RE: [ba-unrev-talk] Fwd: Stop Media Monopoly (MoveOn))
Yes, Graham, I saw this reference in Gary Richmond's list as well.
Frightening. (01)
One can't help but contemplating (while associated with a project to
raise the Collective IQ) what a tremendous waste of time TV advertising
is, with millions of people who could put that time to better use. On
the Internet we call this spam and are looking for ways of getting rid
of it. But on TV the same stuff is not called spam. Why not? (02)
If we could get rid of spam on TV, we get rid of a good chunk of the
incentive for media concentration. And, of course, there is the PBS
route. (03)
Henry (04)
On Sat, 2003-05-10 at 10:28, Graham Stalker-Wilde wrote:
> http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15796
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-ba-unrev-talk@bootstrap.org
> > [mailto:owner-ba-unrev-talk@bootstrap.org]On Behalf Of Henry K van Eyken
> > Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 4:59 AM
> > To: ba-unrev-talk@bootstrap.org
> > Subject: Re: [ba-unrev-talk] Fwd: Stop Media Monopoly (MoveOn))
> >
> >
> > EXCERPT from Gary Richmond's communication of Fri. 2003-05-09 at 13:21:
> >
> > ... When we talk to Congresspeople about this issue, their response is
> > usually the same: "We only hear from media lobbyists on this. It seems
> > like my constituents aren't very concerned with this issue." ...
> > -----
> > Yes, Gary, we are on a very slippery slope. The general public is
> > otherwise occupied, if not with work or collecting welfare then with
> > watching sitcoms and other forms of entertainment. That makes for a
> > useful tool in the hands of those in power. Here is a relevant entry
> > from the American Heritage Dictionary:
> >
> > bread and circuses
> >
> > PLURAL NOUN: Offerings, such as benefits or entertainments, intended to
> > placate discontent or distract attention from a policy or situation.
> > ETYMOLOGY: Translation of Latin pnem et circnss, a phrase coined by the
> > Roman poet Juvenal : pnem, accusative singular of pnis, bread + et, and
> > + circnss, circus games.
> >
> > Another stance we can take, besides writing legislators, is not to feed
> > money into those media conglomerates. I'd love to see Disneyland, but I
> > won't go. And I won't feed any more money into Microsoft even though
> > Windows XP may well be very enticing. Is this stance effective? I doubt
> > it, but what else can one do.
> >
> > Henry
> >
--
Henry K van Eyken <vaneyken@sympatico.ca> (05)