I chose to summarize the first chapter: The Medium is the Metaphor.
The first thing that the author talks about in the chapter is a few of the different cities that have characterized an era in American history: Boston, Ellis Island, and now Las Vegas. He looks very fondly on the first two and not so fondly on the last. Telling readers that the first two were times of great advancement in our history and Vegas is all about entertainment in the form of "...a thirty-foot-high cardboard picture of a slot machine and a chorus girl" (page 3). He goes on to talk about the many different people in this age that are part of political parties, religious affiliations, scholars, and presidents who have been on television to not only support their cause but to bring it to people in the form of entertainment. He insinuates that it is the only way to catch the people's eye.
He talks of different media to get information to others. Postman says that, "Speech, of course, is the primal and indispensable medium. It made us human, keeps us human, and in fact defines what human means" (page 9). He means that speech is what sets us apart from all other creatures on the earth. It's what makes us intelligent and able to advance as a society.
Why do you think that Postman dislikes Las Vegas so much? Someone can still interact with other humans while playing the slot machines or watching the dancing girls. Those people are still entertained but they are not glued to a television or computer screen and they aren't being antisocial by sitting at home alone listening to the radio. Boston and Ellis Island were also places that someone could meet new people and talk to them to kill time, and Las Vegas does the same things. Las Vegas has restaurants, diners, and other ways of entertainment and they do not have to spend their money at a casino on gambling or giving tips to showgirls.
ReplyDeleteI can see the authors point,but I can honestly say that I am taking a trip to Boston this weekend for entertainment purposes. We are so busy these days and need a way to unplug. While I do not agree with my children watching movies in school, I am not at all opposed to Vegas. I usually go about once a year. It is a great city. There are things to see that are educational too if you like. Take a trip to Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon or Valley of Fire, all awesome and educational.
ReplyDeleteSpeech does separate human beings from other creatures. This part of the quote in your post caught my attention. I can agree that speech is a distinction between species, but speech is a common similarity between species that is adapted differently among the environments. Dogs communicate together, primates communicate together, and humans communicate together. When all three species try to speak at one setting, a foreign language results. I believe this makes sense when Postman discusses his thoughts about the three cities. Why did you decide to present your quote at the end instead of the beginning or middle? Why do you think Las Vegas doesn't seem to be important to Postman?
ReplyDeleteWhat did the author incorporate into the chapter to paint an image for the reader to believe that Boston and Ellis Island were better times in our history than Las Vegas? What makes you so sure that the author in fact does not like Las Vegas? I strongly agree with the language concept that is mentioned in this post!
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