Talk:Neil Postman
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Contents |
[edit] Copyright Issues
The following line from the second paragraph (as of 06:31, 28 June 2006 (UTC)) is taken directly from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/january96/postman_1-17.html : '. . . there is a limit to the promise of new technology, and that it cannot be a substitute for human values'. I haven't got time to redact it, but thought it ought to be pointed out for others to tackle.
[edit] Tributes and comments
Anyone who thinks that Postman was decrying the "dominance of US culture" in this book either didn't read it or wasn't paying attention when they did. There's simply nothing whatever in the entire work to support such an absurd assertion.
Anonymous comment moved here:
On a personal note, Dr. Postman was truly inspiring for me. He is the sole reason I chose NYU and the driving force behind my desire to learn. The clarity and depth of his writing allows nearly anyone to read his books. He was a great educator and a great man. He is gone now, but we can all still continue to learn from him everyday. Dr. Postman, did you see any sign of God?
He was a kind and wonderful man and I was fortunate to have met him when he received awards from SUNY. I had no idea who he was, but he made a huge impression on me.
Changed to "he criticized the television industry for confounding serious issues with entertainment." One of Postman's main criticisms was that television encourages viewers to fail to distinguish between "news" and "entertainment".
From Amusing Ourselves to Death: "The problem is not that television presents us with entertaining subject matter, but that all subject matter is presented as entertaining, which is another issue altogether." (Should be from page 87; my own notes are not perfectly clear about the page number.)
Changed same sentence further to "... in which he deplored the dominance of US culture by the medium of television, his assertion being that by its very nature, television confounds serious issues with entertainment, demeaning and undermining political discourse by making it less about ideologies and more about image". Attempting to further clarify the summary of his argument - his problem was not so much with what television might 'choose' to do, or with the individuals and organisations that produce 'television', but with the impossibility that television (considered as a medium) can convey complex rational ideas or discourse, and with the implications of this for a culture in which the pre-eminent mode of communication is television. This same intent governs alterations to the penultimate sentence of the same para.
[edit] Category
Was this guy actualy a media theorist, or a mere cultural critic? The JPS 15:05, 19 May 2005 (UTC)
- Good question. What do you think? Most articles like this have been written by non-specialists. Viajero 15:29, 19 May 2005 (UTC)
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- How do you define "theorist"? Clearly, Postman has developed and refined theories of the media and technology. He built upon the work of Marshall McLuhan and developed the perspective known as media ecology. He's rightfully cited in the media theory article. --michael zimmer 22:26, May 19, 2005 (UTC)
- I had not encountered his work before, to be honest. The 'cultural critic' label in the article was (incorrectly) suggesting to me that he was in the lowly realm of the arrogant newspaper columnist (the kind who, and whose readers, would gladly categorise themself as a media theorist). He clearly is clearly academic if he has embraced McLuhan's work, and that warrants inclusion within the category. The JPS 23:36, 19 May 2005 (UTC)
- How do you define "theorist"? Clearly, Postman has developed and refined theories of the media and technology. He built upon the work of Marshall McLuhan and developed the perspective known as media ecology. He's rightfully cited in the media theory article. --michael zimmer 22:26, May 19, 2005 (UTC)
I would say he's both, but I'd call him a media theorist first because he discusses how media impacts cognition and social relationships. So he's also making assertions about cognitive psychology and sociology/cultural history. In fact, I believe his most interesting chapter is titled, "Media as epistemology". One of Postman's most intriguing ideas, which needs to be addressed on this page is that he didn't think humans conform media to our cognitive patterns, rather he believed that media determines our cognitive patterns. I personally think it's a recursive process, but it's an interesting construct. Also, I'd like someone to include Postman's comments on how cognitive processes differ in the print environment versus television. For instance, print allows for reflection time, and fosters complex, multi-faceted argumentation. Television generally does not.
[edit] Cleanup
This page seems promising but I'm not sure what's happening at the end of the quotes section. Maybe this should just be cut off as it destroys the readability. --Sachabrunel 15:56, 16 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] "Crap-detection" essay
Is this the same Neil Postman that gave the 1969 speech at the National Convention for the Teachers of English? The speech was called "Bullshit and the Art of Crap-Detection". Looking at the dates suggests this is the same person, but the NCTE website doesn't have a list of previous speakers. --Culix 22:43, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
- Yes, this is the same, inimitable, Neil Postman. Tvoz |talk 15:27, 19 March 2008 (UTC)
- Thanks Tvoz! Do you think that link is okay to use as a reference? I'd love to find something official. --Culix (talk) 09:01, 6 April 2008 (UTC)
- Well, it's not the best, but I think it's ok for now. But it seems uneven to have Amusing Ourselves, Technopoly and the Bullshit essay together - is the essay really on the level of the books? And what about his many other books? Teaching as a Subversive Activity was an important one and Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk one of his best observations. I think the section needs expansion. Tvoz |talk 09:04, 6 April 2008 (UTC)
- Thanks Tvoz! Do you think that link is okay to use as a reference? I'd love to find something official. --Culix (talk) 09:01, 6 April 2008 (UTC)
