In the last chapter of, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman describes what he believes will happen to humanity if we continue to live the way we do. He believes that a continuation of our current life styles will take us to a Huxleyan world where everything revolves around amusement and pleasure. Postman also believes that our future does not have to take this course. He believes that there is a solution to stop this. Our solution would be to televise programs that teach the human race how to correctly watch television. The program would also have to demonstrate how it is effecting our lives. Unfortunately, in order for this solution to be effective a large audience would have to watch that television program for a change to occur. For this to happen the television program would have to be entertaining and amusing but this would defeat its purpose and it would then become useless.
This thought is truly frightening to me. To think that what seems to be our only solution would not work is certainly unpleasing. Do you believe that a solution is possible?
I do not think so. Think about another crisis going on in America today. Obesity. We know it is here, and we see it everywhere and everyday. Please tell me what we are doing to stop it because I do not see it. Sure, some schools are giving "healthier" lunches, the Wii fit is now out there, and McDonald now sells apples, but the reality is that most individuals continue to eat unhealthily. I feel like the resolution to this problem is not coming anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteStopping us from the lifestyle we are living today revolving on amusement and pleasure would be even harder because the majority does not even see it as a problem.
Citlalli makes a good point when she brings up obesity. It is wierd that bringing up McDonalds does not surprise me anymore, however. Afterall, it is ridiculous for any fast food restaurant to advertise healthy food. But, because anything we see on television like McDonalds is obviously safe (sarcasm), we won't bother to listen to someone who isn't on television tell us that their TV set was wrong.
ReplyDeleteAs Postman points out, the TV has become part of our culture; we believe anything it says. To have someone come up and dis our culture--do you think we'd listen to them? Or do you think we'd feel upset and go straight to the TV set for answers and reassurance?
I don't think the problem is that we aren't solving the obesity problem (or recycling for that matter), I think the problem is that television is too nice to us. Because we want acceptance. A popular program will go out of its way to get you motivated to 'make a change' and then say "Good job!"
What they are really saying is "Making you feel like your part of our team sure has brought up the ratings! Good job! Watch us again!" Ha! They are not serious about soemone's obesity or changing the world (according to Postman) because TV is for entertainment purposes only, no matter how glossed-up it appears to look, no matter how serious it seems (like a soap opera).
This is why I want to agree with Citlalli. However, I never think the future cannot change unexpectedly. Who's to say a whole new medium (or an old medium) won't arise to defeat television? And who's to say this new medium is better or worse than television? All I'm trying to point out is that America changed from literature to electronics (according to Postman), so what's the big deal? Why wouldn't it change again?
Overall, I still think there is hope. Afterall, we're making such a big deal about it now. So we are kind of prepared (though only if we have learned something). Still, there is a reason there is such a big deal about it. The threat is still looming ever so quietly, and i do think it is a big issue of the world of tomorrow...If only TV advertised books like Amusing Ourselves instead of books like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Twilight...maybe then (when they can't comprehend a single thing) they'll learn to question how out of the loop they actually are; how television has tricked them into thinking they were part of the real world and knew everything there is to know. But in reality they actually only are the experts of the world television has created.
In response to Citalli, there is and has been a solution to obesity, named exercise. We have the resources to prevent this lifestyle, but what has it done? Nothing.
ReplyDeleteBut Why? is the question. We do not use the resources available to us to prevent this lifestyle because some people consider this to be "a drag" or "a waste of time" and to put it plainly, it is also because we do not want to exercise. What we lack is not a solution but a motivation to prevent obesity.
Going to the question posed by Desiree, there is a solution, which is for us to avoid or watch the right shows on television. It seems like a tedious job for us to do but we just need motivation and a reason to watch the right shows or avoid television. But for now, there is no motivation or a reason given to us as what we could do.
I agree with Nathaniel's response to Citalli's point on obesity. We do have solutions to cure or fight obesity, which includes exercising and eating correctly. Or we could always stuff people on diet pills and "Boom!", they lose weight. "Hoorah!", our problems are now solved.
ReplyDeleteSo, we have the solutions, but do we have the resolution to do so? Nathaniel makes a a good point in that many people find a lifestyle that prevents obesity not enjoyable. Interestingly enough I think that makes obesity more of a psychological problem than a physical problem. "I don't want to exercise because it's boring. I just want to be happy and eat my food." We could use television to make exercise and a healthy lifestyle look fun and enjoyable, which is, of course, being used today. Oh, wait, we're trying to fix that television problem.
Yes, a solution to this whole entertainment and television fiasco can be discovered. Now, just hope we find it in time. Television and media is still a relatively new medium compared to others such as language and books. That means new discourse, new problems, and new solutions. Ironic as it sounds I really think using television to teach people how to correctly watch television is worth a shot.
Other than that I can only think of ludicrous and out of proportional ideas. Fahrenheit 451 television style? Burn the television sets! Anyone else think that is a good idea? Anyway, television is still new, so we're still trying to figure it out. I'd say give it some time and the solution will definitely arise.
Reading blog posts on this blog for about three months have shown me that everyone is afraid of becoming like the citizens of Brave New World. People ask for solutions to no avail, but have you thought about if its too late? Maybe we're actually in that world right now? It's similar enough. We're all glued to our computers and every pleasurable feeling is just a few clicks away, that's not mentioning television and portable media. Maybe instead of trying to find a solution of preventing it from happening, we should try to get creative and think of solutions of how to get out of it once its too late.
ReplyDeleteYou may be correct Quangle, especially the part about pleasure being just clicks away. So, do you have any ideas on how to get out of the situation before it is too late? We could always ban media/television if it gets to a point where it will corrupt our sanity. But then again, that's a call for some serious flaws and problems Maybe we should just give into the temptations, stop thinking about this, and start having ourselves some fun?
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