Ah, George Saunders. You know how you can tell when someone is a genius? Especially when they give you an extended metaphor which sounds quite humorous, then drop the bomb that this is a real life situation. In his NPR (or PRI? Not sure...) podcast interview in which he uses an excerpt from the Braindead Megaphone, Saunders illustrates a narrative in which a nonsensical man with a megaphone takes control of the conversation of a party, simply because he is the loudest. Boy, did I get surprised when I figured out his allegorical dimwit was my own TV!
Are we guilty of this sort of discourse in which TV has taken over? Yes. Inside our minds, this AP class probably scorns the fact that entertainment has become our form of conversation because of this new literature and insight Mrs. Fletcher has given us. Oh, but we are not saints.
I am a big fan of Mythbusters, for example. Also Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. These shows are bound to be brought up in any of my conversation. Yes, a car can skip on water. Yes, water is bulletproof. Yes, the Philippines has made the best pork Bourdain has ever eaten. Ironically, I am criticizing television-oriented discourse right now!
What I am saying is that we should be careful not to play elitism here with this new information, since we ourselves are guilty of the sin we scorn. Maybe my point is that this entertainment is all fun and games, which is good. Postman warned that we may become too attached to our TV, and be in blind belief of all of its words. So, if we accept that the TV is purely for our enjoyment and not go take it too seriously, I think we will do just fine. Thoughts? Comments? Disagreement?
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Entertainment is valuable. We live in stressful times. We need to be AWAKE to what is happening, and when it is time to let our jaws go slack and let our defenses down, we should enjoy it. Let's understand the difference between entertainment and important public discourse, like whether God has a plan for our lives, or whether we should declare war, or enact immigration reform, or elect a new governor. What Anthony Bourdain likes to eat is interesting and fun. Let's watch that. It's not hurting anybody.
ReplyDeleteExactly my point. I think the TV is great for entertainmrent. Not so much for so-called TV pundits. Regardless of political party, I do not believe in Fox News or any type of political discussion. The Internet is not even very serious itself in its presentation of issues. Just look at any comment box on Yahoo for a news story for "public discussion," and an anti-Obama/anti-Semitist/anti-Muslim comment will come up 99.9% of the time. (I broke your rule against absolute certainty this time, because I MEAN it.)
ReplyDeleteSo, if I want my news, I guess I'll read the LA Times. Ponder a bit of local issues, look up some local music, maybe even read the comics. Besides, reading never has a set air time.