The Glorification of Stupidity

Who really benefits from the dumbing down of society?? Does corporate America love dummies?? Do they buy more junk??
Whoever wants it to happen is doing a mighty fine job. In the not so distant past, a sign of status was a grand library or bookshelves full of books. Now the "must have" item has become the big flat screen TV. It has become the grand center piece of many American living rooms-- the bigger the better. Nobody seems the slightest bit embarrassed that not even the best educational programs provide any serious cognitive benefit or mental exercise the way a book does. It used to be considered low-class to even admit you had a TV in the living room, now it's the status quo.

As the adults in our society embrace easy entertainment over educational pursuits, their children are inundated with messages from music and videos glorifying only parties, gang-banging and money. Is it any surprise that "nerds" get bullied? They are seen only as weak and futile, while some rapper with a bullet wound is something to aspire to.
Even our presidential elections are screwed by nerd-phobia. Didn't most people admit that Al Gore came across as too stiff and nerdy?? While good old "Dubya" was the people's man, never held accountable for his inability to articulate simple thoughts.

That's Why You Are So Busy

A few blogs back I had puzzled over the two types of people I meet--the "Chronically bored" and the " Overscheduled/Overworked". I have decided that the overscheduled category may not be as common as I previously thought, especially as the latest figures regarding Television viewership put Americans at 4.5 hours per day!!
I trust those figures to be accurate, and that can only mean one thing--Americans are busy, busy, busy: rushing to get home to their big screen TV's!!! Too busy to shop small markets, cook home cooked meals, plant a garden or put down that cellphone. Because heaven for bid, they might just miss the next episode of Deal or No Deal...