Thinking outside the idiot box

Has our collective sense of humor gotten more sophisticated in the last few decades? I present to you: Small Wonder vs. Arrested Development:




I have been saying for a while now that daytime television sucks the soul out of people. It's a chicken and egg type question--does being depressed and out of work make horrible shows such as Springer, Maury Povich, Keith Ablow, Cristina's Court, Judge Alex, Divorce Court, etc seem worse, or do horrible shows cause people to be depressed and out of work? It's a shame spiral, really, I might have to just move out or get extended cable or something if I continue to stay at home during the day when I don't have class or work. Or perhaps attending Everest Institute to become a medical assistant in seven short months is the answer. At least then I'd get to wear scrubs, that seems to be a selling point of their commercials. I like to bitch about TV, the messages sent discretely and overtly, the predictability of plot lines, the representation of life. TV is white noise for me, something to have on while doing homework, although I find situational and cartoon comedies comforting. I like Cops and Sex in the City (that's two shows). I dearly miss having Comedy Central and think that shows like the Colbert Report and the Daily Show have a lot of potential to educate the masses. Not MTV. I think Sesame Street is an amazing program still. But I digress.

I think we are overlooking an important resource in assuming that television and other pop culture items have little or no educational value. We are going against the grain. Kids want to talk about movies they've seen, songs they like, shows they watch, but we rarely incorporate common themes or ideas from their natural interest. Granted, TV for the most part sucks. I dig Steven Johnson and his article for suggesting that TV programs such as 24 (which I can't watch since I haven't seen the first season) are cognitively beneficial. His explanation of the Sleeper Curve (the most debased forms of mass diversion--video games and violent television dramas and juvenile sitcoms--turn out to be nutritional after all) supports my idea that most of what you think you know is probably wrong. If nothing else, Johnson's prescription to just watch the box for a few hours and think about it will inspire great enthusiasm in students who are increasingly difficult to engaged in classrooms and textbooks. Also, as much as we hate to admit it, television and movies are an extremely influential part of pop culture, our sources of fashion, slang, brand name consciousness, etc.

I really don't dig on reality TV, but Johnson claims the true test of the Sleeper Curve is the junk improving as well as mediocre/good programming. I loathe Fear Factor. I love Being Bobby Brown. It's a crap shoot. In addition to being a vehicle for extensive public humiliation, reality television provides water-cooler chat and camaraderie. Most seem to rely on plying contestants with alcohol or an overabundance of dramatic camera work. I agree with Johnson that being aware of the junk and the non-junk is key if you're going to try to make a case for educational television. I have used some advertising/media literacy/awareness lessons before, both in AISD and in Gardner Betts with a lot of success, this link is probably best for high school, this one's good for littler ones.

Making the case for a hip-hop education is a challenge. Today's hip hop as heard on radio don't often strike a cord with me, maybe because I'm white or too old, whatever. But I do know that the kids, they love the music, and we overlook this in the classroom the same way we do other non-traditional media. H2ED seems like a good organization with a strong support base of teachers, parents, community, etc. Also, it reaches further into the culture than does the traditional white-based public school curriculum. Hip hop music as I've seen it would require a certain amount of discernment, as there are a lot of controversial messages sent in many hip hop videos and songs.

Shihan, poetry slam: