Television was the most revolutionary event of the century. Its importance was in a class with the discovery of gunpowder and the invention of the printing press, which changed the human condition for centuries afterward.
ENJOY YOUR LIFE: TURN OFF THE TV The image of America that comes to us in daily news broadcasts is a grim one, problems (real and faked), heartache, dysfunction and hardship. That is simply the nature of television news: crisis after crisis, a drumbeat of constant negativism. Millions upon millions of people in "real" America are enjoying the good things the nation has to offer have come to feel that their positive experiences are somehow the exception. The vast majority enjoy the best country in the history of the world. As an experiment, try going a month without watching any news. Don't watch the evening news, don't watch local news, don't watch political discussions. You will have a much more positive outlook about yourself and about America!
[Alan Berg's] memory haunts many people, even those who never heard him on the radio, because his death could be read as a message: Be cautious, be prudent, be bland, never push anybody, never say what you really think, offer yourself as a hostage to the weirdos even before they make the first move. These days, a lot of people are opposed to the newfound popularity of 'trash television,' and no doubt they are right, and the hosts of these shows are shameless controversy-mongers. But at least they are not intimidated. Of what use is freedom of speech to those who fear to offend?
In some cultures, the sight of a woman's nose and mouth are considered irresistibly seductive. In others, the soles of a person's feet are perceived as disgusting beyond comprehension. In mainstream American culture, sex is obscene but violence is television fare for preschoolers. What is acceptable in swimwear is unacceptable in a restaurant. In an elevator we condone contact that would otherwise be actionable incriminal court. Rules of behavior are not absolute; we negotiate them constantly. . . . Immodesty, indecency, obscenity are cultural factors, mutually agreed upon and negotiable. We are enjoined to "cover our nakedness," but there's considerable disagreement about what our nakedness is. Our noses and mouths? The bottoms of our feet? A lack of trust or mutual respect?
It is true that we have not deliberately or wholly abandoned the Christian element in our tradition, but does that element count with us as it once did? Is the moral tone of the nation - its politics, its business life, its literature, its theatre, its movies, its radio networks, its television stations - Christian?
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