Subscribe to get Part 2 of this episode. Listen to a preview. On Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (1985), featuring Mark, Seth, Dylan, Wes, and guest Brian Hirt, the co-host of Pretty Much Pop with degrees in linguistics and science education. Sponsors: Save 20% on an annual membership of at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/PEL. See Continue Reading …
Ep. 268: Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death” (Part Two for Supporters)
Continuing from part one on Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business with guest Brian Hirt. Let's get critical: Is it really the case that the written word is so much more suited for providing context than television, which after all does retain some of the virtues of the pre-literate speechifying culture that Socrates preferred over writing? Continue Reading …
Ep. 268: Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death” (Part One for Supporters)
On Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (1985), featuring Mark, Seth, Dylan, Wes, and guest Brian Hirt, the co-host of Pretty Much Pop with degrees in linguistics and science education. How does the form in which we receive media affect how we think? Postman tweaks Marshall McLuhan's famous slogan "the medium is the message" to say "the Continue Reading …
PREVIEW-Ep 216 Game of Thrones’ Fantasy Politics (Part Two)
Get teased re. Mark and Wes's post-finale, spoiler-filled continuation of the discussion of the show. How does its conclusion affect its overall political message? Does it make sense to be performing feminist critiques on a show based on the premise of people murdering each other for power? To hear the full discussion, become a PEL Citizen or $5 Patreon supporter. For more Continue Reading …
Ep. 216 Follow-Up: Reflections on the End of Game of Thrones (Citizens Only)
Mark and Wes continue discussion of the TV show on the morning after its 5/19/19 finale. Listen to our ep. 216 first. Yes, of course this is now full of spoilers. How does the end of the show affect its overall political message? Was it really (as George R.R. Martin depicted) about the irreducible complexity of politics (given that any character named or unnamed can actually Continue Reading …