This next section of chapter dives deeper into television as a medium. Commercials are something we are now accustom to, they have become an inconvenience more than anything, yet our by habits and ideals of what society is or should be is heavily influenced by them. They have even found a way to fit our political figures in to their 30 second time slots. Living in the Bible belt and in the state that produced Billy Graham televangelism is nothing new. Television offers a new medium for religion that Postman believes is ineffective. Postman looks into the effect of television on religious organizations, our everyday news and politics and shows that television has skewed these so far left they would be almost unrecognizable to people of the
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In our society where the world is always turning, we cannot slow down to spend more than 45 seconds on a particular story in the news. If you watch any news program two stories that are seemingly unrelated are tied together with a phrase similar to “now…this”. For example, in a clip from the one of the news channels it will go begin with a story of a car rolling down a hill killing a nine-month old child, then once this story has had its 45 seconds the camera angles shift followed by the phrase “And now here’s Larry Sprinkler with your weather”. This transition is almost disrespectful to the first and plays it off a joke using the weather for the comic relief. Unfortunately, this has become the normal way in which the American public obtains their news and local issues. These jumps happen not only in the news but in all programing. How many times has there an intense television show highlighting the worst parts of society, for example Law and Order: SVU or Hell on Wheels, then after only a few short commercial breaks the tone of the television program changes to a lighthearted sitcom. He compares it to schizophrenia, stating that we are not cohesive and coherent identity as a society. No one stops to think anymore with television programs it is all about how it …show more content…
The one I differ on with him is the chapter on religion. While I understand that my home is far different then St. Mark’s Catholic Church I do not think these television programs are only perpetuating an agenda of entertainment. I think what Postman is overlooking is the person who is a regular Church goer. He is assuming that people who watch televangelist are using that as their primary source of religion which I do not believe is always the case. Growing up in Catholic school and just living in the Bible belt, most people I knew went to Mass on Sunday. I know several families that on days that they could not make it to church for whatever reason would watch the televangelists to at least get some kind of religious service for the day. So I think these programs become entertainment not from the medium but rather the audience observing it. If these programs are watched in addition to active religion they can serve as a tool in religious growth rather than hindering
In our society where the world is always turning, we cannot slow down to spend more than 45 seconds on a particular story in the news. If you watch any news program two stories that are seemingly unrelated are tied together with a phrase similar to “now…this”. For example, in a clip from the one of the news channels it will go begin with a story of a car rolling down a hill killing a nine-month old child, then once this story has had its 45 seconds the camera angles shift followed by the phrase “And now here’s Larry Sprinkler with your weather”. This transition is almost disrespectful to the first and plays it off a joke using the weather for the comic relief. Unfortunately, this has become the normal way in which the American public obtains their news and local issues. These jumps happen not only in the news but in all programing. How many times has there an intense television show highlighting the worst parts of society, for example Law and Order: SVU or Hell on Wheels, then after only a few short commercial breaks the tone of the television program changes to a lighthearted sitcom. He compares it to schizophrenia, stating that we are not cohesive and coherent identity as a society. No one stops to think anymore with television programs it is all about how it …show more content…
The one I differ on with him is the chapter on religion. While I understand that my home is far different then St. Mark’s Catholic Church I do not think these television programs are only perpetuating an agenda of entertainment. I think what Postman is overlooking is the person who is a regular Church goer. He is assuming that people who watch televangelist are using that as their primary source of religion which I do not believe is always the case. Growing up in Catholic school and just living in the Bible belt, most people I knew went to Mass on Sunday. I know several families that on days that they could not make it to church for whatever reason would watch the televangelists to at least get some kind of religious service for the day. So I think these programs become entertainment not from the medium but rather the audience observing it. If these programs are watched in addition to active religion they can serve as a tool in religious growth rather than hindering