E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction.
This endless, mindless diversion is a necessity in a society that prizes entertainment above substance. Intellectual or philosophical ideas require too much effort and work to absorb. Classical theater, newspapers, and books are pushed to the margins of cultural life, remnants of a bygone literate age. They are dismissed as inaccessible and elitist
... See moreChris Hedges • Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
Television quickly redefined what constituted membership in society. Even the pretense of valuing education and civic participation dwindled, as citizenship was supplanted by viewership.
Jonathan Crary • 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep
mean anything at all. On the front page of the gray old Times, I’m liable to encounter a chatty article about frying with propane gas. CNN lavished hours of airtime on a runaway bride. The magisterial tones of Walter Cronkite, America’s rich uncle, are lost to history, replaced by the ex-cheerleader mom style of Katie Couric. One reason the notion
... See moreMartin Gurri • Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium
