The End of the World as Entertainment
Climate is change just something else to either tune in or tune out
It didn’t use to be this way.
A politician was once “electable” based on things like erudition, military service, critical thinking. But since the age of television, and now the internet, the criteria have changed. A politician with some combination of being telegenic, outrageous, and brandable holds the most cards. He, or she, will command the attention of consumers in the modern attention economy.
In his 1984 book Amusing Ourselves to Death, author Neil Postman worried about TV channels. He worried about commercials. He worried about things being put together that didn’t belong, such as a break in war coverage to advertise a shiny new car, a new board game for kids, a delicious before-dinner snack product. He fretted that a person could just switch to a different channel if the State of the Union address wasn’t sexy enough and he worried that good looks were becoming a criteria for leadership, at least, that showbiz experience was becoming an asset. And then we elected Ronald Reagan.
Today, we have a million channels. More, really; they are nearly infinite. “Channels” doesn’t even really mean what it used to. Today, we each have our own entertainment station. We are connoisseurs of…
