Re: American Crap Rant


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Posted by Michael Betancourt on February 24, 1996 at 00:11:55:

In Reply to: American Crap Rant posted by Joseph Nechvatal on January 09, 1996 at 13:48:28:

That's too long to quote, and to break it down would be a disservice.

However, having reread it twice to be certain, what you're really objecting to per se, is not the American Mass-Media -- that's been transplanted to the rest of the world since the late 20s. The problem being described, it appears to me, is one of education: that there aren't enough well-educated people available to object to the commercialism being sold to everyone. When I say "well-educated" I don't mean a return to the classics, but rather a population that can read and understand above a sixth-grade level. (The level of almost all books written outside of academia, including the majority of textbooks used by it -- this level is not because audiences can read higher levels but don't want to). The problem isn't the media, its the schools.
It's both trendy and easy to blame the media for the problems of society; that's been going on for centuries.
There is also a large number of alternatives to the dominant form of mass-media, and it does get air time. The forms it chooses to take, however, do not appeal to most of mass-media's audiences.

I don't mean to rain on your parade, it just seems directed at the wrong culprits. That's all.


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