No Laughing Matter

Neil Postman ends his book with a thought-provoking point. He bases this point off of Aldous Huxley's book Brave New World. The problem is not that we laugh at things rather than thinking about them. Not knowing why we laugh or why we stop thinking is the real problem. Many of the things on television and radio fill our minds with useless information yet entertain us for hours. Why? Because they do not provoke thought and there is no effort to care that no thinking is necessary. In today's standard, you don't have to understand something to be entertained. Simply laughing at "entertaining" shows and programs is the norm. Laughter without reason is what Huxley is warning the people of today about. Thinking is also a lost art because of the entertainment put out today. Rarely does a show on television cause us to truly think or philosiphy. This deadly combination, according to Postman, is what will determine how our society will grow or decline.

Silent Friday

Not being able to talk during the school day was frustrating. I could not convey what I was thinking to others through my drawings. The silence was irritating around friends. Many conversations I would have liked to join were passed up. Overall, speech is taken for granted by people everyday because of the use of computers and cell phones.

Dr. Postman's Parallels

Dr. Postman stated in the video that "humans will become pets of their computers." This statement eerily parallels today's society that glorifies social networking and an almost religious use of computers. Also, Postman describes in Amusing Ourselves to Death  how the invention of the clock controls what people do with their lives. The concept of time is created, wasted, or spent. Life is put into a perspective of time. Time dictates how and what is done by people. He also mentions how the alphabet breaks down speech and creates for itself new jobs and problems. Overall, Postman feels that the inventions of man eventually end up becoming the masters of their creators.

You Call Them Fightin' Words?

            Linda Chavez’s first six words, “Civility in public discourse is important,” are used to explain that in public speech words should not be radical and racist. Chavez uses the word “bellicose” to describe the metaphors because they demonstrate aggression and willingness to fight. She believes that words should be thought-provoking and have meaning to them. Chavez tries to persuade the readers of the column that being politically correct all the time takes away from the liberty of free speech and freedom of expression. The best example that she uses is the “handbook” used by the Los Angeles Times when using words referring to a race. She makes a strong point that “words themselves aren't the problem -- it's what is behind the words that matters.” I agree with Chavez because words are not the problem it’s the context in which certain words are used. Racial slurs and stereotypes shouldn’t be used, but disowning words that upset “touchy” subjects takes away from expressing views. Without expressing views, the art of speech will soon become a lost art.