Neil Postman's AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH Part 2

1. Discuss THREE specific ways in which Postman explains how the medium of television transforms the epistemological nature of each of the following:
A. Public discourse about religion
B. Public discourse about politicsC. Public discourse about education

A. Television changed American discourse about religion into just another form of entertainment. Father Sakowicz who had a radio show in which he would preach sermons over top 40 hits was quoted as saying “his preaching is not done ‘in a churchy way’ and adds, ‘you don’t have to be boring in order to be holy’” (93). Sermons can be seen on Television now but those sermons don’t hold the same meaning that they do when given face-to-face. Postman explains that preachers have failed to notice this loss of religious experience. “Perhaps their failure to address the translation issue has its origin in the hubris engendered by the dazzling number of people to whom television gives them access” (118). The quality of product in religious ceremonies that are broadcasted to millions isn’t up to par with what they should be, they are more worried about viewer numbers than what God has to say.

B. Before an election takes place, the two candidates can often be seen on National television, debating different points on numerous topics. These debates are for voters to decide whos stances they like better and figure out who they want to vote for. The discourse in America about politics has shifted now to who gives off the best impression, who looks the best on camera and who can entertain the crowd. “Giving off impressions, which is what TV does best” (97). Postman recalls live debates in which those involved would go back and forth for hours with intelligently devised scripts with complex language. Now Postman looks at debates as just another form of dumbed down entertainment, “in such circumstances, complexity, documentation and logic can play no vote, and, indeed on several occasions syntax itself was abandoned entirely. Politics is now one big beauty contest. 

C. “’Seasame Street’ is an expensive illustration of the idea that education is indistinguishable from entertainment” (94). Just as discourse about politics and religion has turned into a form of entertainment from television, education can be said to have done the same. This show gave parents the false idea that they could let their children sit in front of the TV for hours and it was okay for them because they were “learning”. Television can not take away a parents responsibility to read to their child and help them learn to read themselves. Also, TV shows are taking away from the importance of learning inside a classroom. “’Seasame Street’ does not encourage children to love school or anything about school. It encourages them to love television” (144). Schools need to not adapt to television rather the television should have done its adapting around the school and school curriculum.

2. What specific solutions does Postman offer to improve public communication in our "Peek A Boo" world, and our challenges to communicate in a thoughtful and rational manner in "An Age of Show Business"? In other words, how might we prevent a world in which we are "amusing ourselves to death"?
Postman suggests that the problem with television lays in how we actually watch it. He doesn’t think that shutting off the TV for a week will do anything, he even thinks that we can’t ask for the quality of shows to get better. We must learn about the information we are given and learn to see how it is persuading us and changing our discourse. “No medium is excessively dangerous if its users understand what its dangers are” (161). Postman things that the answer is to “create television programs whose intent would be, not to get people to stop watching television but to demonstrate how television ought to be viewed, to show how television recreates and degrades our conception of news, political debate, religious thought, etc.” (161). He suggests doing this by way of paradies. The second solution he says is to use our schools. Educate students about this change in discourse and its significance.

3. HARD Question: Does Postman's thesis about television still apply to our public discourse in today's Age of the Internet? Please explain your reasoning in 4-5 sentences.

Yes, Postman’s thesis about television does still apply to our public discourse in today’s Age of the Internet because the Internet is really one big interactive television set. While you do need some level of typography to navigate through and around the Internet, it is full of pictures and videos and different forms of entertainment. The news is presented in a form of entertainment as are the games you can play, movies you can watch and social networking sites are. As much as we can seek out information on the Internet, the peek-a-boo world can be seen with pop up ads and everything else we have to literally “surf through” while getting the information we seek.