Amusing Ourselves To Death Neil Postman Analysis

During the 1960s era, millions of people watched a popular science fiction television show, The Outer Limits, and are told that “For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear”. This seemingly absorbing lead in may set the stage for the television show but it could also be actually telling the truth in real life. What the unsuspecting audience is being fed is chilling. “What is dangerous about television is not its junk it is that television is transforming all serious public business into junk”. (p449) Effectively, the realities of life are being rephrased by clever writers to entertain and amuse us in their quest for the highest Nielson ratings and more importantly your mind. The written word is being

Postman establishes his premise through a comparison of two notable literary authors; George Orwell and Aldous Huxley; through their dark prophesies of the evolution of man’s attitudes and the demise of books. In Orwell’s assertion, he “feared that the truth would be concealed from us.” (p449) In contrast, examples are given that assert that the realities and truth in politics, news, business and even religion will be choreographed into a visual and theatrical piece of entertainment, to be viewed in full living color and surround sound, with little substance to the veracity of the subject. This dramatically illustrates Huxley’s forewarnings that through the phenomenon of television, reality will be disguised as an entertaining production that captivates the audience producing trivial people. Huxley saw that “people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. “

98% of American homes have at least one television and this activity alone occupies most of American youth’s time other than sleeping. By the age of 40 most Americans will have watched over one million television commercials. If sheer statistics is not enough to put concern in one's thoughts, Postman goes for the jugular. As the chilling effects of Hitler and the current environment of the cold war are still fresh in the minds of the German people, he demonstrates the mind controlling effects of television. Politics he says is about looks and imagery, where “ideas are irrelevant to political success.” “News shows are only marginally concerned with public information. A TV news show is precisely what its name implies: A show is an entertainment. Television has little tolerance for arguments, reasons or explanations.” (p449-450) Television shows are all about imagery of good looks, amiability and a good show. Political and government personalities are also jumping on this media band wagon. Cameo appearances on top rated television shows advances the candidate to that familiar face and friend who joins you in your living room at night. As television invades our homes and our time, it invades our reasoning and choices in mind controlling conclusions as derived by the clever media