What matters

There's a favorite quote of mine that goes (paraphrasing)

"A culture is what it does with it's attention"

In measuring what our culture is, we should look at what we do with our attention. We spend a whole lot of it staring into one screen or another. From what we've seen recently, that's not all bad; what with Facebook and Twitter being so instrumental in the recent revolution in Egypt and others now underway in Libya and brewing in Africa as well. Not to mention the protests in Wisconsin and other midwest states in support of collective bargaining rights.

In alot of ways, technology has been an empowering tool to those in need.

On the other hand, spend a day watching the morning news shows. Watch Dr Phil and Oprah. Not saying make a habit of it but just notice what gets covered. Usually there's at least one "human interest" piece. Don't ask me where that particular euphemism came from. Then there's hollywood gossip, a scandal or two, and then a studio full of women ages 18 to 80 losing their mind because Oprah gave them some stuff. Oh granted, its really cool stuff. Ipods and Ipads and even cars.

Yep...crying and hugging and wailing for STUFF. Yeah we haven't lost our way as a culture at all. Nah...we're doin' just fine.

But watch all of this drek for just a day and make a list of everything you saw that you actually needed to know. Stuff that you're better off knowing than you were without it.

What's truly ridiculous is, all these same shows do stories about why the kids aren't learning.It's like OJ saying he was commited to finding Nicole's killer. The media puts itself out in front of the issue so they can steer it away from themselves.

Don't get me wrong though. I'm not talking about the "Liberal Media" here. I'm talking about the Capitalist Media. The media that paints itself as commited to informing the public when all they really want to do is ply their wares. Selling stuff rather that teaching stuff.

Remember that old saying about the news business..."If it bleeds it leads"?

Those were the days.

I know. I know. Bleeding is bad. People dying, that's bad. But at least its actually news. Car accidents, robberies, criminal activity...there's a public interest involved there. People need to know those things are going on.

They actually have a segment on the Today show now where a realtor is promoting properties that I presume she'll get a commission on if they sell. No doubt the Today show is paid some kind of "consideration" in the deal as well. We're talking essentially an infomercial here. And while I'm on this...are you familiar with product placement? It's been around in some form for a long time but now its everywhere. An advertiser pays the network and its products are intergrated into a tv show. The characters use a certain brand of cell phone (Brenda on "The Closer" uses a TMobile phone, you can tell by its characteristic ring)or a computer, or to drive a certain make of car, that sort of thing. That was one thing. Now actual dialogue is being written to refer specifically to the product in question. Commercials are being written into the actual story itself now.

So what is our culture doing with its attention? Buying stuff and selling stuff. That's it. That's all. We don't need no stinkin learning. We've got stuff. Lots and lots of stuff.

I know I know...those broad sweeping statements get some people's ire up. "Dude! That's not all there is. There's good tv out there."

You mean like PBS? Yeah you're right. PBS is great. And its such a high priority in our exalted culture that its actually possible Congress might strip it of all funding. Let me say that again.The network that shows more educational programming than the other big four networks put together is having its funding targeted by Congress.

This is the country we're living in. This is what we're doing with our attention. This has got to change. I know I know...Declarations are easy. Change is hard. So here's what I'm sayin.I'm going to use this page to point out the stuff that I think matters.

Pay attention.