-argument basis. For the Cosby situation in particular, if I were the head of a network working with him, I would suspend our relationship pending an investigation for the time being, but I wouldn't completely sever it without all information.
 
From a moral/ethics perspective, yes. Someone should be able to privately hold an opinion, and not get admonished for it. I don't really care very much if you're absolutely backwards, as long as you or others are not actually acting upon that backwardsness.

From the tv networks perspectives, no. A tv network has every reason to pull someone/thing from air if they get too much negative public opinion. TV absolutely relies on public opinion, so if they think you're not going to be received well, or they're bringing down the networks image, then the TV network can and will cut you. It's cutthroat but pretty fair, the main problem with that is consistency of application when you have such a fickle public and often biased media/TV hierarchies.
 
Public opinion.

We've all heard about Bill Cosby and how he's being dropped from guest appearances,and shows left and right. Then theres' a petition to get the Duggars( 19 kids and counting) off the air,bc in a separate interview they shared that they were pro choice,and believed marriage should be between one man,and one woman. However they never expressed these views on their show. I have no doubt that if enough people yell loud enough, the show would be pulled.

Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Do you think the weight of public opinion carries more weight than it should?

"We" are not taking away any one's livelihood. "We" do have every right to express our displeasure with what people might say or do, but whether their employers listen is up to them.

And it is important to note that when you have a job on TV or the media, presentation and public opinion are a big part of how you keep those jobs. If people do not want to see you do whatever it is you do, then you probably are not long going to have a job on TV.
 
"Other."

The problem comes down to individual determination of an issue vs. mob mentality. We have seen that play out in all the worst ways. That said the public opinion carries a great deal of weight and that is not always a bad thing, it comes down to the subject at hand. The issue I can see already with line in the sand thinking is encroachment on civil liberties.
 
If I'm a T.V. corporation I can give a **** if you're Jesus, if people don't like you you're not getting aired.

I got $$$$ to make.

(Welcome to the real world lessons with your teacher, Luftwaffe)
 
If I'm a T.V. corporation I can give a **** if you're Jesus, if people don't like you you're not getting aired.

I got $$$$ to make.

(Welcome to the real world lessons with your teacher, Luftwaffe)
IOWs it's not people but,a few corporate penny pinchers whose opinions matter. mainly just perception.
 
In the world you seem to be referring to (the world of TV or entertainment), that's pretty much what is going to determine your future. If you're going to bring in money, then your job will likely be pretty secure. If you are a liability, then that isn't the case. When people are in the public eye, you have to be very judicious, or your job will be on the line. It may not seem fair, but it's the reality of living in that world.
 
I voted "No", I don't think public opinion carries to much weight in regards to making big decisions.

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but that doesn't mean that everyone else has to respect every opinion, or that any given opinion necessarily has to be free of consequences.

You're talking pretty much exclusively about business decisions here, and particularly about business owners or leaders making business decisions which they believe will maximize their business's profitability. There's no "right" or "wrong" there. The owners (or leaders with a fiduciary obligation to the owners) of a particular piece of property (a business in this case) are free to make whatever decision they want in respect to their property so long as it breaks no laws.

There's an old saying that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease".

If folks support Bill Cosby or the Duggars then they need to make their position heard, loud and clear. If they're loud enough, and clear enough, and numerous enough then business will hear them.

Look at the situation with Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty.

Robertson made comments that were met with widespread public disapproval so A&E suspended the program.

But Robertson supporters demonstrated equally widespread support for Robertson, his comments, and his right to make them.

A&E reinstated Duck Dynasty.

A business is going to look at where its bread is buttered and make decisions accordingly.
 
Public opinion.

We've all heard about Bill Cosby and how he's being dropped from guest appearances,and shows left and right. Then theres' a petition to get the Duggars( 19 kids and counting) off the air,bc in a separate interview they shared that they were pro choice,and believed marriage should be between one man,and one woman. However they never expressed these views on their show. I have no doubt that if enough people yell loud enough, the show would be pulled.

Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Do you think the weight of public opinion carries more weight than it should?

I think the question is less "are they giving too much weight to public opinion", and more "are they giving too much weight to perpetually offended but exceedingly loud activists versus public opinion"


This in particular is just another case of public bullying to attempt to clear out undesired thought. Seriously, did anyone who watches the show not know that the Duggars were conservative Christians? But there is a serious movement in this country to seek out and punish un-PC speech, and so if they say what they believe, they must be hounded out of the public square.
 
Public opinion.

We've all heard about Bill Cosby and how he's being dropped from guest appearances,and shows left and right. Then theres' a petition to get the Duggars( 19 kids and counting) off the air,bc in a separate interview they shared that they were pro choice,and believed marriage should be between one man,and one woman. However they never expressed these views on their show. I have no doubt that if enough people yell loud enough, the show would be pulled.

Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Do you think the weight of public opinion carries more weight than it should?

"We" aren't doing anything. Companies are making decisions, motivated by profit, to not have certain people on their payroll or in their interview room, because it could hurt their bottom line. They want to please their audience.

I mean, what's the alternative? Force them to hire people? For what? No one is entitled to a gig.

As far as Cosby, I guess I wish the American public were a bit more measured in its response and didn't tend to whip itself into a frenzy before evidence is actually in. God, I wish we had this kind of public outcry over things that are of national concern.

As for the Duggars, I am honestly shocked that anyone would be surprised that they're anti-abortion. I mean, duh. They don't even believe in birth control. And as far as that goes, it's just the same usual stuff that's always happens, where ideas die over time through social change and disapproval. It's just taking a more officious form these days. Again, they're not entitled to a show.

My take? Eh, they can do what they want.
 
Public opinion.

We've all heard about Bill Cosby and how he's being dropped from guest appearances,and shows left and right. Then theres' a petition to get the Duggars( 19 kids and counting) off the air,bc in a separate interview they shared that they were pro choice,and believed marriage should be between one man,and one woman. However they never expressed these views on their show. I have no doubt that if enough people yell loud enough, the show would be pulled.

Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Do you think the weight of public opinion carries more weight than it should?

I understand where you're coming from but the fact of the matter is that waiting for facts to be made public in matters that really don't involve you anyway is difficult for most people. As we know, as Americans we have an obligation to remove difficulty from everyone's lives so, to that end, it really is best that we hyperventilate, freak out and start ****ing **** up as soon as is practically possible.

That goes double for anything that involves common religious principles and triple if it involves white on black violence.

Now, with specific regard to Bill Cosby: Since he's black and accused of rape all good Americans should back off just a little. However, he's not a particularly vocal social activist so now you need to push ahead a little. You also have to take into account the basic finances of sexual assault. If you're poor you pretty much have to go back for seconds before it's "really" assault but as you get more wealthy the bar gets lowered. By the time you get to Bill Cosby levels you really should consider wearing blinders like they put on horses.

Finally, in America we all have a right to a speedy trial and what's faster than Twitter and Facebook? Isn't a jury of millions better than a jury of 12?

Social media is like a shark tank. The first second there is an indication of blood in the water the feeding frenzy commences. It's not exactly the way I pictured America in the 21st century but it's what I got.
 
Sure, public opinion is important. But he who holds the purse strings should have the final say.
 
Public opinion.

We've all heard about Bill Cosby and how he's being dropped from guest appearances,and shows left and right. Then theres' a petition to get the Duggars( 19 kids and counting) off the air,bc in a separate interview they shared that they were pro choice,and believed marriage should be between one man,and one woman. However they never expressed these views on their show. I have no doubt that if enough people yell loud enough, the show would be pulled.

Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Do you think the weight of public opinion carries more weight than it should?
I think it does.The only thing that should determined whether or not a show is dropped,interview canceled or what ever else is a drop in the audience not because some busybodies with nothing else better to do that to try to cancel a show they don't watch.

I think My ***** is a Clown car(19kids and counting) is one of the stupidest shows in the world. From what I heard these people pop out kids and then pawn them off on their older kids to take care of.` I think TLC should actually show shows that have to do with learning not these stupid ass 'reality shows'.But the only way TLC should get rid of them is if their brain dead audience stops watching them.
 
Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

I'm quite sure that this has already been said, but in a capitalist system public opinion is critically important. With poor public opinion, advertisers will drop and the company will lose money. So, really all we are talking about is the networks making a financially prudent decision to protect their livelihood.

My question is, whose livelihood is more important- the network or the cast of one of their programs?

If I'm a financially aware executive, I'd have no qualms cutting any program that has the potential to cost me more money than it's making me.

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Live and let live applies to government intervention and the stuff individuals do in their private lives. Once someone enters the realm of public entertainment, all bets are off.

That's just the free-market speaking there.
 
Public opinion.

We've all heard about Bill Cosby and how he's being dropped from guest appearances,and shows left and right. Then theres' a petition to get the Duggars( 19 kids and counting) off the air,bc in a separate interview they shared that they were pro choice,and believed marriage should be between one man,and one woman. However they never expressed these views on their show. I have no doubt that if enough people yell loud enough, the show would be pulled.

Where do we draw the line. Do we take away people's livelihood based on allegations and public opinion, or do we wait for a conviction?

Do we take a non dysfunctional family off the air bc someone asks their opinion and they tell them their beliefs(off air)?Like it or not, people still hold those views. What happened to "live and let live" (they aren't stopping ppl from marrying or getting abortions) or "you're entitled to your opinion"?

Do you think the weight of public opinion carries more weight than it should?

the answer varies and is subjective. Theres no real right or wrong answer. And what you are talking about is business .. . business simply runs that way. Whats the alternative?

also nobody took thier livelihood away its simply the nature of the beast. (tv/media/etc)

i personally may not think its right based on the situation but thats about it.

Why does a person like pat robertson have a tv show? millions and millions see him for the nut case bigot he is but he also has many many nutball people people that send money and watch his show :shrug:
 
When your livelihood depends on public opinion, I don't think you have much of a case to argue that it's unfair when public opinion causes you to lose your livelihood.

However, I do wish the media was better at seeing the difference between public opinion, and a small but loud minority.
 
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