The idea that television poses an absolute corruptive influence over our society is absolutely preposterous. It's strength in comparison to the hype received by the Nobel Prize is rather unsettling, but the fault lies not in our societal fascination with television and Hollywood but rather the lack of fascination in intellectual pursuits. That, however, is an entirely different discussion.
It is true that television has been abused and twisted on occasion into quivering hunks of processed drama, but to say that all television is bad, or that the excitement and glamour of the industry is undeserved, purely on judgements on those few shows (might I mention Maury) is entirely baseless. I was raised on shows like The West Wing, which taught me more about responsibility and morality than any other source on this planet. In some ways, the television acted in a parental role, reaffirming the teachings of my true parents with moral teachings presented in an entertaining and interesting way. As I grew older, I found joy in escaping the dullness of the required routine that is school through shows like Doctor Who and Sherlock, Merlin and The Newsroom. Any fan of these shows would tell you that they are entirely worthy of praise and adoration, of ever accolade society can offer. Their entertainment value aside, the value in education and stimulation is beyond measure. When I return to my home, few things please me more than the chance to relax and take part in a life so far from my own, to see and feel things nothing in my life could ever produce, to enjoy a perspective on the world that I had never even imagined. These are the things that inspire joy, pleasure, and passion.
Should their be change regarding the discrepancy between entertainment culture and intellectual fascination? Yes. But should our passion, our fervor, for fantasy be in any way diminished in the pursuit of higher knowledge? No.
Never.
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