Television supplies the developing personality with the cultural mythologies it instinctively seeks. The assorted tales and fantasies of broadcast programming take on the significance of actualization myths as the subject of the collective viewing ritual. The sacred circle of the television ritual reaches into living rooms across America every night. This is where we establish our common values and how we think about the world. Lacking the transubstantial experiences of the relatively unchanging Greek myths, or even the reassurance of the once dominant Western historical view, the television-dependent personality continually reevaluates the relevance of its ideals and values through the medium of television.
Broadcast programming reveals a kind of tribal totem that guarantees entry into society.
The Nielsen rating system establishes a hierarchy of ethical codes for integration into American culture. Societies solidify around commonly accessible cultural experiences, and ours has substituted the passive involvements of media entertainment and the shallow gratifications of consumerism for active participation in family events, sports, religion and the arts. Traditional cultural myths for incorporating the individual into society have yielded to belief systems based on media produced trends and fads, and on the ethical postures of this year's programming schedule. The viewer does not necessarily emulate the value systems represented in broadcast programming. Absurd actions reveal how not to act.