Why?

[deleted]

I found it FAR from exploitative. I felt so connected to the families and genuinely touched by their stories. The crew did an amazing job being sensitive, but also realistic about what they captured on film. The whole concept was very well executed and i can't wait to see more episodes.

If you just see it as "sad" then you are only seeing the most shallow, surface emotion in it. There's so much love, appreciation, gratitude, and other complexities to it.

Avoiding sad topics doesn't mean they aren't there, lurking, waiting for you. This is the type of show that certainly isn't for everyone, but it speaks loudly to a specific audience. Watching the experiences of others will help prepare others for that moment, whether it be your own, or that of a loved one. Because death is coming, for all of us. It's not exploitative, whatsoever. Everyone who participated in the show gave their permission, they wanted their story told.

But most importantly, the beauty of free speech/television means that we get a wide variety of viewing material. With thousands of channels, you can very easily avoid shows like this, meanwhile finding something perfectly tailored for you, while accepting that the tales of those featured in this show will help someone, somewhere. Just because you don't want to watch this show, doesn't mean it shouldn't be an option for everyone else in the world.

Despite the fact that I've already been through a similar experience with the death of my father, I really want to watch this show because death is something we will all face to face, ourselves, so perhaps we watch to take advice - awaiting our own terminal, slow end, or preparing ourselves for the sudden death or long, agonizing painful death of a loved one.

Lastly, being aware of death, learning to accept it, being able to openly speak about it has been proven to increase the overall happiness of the individual who has thought their way through the process - because it teaches you to appreciate life in a way that nothing else will.

For me, I get called morbid for doing a lot of reading on the subject, or watching shows/movies dealing with those themes, but I find I'm stricken on a daily basis by the sheer awe of being alive. I know one day I'm going to have to give that life back, and I certainly hope I can be as brave as those featured in this series, when my time comes.

Say what you will but my point is that somebody is making money off of this. It's not heartfelt, it's Hollywood. Showtime has investors, producers and advertisers who are profiting off of this cryfest. Sure, death is the biggest part of life and the only thing we all have in common but I don't need to watch a show about people slowly dying on a channel I pay exorbitant fees for. That's emotional torture. If I wanted to be sad I'd watch Ol' Yellar for free on VHS. It's not a lack of knowledge on the subject or an insensitivity to those who were involved, I just hate knowing that the same station that glorified death with their biggest hit "Dexter" is now trying to show the real side when in the end it's all money. They're still making a bigger paycheck then anyone who has time to comment on IMDB message boards will ever see. Your tears get jerked, you watch the show which contributes to ratings which in turn becomes ad revenue. And for what? To get bummed out and think about how sh*tty the inevitability of death is? Can't we just respect that anything can happen and enjoy the ride while it lasts?

Why? Because REAL death has been so far removed from today's society that it's completely freaked out generations of people. In the old days the body was cleaned and dressed by the family and kept on ice (hidden) for visitors and family traveling to view and be there to be buried in the family plot out back. Today people are afraid to look inside a casket much less touch the dead. Death is like birth. It's natural messy and emotional. That's why it's good to show real deaths instead of Hollywood deaths.

Sometimes life is sad. As humans we need to view the full spectrum to be more compassionate and overall well rounded. You can choose to watch mindless tv all day, but every bow and again it's important to watch something real. There is truly nothing more real than watching the death of a human being.

In a way, it is also an excellent learning tool. We all will die, and at some point or another, we will all have the excruciating experience of watching someone we love die in our presence. It can help to see how others handle the trauma, to learn from their experiences, to see the process of death itself to prepare ourselves for the inevitable.

In a perfect world no one would ever get sick, be sad or die. In that world it would be acceptable to watch silly sitcoms all day. Unfortunately that's not the way it is.