A life without television is a life lived in the dark, unaware. A life without television is a life without access, without participation, be it passive or not, in society. Yet as news shows add drama and flair and entertainment programs strive for realism, the line between truth and fantasy becomes blurred. We confuse actors playing roles with people leading lives, and we reject those who refuse to live out the roles we love them for playing. We know the difference between truth and fiction, but only with our television sets turned off, dark and silent.
Television is bright, colorful and tailored to our short attention spans.
Television entertains without inspiring, allowing us to escape without taxing our minds. With our eyes fixed to the screen our brains shut down, and we soon forget that we know the difference between Dr. Doug Ross and actor George Clooney. Drama is drama, be it staged or improvised. Our obsession with celebrity cannot be rationalized away with the excuse of temporary brain fog caused by flashy colors and commanding voice-overs. We take our television seriously.