digitalyn: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Stuart McMillen While funny and thought-provoking I have a few issues with this comic: Like the foreword to Postman’s book, it’s based on a false dichotomy of authoritarianism vs. consumerism. There’s nothing that prevents you from having both. Indeed I’d argue we have that atm, with both ever picking up speed. IMO 1984, is not primarily about state oppression, but a critique of the middle upper-class (Smith as member of the Outer Party) ignoring the struggle and conditions of the lower-class (the so-called “Proles”, Julia). The love of Winston and Julia - the caring for others independently of status and class - is what could overcome the dystopia of the Ingsoc and therefore is oppressed and eradicated. Neil Postman, while making a lot of worthwhile observations about TV in “Amusing Ourselves to Death”, was an old fart that never saw or understood the potential of the internet. He also fetishized the printed word to a degree that is profoundly perverse to a post-paper human like me. The absurdness of his complains are nicely condensed in a quote from his Wikipedia entry, emphasis mine: He states that 19th century America was the pinnacle of rational argument, an Age of Reason, in which the dominant communication medium was the printed word. During this period, complicated arguments could be transmitted without oversimplification. Amusing Ourselves to Death was translated into eight languages and sold 200,000 copies worldwide.

digitalyn:

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Stuart McMillen

While funny and thought-provoking I have a few issues with this comic:

  • Like the foreword to Postman’s book, it’s based on a false dichotomy of authoritarianism vs. consumerism. There’s nothing that prevents you from having both. Indeed I’d argue we have that atm, with both ever picking up speed.
  • IMO 1984, is not primarily about state oppression, but a critique of the middle upper-class (Smith as member of the Outer Party) ignoring the struggle and conditions of the lower-class (the so-called “Proles”, Julia). The love of Winston and Julia - the caring for others independently of status and class - is what could overcome the dystopia of the Ingsoc and therefore is oppressed and eradicated.
  • Neil Postman, while making a lot of worthwhile observations about TV in “Amusing Ourselves to Death”, was an old fart that never saw or understood the potential of the internet. He also fetishized the printed word to a degree that is profoundly perverse to a post-paper human like me. The absurdness of his complains are nicely condensed in a quote from his Wikipedia entry, emphasis mine:
He states that 19th century America was the pinnacle of rational argument, an Age of Reason, in which the dominant communication medium was the printed word. During this period, complicated arguments could be transmitted without oversimplification. Amusing Ourselves to Death was translated into eight languages and sold 200,000 copies worldwide.