Chapter 1: Page 3 “For Las Vegas is a city entirely devoted to the idea of entertainment, and as such proclaims the spirit of a culture in which all public discourse increasingly takes the form of entertainment.” I agree with this quote because our culture is completely centered on entertainment and if something is not entertaining, we will not be able to pay attention to it. If an important message is trying to be conveyed to us, it must be able to keep our attention. A global connection that supports this is that Americans waste so much of their money on plasma screen televisions, sporting events, cell phones and computers. Our televisions have gone from 4 channels to 400 channels, just so that there is a channel that will suit everyone’s interests.
Chapter 2: Page 28 “We are now a culture whose information, ideas and epistemology are given form by television, not by the printed word.” I agree with this quote because our culture rarely gets news by reading, but by watching the news on television. A global connection that supports this is that our culture has gone from reading the newspaper to get the latest news to only watching the news because it is short and to the point. Americans are so busy that they do not have time to read the newspaper. Also, it is not entertaining. As a result of this, most of us will immediately go to a news show because it is more entertaining. The producers of the news on television know that people do not have time or the attention span to listen to details about the latest story, so they make it as short as they possibly can.
Chapter 3: Page 41 “The influence of the printed word in every arena of public discourse was insistent and powerful not merely because of the quantity of printed matter but because of its monopoly.” I agree with this statement because during the age of typography, books, magazines, journals and newspapers was the only way to know what was happening in the world. A global connection that relates to this is the change from the age of typography to the age of television. Now our culture is in the age of television because the way we get our information is mostly through television and the radio.
Chapter 4: Page 45 “Is there any audience of Americans today who could endure seven hours of talk?” I agree with Postman’s argument that Americans today definitely cannot sit through seven hours of speeches. Our culture today has such a short attention span that we can barely sit through a half hour sermon without falling asleep. A connection that supports this is that students cannot sit through a 45 minute class period without some form entertainment. As a result, many students will find a way to entertain themselves by texting or drawing pictures when they should be listening to the teacher.
Chapter 5: Page 78 “And most important of all, there is no subject of public interest-politics, news, education, religion, science, sports- that does not find its way to television.” I agree with Postman’s view on this topic. Every interest in our life is on television to the point that there is always something that can keep everyone’s attention. A connection that supports this is that some people feel that they can go to church without leaving their homes because there are church services with sermons on televisions. This can be a danger because as Christians, it is very important that we have fellowship with other believers and we cannot do that by not going to church.
Chapter 6: Page 87 “Everything about a news show tells us this-the good looks and amiability of the cast, their pleasant banter, the exciting music that opens and closes the show, the vivid film footage, the attractive commercials-all these and more suggest that what we have just seen is no cause for weeping.” I agree with this statement because television presents news as entertaining, no matter what the subject matter is. Also, what the media calls “news” is not accurate. A connection that supports this is how much publicity Justin Bieber’s new movie received and how for a long time that seemed to be the biggest news. This clearly shows how our culture defines very trivial things with celebrities as “news.”
Chapter 7: Page 100 “This means that you would exclude women who are not beautiful or who are over the age of fifty, men who are bald, all people who are overweight or whose noses are too long or whose eyes are too close together.” I agree with this quote because there are certain requirements to be on television. The producers of television shows are looking for people who will attract a large audience with their charming good looks. A connection that supports this is that I knew a model who had a few pimples on her face and was not able to perform in the next fashion show. This shows that the media expects perfection in order to be desirable.
Chapter 8: Page 116 “The first is that on television, religion, like everything else, is presented, quite simply and without apology, as an entertainment.” I agree with Postman’s view on religion on television. Everything on television must be presented as entertaining, including religion. Some preachers on television try to get viewers’ attention with great music, videos, etc. They might believe that people will not be interested in any religion unless it is entertaining. A connection that supports this is that I have visited some churches where singing is presented as more of a show than worship to God.
Chapter 9: Page 128 “The television commercial is not at all about the character of products to be consumed. It is about the character of the consumers of the products.” I agree and disagree with this statement. Some commercials spend the whole time telling the viewers about all the beneficial aspects to their product. On the other hand, some commercials try to sell the viewers their product by showing good-looking actors/actresses who are perfectly happy with their life. Of course, buying the product will not get rid of one’s problems or make one happy. This is a lie that many people believe. A connection that supports this is during the Super Bowl there are many commercials that show good-looking people having a great time when they have the product.
Chapter 10: Page 147 “This means that there must be nothing that has to be remembered, studied, applied or, worst of all, endured.” I agree and disagree with this statement because some shows are mindless and simply comical, while other shows build on the previous show and actually cause the viewer to think. A show such as Full House does not require one to think about what is happening, it is purely for entertainment. On the contrary, a movie such as Inception requires some intelligence to watch and it also requires the viewers to think.
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