`` Postman `` Public Discourse And The Age Of Show Business

All throughout history we have used metaphors to describe people, places, events and emotions; so it is perfectly fitting to describe the mediums with which we project our ideas as a metaphor as well. This is Neil Postman s basis for his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Television and other media outlets have conditioned us to accept entertainment in every aspect of life; but most of all it masks the state of public affairs and politics. Through his book, Postman begs that we recognize the ways in which media shapes our lives and how we can use them to serve us instead of hurt us. Broken into two parts, Amusing Ourselves to Death focuses on a historical analysis of media, then discusses the television media-metaphor in more detail. Postman examines how media has infected every aspect of public discourse by prizing entertainment as the standard of truth. Historical analysis In chapter one Postman introduces the concept of the media-metaphor. Simply put, he posits that every civilization s discourse is limited by the biases of the media it employs. He suggests that an oral culture will speak of the world differently than one that has printed language. One of the prime examples he uses is the primitive technology of smoke signals and the safe assumption that these signals were not used to discuss philosophical arguments (Postman, 1985, 7). â€Å"A Cherokee philosopher would run short of either wood or blankets long before heShow MoreRelatedAmusing Ourselves For Death : Public Discourse On The Age Of Show Business, By Neil Postman1495 Words   |  6 PagesAmusing Ourselves To Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman familiarizes his readers to his main objective for his argument right away. His strategies to convince his readers of his claim are extraordinarily well and get across to the readers easily. Postman proposes that the public, without recognizing it, is losing its â€Å"autonomy, maturity, and history†. His thesis is that television is changing the way people interact by putting all public rhetoric into on-screen entertainmentRead MoreAnalysis Of Amusing Ourselves To Death By Neil Postman812 Words   |  4 PagesAmusing Ourselves to Death, written by Neil Postman analyzes the true meaning of entertainment and explores how it affects our lives today. â€Å"Entertainment is the action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment,† (dictionary.com). According to Postman television has had an extremely negative effect on the â€Å"public discourse of contemporary America.† Postman compares his book to Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World, which communicates that people are too amused and are becoming weak andRead MoreNeil Postman s Exploration Of This Issue1737 Words   |  7 Pageswere discussed prior to this century they come to find that the contrast between now and then is so outstanding. It’s completely clear why many people aren’t aware of what has been happening. The reason the difference is so profound is because our discourse has gradually been dumbed-down since the beginning of the information era, and people are treating the serious issues that arise as entertainment. The most powerful culprit being television, has being accused of causing damage to the people thatRead MoreAmusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman1180 Words   |  5 Pages Neil Postman writes, Amusing Ourselves to Death to address a television-based epistemology pollutes public communication and its surrounding landscape, not that it pollutes everything. The book was produced in 1984 in a time where television was an emerging epidemic and other forms of communication that today have taken flight, didn’t exist. It is directed to people who have let television drag them away from their Focus and attention to comprehend as they have lost the ability to bring forth yourRead MoreAmusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the AGe of Show Business570 Words   |  3 Pages Neil Postman, quot;Amusing Ourselves to Death -- Public discourse in the age of show-businessquot; This book is a classic: everybody knows it, and everything has been written about it. Let me write some more. Postmans book caused a lot of public discussion in the mid-eighties, but it is now as relevant as ever, possibly more so. Today, it has almost become an axiom of our society that the answer to the questions raised by our technological advances lie in the application of further technologyRead More1984 By George Orwell Literary Analysis1625 Words   |  7 Pagestheir information overload desensitized the public into acquiescing this seemingly friendly, but not any less damaging, worldview. As the world enters a new age of modern technology, many of Huxley’s notions are beginning to become more realistic, rather than Orwell’s fears of cultural oppression. Throughout Amusing Ourselves to Death, author Neil Postman speaks in favor of Huxley’s prophetic vision of the future of popular culture and public discourse by explaining how television has vastly trivi alizedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Future Of Reputation 1176 Words   |  5 Pagesechoes from the grave of Neil Postman as a Reality TV star lead the polls for the GOP primary nomination in the 2016 presidential race. Meanwhile, a symbol of the most turbulent times in American history was recently removed from a state capitol and designated for museum status. Today’s latest social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, has assisted the Internet ‘steady growth and influence of society for over twenty years now. Three authors, Neil Postman, Daniel Solove, and Walter LippmannRead More`` Amusing Ourselves For Death : Public Discourse On The Age Of Show Business1605 Words   |  7 Pagesfor us† (Postman 29). Media critic Neil Postman published those words in 1985 in his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Yet, as we find ourselves in 2015, his insight seems written for today. In our age where society is s till elusively trying to grasp and figure out what place new media and technology hold within our lives, and where debating the merits and flaws of an increasingly technological society seems to be a hot-button issue, Postman had alreadyRead MoreAnalysis of Neil Postmans Amusing Ourselves to Death1648 Words   |  7 PagesLiking Form and Function It would be easy to dismiss Neil Postman as just a grumpy old man complaining about what those young whippersnappers are up to while his generation is upholding the values of civilization, the last vanguard against the Huns. Except for the fact that he was right: Modern technologies have allowed individuals to withdraw into themselves, to avoid engaging in public discourse. This imperils democracy, according to Postman, along with a number of other social critics of the lastRead MoreBrave New World Analysis737 Words   |  3 Pagestechnology and other means of diversion and that these things will ruin us. Neil Postman supported Huxley and discussed â€Å"The Huxleyan Warning† in Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Postman believes that â€Å"Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us,† (Postman 1). Postman concluded his essay with, â€Å"For no medium is excessively dangerous if its users understand what its dangers are,† (4). Postman meant that people are happy and better off when they dont understand what