Susan Jacoby Nick Gillespie [2 of 7] Book TV

The Age of American Unreason

Category:

Education

Tags:

• reason
• fundamentalism
• religion
• science
• rationalism
• superstition
• atheism
• secularism
• university
• media
• tv
• internet

[Prytanus]

I keep wishing the interviewer whould shut the hell up. This woman sounds like she has some interesting things to say about public attitudes to knowledge. I really don't care about his grandmother. I'd rather understand Susan's argument.

[jpenov]

I don't think that Susan Jacoby is necessarily stating that a shift from printed media to video decreases our access to information, but that it decreases the quality of said information. It's a change in the way information is processed psychologically, and therefore it's ability to be reasoned and scrutinized.

[Alejandroenfuego]

He is a total pain in the ass as an interviewer. It's like he doesn't know how to listen, or doesn't want to, and would rather be the one speaking. He should just interview himself.

[cyranothe2nd]

She should adapt to anti-intellectualism? I'd rather change it, wouldn't you? She's not saying that video or internet is bad. She's saying that the attitude that being smart is elitist is wrong and ought to be challenged.

[AdIgnorantiam]

I think you misunderstood her argument. She makes it better in other interviews. She's not saying that video media decreases our ACCESS to information. We can access more information quicker than ever before. But it's made us almost collectively ADD... we're consuming information so fast and in such tiny bits that we know more but think less. We see something on the news and then BAM, on to another topic. We're not taking what we know and connecting the dots into a broader system of knowledge.

[knsummers]

Gillespie is a great interviewer because he forces Jacoby to do exactly what she praises FDR so much for doing -- explaining a point of view to a critical audience. Someday I hope Jacoby realizes that what she really is struggling with is not how america is changing but how her inability to adapt as she ages.

[baracine]

This interview comes to a dead stop every time Gillespie opens his trap. Let her talk and get a haircut!

[jkeaty2]

Major argument for the elimination of TV. Jrry Falwell

[joh3]

Four Arguments For The Elimination Of Television-Jerry Mander.