My criticism of the idiot box. by Joe Wendt
(libertarian)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Every day on the TV, I keep hearing people whining and complaining about some trivial bull crap that has absolutely nothing to do with the real world. Oh, another celebrity is in rehab! Another politician is in a sex scandal! There a brand new diet pill out that will get you thin but will make you crap your brains out! Now when the heck did we turn from a nation that value reason and innovation into a bunch of immature idiots with an attention span of an ameba.
Now I am complaining about this stuff after watching a marathon of Keeping up with the Kardashians and virtually non-stop coverage of the Weiner scandal. Good God, this is the crap on our TVs; why, why, why!!!! Its just really disconcerting to know that we, arguably the greatest and most powerful country on Earth, are obsessed with no-name celebrities and a sex scandal involving a man named Weiner. Granted, it is a funny coincidence with regards to the sex scandal, our country has a serious maturity problem. Although there are a lot of people and groups to blame for this gradual dumbing down of America, I will like to blame one group in particular.
I put most of the blame of Americas lack of maturity squarely on Media Conglomerates. Yes, I am accusing Corporate America of making America a tad dumber every year. Rather than doing a public service and thinking of the common good of society, they choose to sensationalize, polarize, and dumb down information to the point it loses its value and meaning all in the name of the almighty dollar. Seriously, when was the last time we have seen an intelligent and thought provoking program that wasnt on either PBS or C-SPAN? Correct answer, never, because that kind of programming doesnt make money. Oh, but a ba-gillion shows about either the apocalypse or a big booty celebrity gets all the attention and makes money. Holy crap, why should anyone care about Kim Kardashian!!!
Really, the crap on TV really redefines idiot box, and I do truly blame corporate greed for that. These are my thoughts and opinions. Dont like them, who gives a crap. End Rant.
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Posted By: rwilymz
Date: June 16, 2011 01:13:08 PM
I was watching Bones a few weeks ago with my wife. The Bones character is an anthropologist [forensic], and offered her anthropological explanation of another characters disgust at the concept of beauty pageants for 8 year old girls. "When a society seeks beauty it is on the decline." Which is true - it's been observed over and over and over - but doesn't go anywhere near far enough.
All societies glorify "beauty"; it's an artistic ideal and a luxury. But not a really popular pastime in societies which are young and vibrant. Same thing with all other luxuries. They are idealized and luxurious, but not popular.
Popular activities in thriving societies are one of a few types: does it feed me? does it clothe me? does it shelter me? And while the ruling class of nearly all societies can afford to indulge, the masses cannot.
The idiot box has popularized vacuous luxury. We indulge ourselves with petty worries that, because our major worries have virtually all been dealt with, we have promoted to "crisis". An apocalyptic preacher, Paris Hilton's fling with Lindsay Lohan, water-boarding third world hooligans, horse slaughter for steaks sold to Belgians ...
Not one of these impacts the lives of 99.9999999% of those so desperate to claim the definitive analysis of them.
The human mind is built to solve problems. When it doesn't have problems to solve, it invents them. Inventing bull**** problems - like global warming, animal cruelty, war "crimes" and the like - is a luxury and self-indulgent. And indulging our self-indulgence to the degree we neglect to protect ourselves from those who would - and have - harmed us by every means necessary, and demanding that "everyone else" become responsible for all that would affect an individual, is a cry to Clio for obliteration.
