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BOOK CLUB: Amusing Ourselves to Death - Intro (Patreon)

Published:
2023-08-09 04:01:55
Edited:
2024-02-16 20:49:09
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

[Pictured: "Amusing Ourselves to Death," 20th Anniversary Edition's book cover.]

August plan: die. In a funny way. We're back to regular form and reading Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (AO2D) this month, the "do a flip" of post-late-Capitalist attention-economy-discourse.

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SCHEDULE:August 20: Part OneAugust 27: Part Two

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Pretty straightforward. It's very short and very readable. The 20th Anniversary Edition (which your humble host Ellen, hello, I am now firmly embedded virus-style in the Book Club posts and it's now safe to assume you're getting Ellen unless explicitly stated otherwise, will be reading) is 155 pages. Even if you don't start reading Part Two until after August 20th--that's a very comfortable, conversational, 10 pages a day.

This book has been around long enough and reprinted enough that there are truly an absurd amount of special, anniversary, repackaged, and spruced editions. It does not matter which one you pick up as the core text remains the same across all, with only the introductions and supplementary materials changing. If your particular copy has an interesting essay or guest-lecture packaged within it, absolutely feel free to talk about that, but it is not "assigned reading."

Postman is responding to the Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World, which is also not assigned reading. Basically it's just like Black Mirror.Okay everyone scatter get outta here you scamps. Go go go.

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Comments

Josh Foreman

Did they do a Black Mirror ep with "the Feelies"?

Ben H

I only found this channel recently and was constantly rewatching the Bo Burnham vs Jeff Bezos video. The message of the Internet twisting your soul and the breakdown of political discussion just hit me and it feels good watching a video that acknowledges that. I felt it was worth supporting through patreon last night and immediately book club is now very on theme for where my head is at. Excited to read and join in on the discussion!

Kailys

Gosh, I remember reading Postman in grad school......... IIRC Postman is concerned about the prevalence of spectacle over substance, and how mass media (specifically television) erodes our capacity for critical thinking. And while he's not wrong, his arguments have been critiqued (do not remember by whom) for being overly reductive. There is however some subtlety in his arguments, which tends to get overlooked. It's been ages since I've read this book, but would delight in an opportunity to bitch about him ;3

annie liz

august is here! excited to die!!

margaret (formerly Samson)
>>114880525

I wake up every day thinking "is it today? Is this it??" And so far I'm actually almost glad it hasn't been, because I've had so many things I've had to do that squeezing any more in would be tough and i dont want to squeeze for this. But also every time I open YouTube, I wonder. (This, assuming you also are referring to the Peterson Drop of 2023, Much Anticipated.) ((Goddamnit I just read the post again and it's just the plan is to die ugh ok nevermind.))