[Book review] Amusing ourselves to death

What is medium? How can medium shpae our culture?

Medium affect how we perceive knowledge, thus shape our culture.

For example, a culture without writing system, in that culture “wise man” would be something like an old man that remember lots of quotes and knowledge. On the other hand, with writing system such man will only be recognises as impressive memory but not wise, because with writing system there is not need to remember everything. In difference medium, like written language ✍️,spoken languages 🗣or pictures🤳, different kind of bias affect our perceive of different concept.

Like the concept of wisdom, concept of truth is also comes with cultural prejudice. Quote From Neil Postman “Truth does not, and never has, come unadorned.” Only when a form of expression match with the cultural prejudice, the truth have possibility to be considered as truth.

When everything becomes entertainment

In the book Postman mentioned ABC News 'Viewpoint' (November 20 1983) had a discussion. looking back in time, the Panel of the show is excellent, Henry Kissinger, Robert McNamara, Elie Wiesel, Carl Sagan and more.

looking at comment at youtube video, most of the comment said how amazing the panel were and wish something as high quantity as this debate can appear in internet era.

However, Postman had a quite different viewpoint, the show itself is meant to let viewer had an opportunity to observe serious philosophical discussion. But Postman point out that is failed to do so.

First, it is a discussion not a debate, so no one was obliged to reply on others. Second, total duration of the show is 80 minutes, each member was given 5 minutes for introduction. For a discussion show host on TV, there is no time for one to say such thing like “let me think about it”, every member must response without thinking time, else viewers will think they are not smart or unprepared.

This is where Postman points out the contraction of this show. For a serious philosophical discussion can happen, length of discussion is unavoidably to be long and there must be time for members to thinks before respond. But TV show wouldn’t both of those things.