Postman Opportunity: Amusing Gone Wrong

            In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman clearly states his solid opinion of the new technology that is taking over many of our lives.  The American culture has led to “the decline of the Age of Typography and the ascendancy of the Age of Television” (Postman 8).  By saying this one sentence, Neil Postman clearly informs the audience his view on the 21^st generation without one ounce of sincerity by not sugar coating his thoughts or attitude.  Though I do agree with many of Postman’s points that deal with the new technologic world we now live in today, there are a lot of situations which he brings up throughout the book that I do not entirely agree with.

            Postman argues that television forms a new form of epistemology.  He finds that the TV revolution is corrupting the intellect of the American people.  However, Jeff Bewkes says in his article, The Coming Golden Age of Television, “television is emerging as the dominant medium of the digital age.”  That sentence alone would make Postman roll over in his grove if he knew his own prophecy was coming true.  The article relates to Neil’s first chapter, The Medium Is the Metaphor, by listing counter-arguments.  Television is mostly used for its entertainment purposes, whether that be your favorite TV show, a movie from ON-Demand, or a program you missed earlier and recorded it.  On the other hand, television is used for much more than entertainment purposes; it promotes advertisement and subscriptions (Bewkes).  Without the use of commercials companies, lawyers, and even the movie industry with their premiers, their consumers would not be informed properly. 

            Broadcasting over the radio is another way to educate clients or customers about promotions and sales.  These are all different ways to get across the same message.  The station 105.5 K-LOVE, is a home for contemporary music and ministry.  Everyday K-LOVE shares inspirational stories of how God works through the lives of so many people in so many different ways (KLOVE).  Since times have changed so have the methods of how situations are brought about.  This radio station may not be not a six hour long sermon preached by Jonathon Edwards to a congregation who are all willing to sit through awhole lecture.  Nevertheless,the source still getting the same point across which should be the most important aspect.

            The radio station does not have to be based upon religion for people to choose the radio over listening to a speech.  One would much rather click one button, while driving their ’98 Honda Civic, and listen to music, breaking news, or traffic reports.  Postman evidently disagrees with the new technology and would be against talk shows on the radio because a person is losing concept of communication with other individuals face-to-face.  However I think he is wrong because there are many followers of Christ who have been witnessed and become closer in the faith through the broadcasters on K-LOVE and they have posted their testimonies online at klove.com.

     Since the 16^th century, all knowledge began to be transferred to the printed page in America and books were imported from Britain.  Centuries ago books were the new app or the new gadget.  In today’s image the new smart phone or iPod is the new book.  Postman makes it seem as if the American culture has completely forgotten about books and the aspects and importance of reading print.  In chapter three, Neil talks about how many copies of Thomas Paine’s book, Common Sense, were sold per year.  Every year the total number started to decrease, not because we are inadequate to understand the text, but because the culture has changed and sources have improved.  

     Amazon is world widely known for its products: the Kindle, online books, and e-books.  According to this graph, the sales of e-books have been continuing to increase by large numbers.  In 2002, e-books were contributing about $2 million, and by 2007 e-books had increased the grand total to just under $9  million.  Books may be purchased and downloaded online for a person to read.  Richard MacManus lists five reasons that e-books are better than paper back books in his article, 5 Ways That eBooks Are Better Than Paper Books.  His points are very strong in the way he tries to prove his point, just like Postman's.  
     However I agree with MacManus when he says that searching, highlighting, note taking, and being able to have access to the Internet is always a plus when it comes to reading your e-book off your Kindle.  Postman would not be in favor of sharing ideas or commentary over the Internet, he would say as the readers, we should join a book club and meet in person if we were to share ideas and communicate.  Being able to share thoughts about that particular book while in the midst reading it makes analyzing the storyline with others, who are also reading the book a lot easier, substantial, and more convenient.  Analyzing and interpreting text will never be diminished from the general public.  Increasing and improving technology only allows reading to become updated and more convenient for society today.

     On of the key points Postman made in chapter seven, “Now…This,” has to do with the society’s ability to differentiate between reality and exaggeration.  “Is it frightening to think that this may be so, that the perception of the truth of a report rests heavily on the acceptability of the newscaster” (Postman 101).  This however should be alarming that we, the people of our society today, believe everything that comes out of the mouth of an anchorman.  For instance, this past month, the weather station predicted that there was going to be a world record, life threatening blizzard.  The line of customers at Kroger was unbelievably long for a Monday afternoon, people were taking cover in their homes and principles canceled school before the snow started to fall. All of the precautions were taken for the terrifying blizzard, broadcasted on the news a week ahead of time, that never occurred.  We, as children of the 21^st century, may have increased in technology, but we are gifted with the characteristic of gullibility.  On page 6 of the book, Postman quotes Huxley who said, “We are all Great Abbreviators, meaning that none of us has the wit to know the whole truth, the time to tell it if we believed we did, or an audience so gullible as to accept it” (Postman 6).

     Throughout Neil Postman’s book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, he cautions us about the dangers of the changing technologic world.  He is well aware of the consequences that the television era has bestowed.  However, if we eliminate his negativity, pessimism, and his dogmatic opinions, which are characterized by his writings, we are able to tell that Neil Postman simply warns the new generations of what may or may not occur. Postman’s conclusions are clearly supported by his excellent use of references, examples, and observations.

Vow of Silence, Gone Wrong

     On Friday, Mr. Brandt had both of his AP Language classes go through a whole day without using words.  We could not talk, text, or even write a note.  The only form of communication was through drawing images or to act out what we were trying to say.  I actually thought that it was going to be harder than it was, that does not mean that it was not difficult trying to get a point across without the other person walking away annoyed.  Trying to get  a command such as, "give me a pen" or "can i go to the bathroom" was the easy part, however attempting to tell a story or hold a conversation with a friend while walking down the hall was near impossible.  A person just does not get every necessary feeling or detail through a drawing or action as a thirty word explanation would.

