“Imagine what you would think of me, and this book, if I were to pause here, tell you that I will return to my discussion in a moment, and then proceed to write a few words in behalf of United Airlines or the Chase Manhattan Bank. You would rightly think that I had no respect for you and, certainly, no respect for the subject. And if I did this not once but several times in each chapter, you would think the whole enterprise unworthy of your attention. Why, then, do we not think a news show similarly unworthy?” - Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves To Death
"The President, who often speaks inaccurately -- and almost never precisely -- is referred to as 'The Great Communicator.' I think this is interesting because one would have to ask: on what grounds would we refer to such a person as a great communicator? And I think the answer is that he is believable, and that amounts to his image being believable. And I think this puts us in some peril... Does this mean that the viscera has replaced the brain as our central organ of knowing? " Nostra-fucking-damus.
seal869 i just finished reading Chapter 4 “Typography” He clearly explains the difference between and intellectual conference without a crowd like ours. He is more than correct about the typography world versus the “show business” that is what we continue to see but in a form of media rather than television
the internet changes things exponentially more than television I feel.. everything he warned became so much more relevant when the internet culture was born
I don't quite think he was, as is evidenced in his writing; and furthermore, through his self-effacing takedown of his own, very "american", as he puts it, "optimism". He held the (very correct, in my opinion) position, that in spite of very dire predictions and forecasting, we should still remain optimistic, and so fight for, real solutions or at the very least criticisms, lest we succumb to despair or nihilism. And this should be the case today. As Sisyphean a struggle it might often feel to be.
I couldn't help but feel that the host subtly death kissed Postman every time he praised the book. Postman held it together perfectly, a lesser man would have been destroyed, right or not
0:09:21 - ‘’Who is prepared to take arms against a sea of amusements?’’ 0:09:43 - Let me give you an example of something that I think might be done one of the issues that I worry about a lot concerning television : Is this whole business of what is known as credibility. 0:19:13 - This is wonderful , by the way , sitting here on television and you're thumbing through a book . IS THERE ANYONE WATCHING AT THIS POINT ?
nothing more realistic that this man saying that movies and music industry is made to entertain and mean while i write this im smoking a Marlboro and drinking a coke mm
Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania . Philadelphia, 1749 Modern Political Oratory being chiefly performed by the Pen and Press, its Advantages over the Ancient in some Respects are to be shown; as that its Effects are more extensive, more lasting, &c.
I was surprised that Postman was determined to portray himself as an optimist, or at least a possiblist; but even more surprised that Heffner was so well prepared to confront him with the charge of pessimism. For me, if there is an argument between freewill and determinism when it comes to media, there aren't enough Epicurean swerves to justify an optimistic position.
yall where the fuck does he talk about the peek a boo world i have a presentation tomorrow and i cant find shit someone help me im out here stressin thanks
This interviewer is terrible. He's not asking any questions of value that can expand on the ideas on the book. We all read the book and it is truly genius and I am sure with a better interviewer Postman could explain what he has thought about these issues since. Still Neil Postman's answers are excellent! He's incredibly patient with his interviewer, who is so bad he even resorts to name-calling, instead of an intelligent conversation. The interviewer makes one good point when he implies that most viewers resist any challenge against their beloved television.
“Imagine what you would think of me, and this book, if I were to pause here, tell you that I will return to my discussion in a moment, and then proceed to write a few words in behalf of United Airlines or the Chase Manhattan Bank. You would rightly think that I had no respect for you and, certainly, no respect for the subject. And if I did this not once but several times in each chapter, you would think the whole enterprise unworthy of your attention. Why, then, do we not think a news show similarly unworthy?”
- Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves To Death
Watching this in 2023. We are amusing ourselves to death on tik tok ( what a ridiculous name and thing ). Glad this material exist.
Unfortunately public political discourse has gotten worse and Postman saw it coming.
"The President, who often speaks inaccurately -- and almost never precisely -- is referred to as 'The Great Communicator.' I think this is interesting because one would have to ask: on what grounds would we refer to such a person as a great communicator? And I think the answer is that he is believable, and that amounts to his image being believable. And I think this puts us in some peril... Does this mean that the viscera has replaced the brain as our central organ of knowing? "
Nostra-fucking-damus.
seal869 i just finished reading Chapter 4 “Typography”
He clearly explains the difference between and intellectual conference without a crowd like ours. He is more than correct about the typography world versus the “show business” that is what we continue to see but in a form of media rather than television
Quite.
the internet changes things exponentially more than television I feel.. everything he warned became so much more relevant when the internet culture was born
I love Neil Postman. Unfortunately, I don't think that he should have been so optimistic. The situation has only gotten worse since the 1980's.
I don't quite think he was, as is evidenced in his writing; and furthermore, through his self-effacing takedown of his own, very "american", as he puts it, "optimism". He held the (very correct, in my opinion) position, that in spite of very dire predictions and forecasting, we should still remain optimistic, and so fight for, real solutions or at the very least criticisms, lest we succumb to despair or nihilism.
And this should be the case today. As Sisyphean a struggle it might often feel to be.
I couldn't help but feel that the host subtly death kissed Postman every time he praised the book.
Postman held it together perfectly, a lesser man would have been destroyed, right or not
Are you any relation to Slartibartfast? Those fjords!
Eeven better than the first one. Thanks for uploading.
0:09:21 - ‘’Who is prepared to take arms against a sea of amusements?’’
0:09:43 - Let me give you an example of something that I think might be done one of the issues that I worry about a lot concerning television : Is this whole business of what is known as credibility.
0:19:13 - This is wonderful , by the way , sitting here on television and you're thumbing through a book . IS THERE ANYONE WATCHING AT THIS POINT ?
and I, watching avidly on my laptop in 2022, replied loudly to the screen, "I'm watching!!" For whatever that might be worth...
always love finding new Postman vids, thanks for posting.
Thank you for uploading!
Thanks for this!
What creepy theme music this program has.
it used to be music that the cool kids liked
It's like some Twilight Zone / Outer Limits type shit..
In b4 a million
nothing more realistic that this man saying that movies and music industry is made to entertain and mean while i write this im smoking a Marlboro and drinking a coke mm
Not strange to eschew images. It simply threatens the authority of the literary mind and thought.
Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania
. Philadelphia, 1749
Modern Political Oratory being chiefly performed by the Pen and Press, its Advantages over the Ancient in some Respects are to be shown; as that its Effects are more extensive, more lasting, &c.
I was surprised that Postman was determined to portray himself as an optimist, or at least a possiblist; but even more surprised that Heffner was so well prepared to confront him with the charge of pessimism. For me, if there is an argument between freewill and determinism when it comes to media, there aren't enough Epicurean swerves to justify an optimistic position.
David Chaffee Postman obviously posits a Christian, and in particular a Calvinist world view. So philosophically he of course is an optimist.
yall where the fuck does he talk about the peek a boo world i have a presentation tomorrow and i cant find shit someone help me im out here stressin thanks
Perhaps you could divert your angst towards the correct employment of punctuation? Just an idea.
ironic
This interviewer is terrible. He's not asking any questions of value that can expand on the ideas on the book. We all read the book and it is truly genius and I am sure with a better interviewer Postman could explain what he has thought about these issues since. Still Neil Postman's answers are excellent! He's incredibly patient with his interviewer, who is so bad he even resorts to name-calling, instead of an intelligent conversation. The interviewer makes one good point when he implies that most viewers resist any challenge against their beloved television.
The interviewer is a fool.