     Our assignment on Friday relates to Postman's book Amusing Ourselves to Death.  Neil Postman says that we are soon to lose all word concept.  Using words is a big part of our lives, and even though technology seems to be taking over a lot of our day-to-day lives, I do not agree with him.  I believe that no matter how far technology goes and how many new things are invented, people will still communicate with words.  People will not lose the concept of face to face talking because it is, proven in the experiment on Friday, the only way to truly get the full point of a conversation.

Don't Fret, My 'Pet'.

     In Postman’s speech, he references words spoken by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”  Throughout his speech at Calvin College he shares his opinion of the 21^st century and how we as humans are slowly adapting ourselves to become “merely pets of computers.”  In the book Amusing Ourselves to Death also states how we are getting used to the new technology and we are going to always keep looking for more and more.  As technology progresses we will become more comfortable talking to machines and inanimate objects.  “It is a delusion to believe that the technological changes of our era have rendered irrelevant the wisdom of the ages and the sages.” 

     For example, the new discovery of cloning shows us that we are getting so used to the technology that we are willing to put a body in “storage.”  It started off as a sheep, a monkey, and then a frog, but now it is stretching as far as cloning a human being for just-in-case purposes.  Humans are adapting to the morals of the new century.  Postman’s allows the reader to know that technology is slowly but surely taking over the lives of humans.  We have accepted the fact that we are willing to change our life styles and morals to adapt to technology that is created in our world.  People are now dependent of the current machinery such as cell phones and television.  The use of words spoken, face to face, is being replaced with new technology and the idea behind communication is being lost as we fill our lives with machines and new communication devices.

Creative Censorship?!

1.) Linda Chavez starts off her article with these six words, “Civility in public discourse is important.”  She chooses to use this specific word choice in order to help the reader better understand her position in the argument of the civil public.  By bluntly stating her opinion in the situation, Chavez already informs the reader how she is thinks that we could be careful with the way we act and the things we say in public.

2.) She uses the word “bellicose,” which means to be warlike or hostile in manner or temperament.  Chavez has a very large use of vocabulary that only intensifies her point of the metaphors that have been disagreed about since the beginning and how they create conflict within the country.

3.) Linda is trying to persuade her audience into believing that the way we, as citizens, chose to word our opinions will change the view of others in our communities and country.  She says if we can state our thoughts in a more civil manner then it will come across others in a more efficient, pleasant way.

    I agree with Chavez in how she says that in the way we word our thoughts we can offend the public and it will ruin the chances of civility in our public.  For example, if we went around saying the word “gay” it could offend some people of the community.  We should not be offensive to others in our public; however, we should be cautious and aware of the other opinions.

4.) I believe in what Linda Chavez states about being civil in our public and how it will eventually hurt us if we do not express our minds with creativity.

Green Years

The line that jumped out at me as the main point of Semrau’s article is, “Quite simply, use what you have until it can no longer function.  Then it’s time to recycle.” After circling around the point, he states it bluntly.

Personally, I do not like how he “intentionally keeps information from the reader.”  I would rather Waldemar clearly state his belief in recycling and his view on the topic after having an interesting conversation with his friend, Fred Keller, chairman and owner of Cascade Engineering.  However, that is not his writing style; he stretches out the story much longer and keeps the reader interested.  It would be much easier for him say what he needed to say and get to the point: “I’m old and in med school.”  Semrau works his way around his point at first by telling the reader a little sneak peak of his life story.  As the reader, I do agree with his position in “going green.”  He is not completely saving the Earth, but he is doing what he can to save or “reuse.”  In the end, he has quite the courage to go back, at seventy-five years old, to college to become a surgeon, a child hood dream of his. 

Savior of the Nations, Come.

The main theme of Luther’s hymn is that God sent Christ to die for our sinful selves.  The hymn starts off talking about his miraculous birth, to the death and sacrifice of our Savior.  He talks about how important it is that we praise the Lord for this wonderful gift of forgiveness that he gives us.

By reading Savior of the Nations, Come, the reader captures his point as making it known that as Christians we need Jesus Christ as our Savior.  He uses diction to explain his point.  The line, “Though by all the world disowned, Still to be in heaven enthroned” really portrays the word choice that Luther chose to use.  The world is “disowned” because of the sin that haunts us, however through the works of Christ we are made clean and accepted into heaven with our Father.  If Luther used just an ordinary word such as ‘received’ or ‘allowed’, it would not have given off the same emotional effect as “enthroned.”  Diction allows the word choice of the author effects the reader in a different way than a more simple expression.  By using diction he elaborates that as sinners we need Christ’s forgiveness in our lives.

Gospel Mentioned

I counted Christ mentioned 31 times in Reverend Borghardt's sermon.

Some of Burghardt's verbs were: makes holy, makes blessings, slain, is lamb, died, rose, lives, took sin, is holy, make pure, reigns, and forgives.

I used Pastor Wilken’s diagnostic on both Edward’s lecture and Burghardt’s gospel message to distinguish the two very different themes.  Edward’s speech reminded us that as sinners we deserve nothing but eternal death and the wrath of God.  However he did not mention the gospel more than five times in the four paged portion.  On the other hand Burghardt preached about Jesus Christ and allowed the congregation to understand that they were saved by the Lamb.  He says “He died for you, He lives for you, He reigns with you” and hearing that gives Christians the hope of eternal life.