From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!usc!wupost!rice!ratner Fri Sep  4 09:41:27 EDT 1992
Article 6743 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: ratner@owlnet.rice.edu (Logan Joshua Ratner)
Subject: Re: _The Turing Option_
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References: <1992Aug27.160940.6008@auto-trol.com> <17lrnqINN91c@early-bird.think.com> <COSC176T.92Aug29235513@menudo.uh.edu>
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 16:38:59 GMT
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In article <COSC176T.92Aug29235513@menudo.uh.edu> cosc176t@menudo.uh.edu (Jason Asbahr) writes:
>
> Hans Moravec says:
>
>>   You're right, technology is making things worse.  Let's get
>>   rid of television.
>
>I wouldn't mind getting rid of *most* of television, and changing
>the nature of the rest.  An alarming (is it fashionable to be
>alarmist?) portion of everyday television programming is fairly
>mind-numbing stuff -- I try to avoid it whenever possible!


Oh, I really feel I must disagree.  Personally, I find most aspects
of Pop Culture academically fascinating.  Visual media especially so.
Actually, there seems to be a large emphesis in studying Pop Culture
within Postmodern thought (especially in Literary Circles.)  Seeing
Jason posted to alt.cyberpunk I feel free to bring up postmodernism.

In any case, I feel TV may in fact be the best window into the mass
subconscious around.  Want to see what really moves a modern culture?
Check out the top rated shows in prime time, then ask yourself, "Why
does this sell?"

To put it in 'punk terms, the masses can be useful if you know how
to move them.  If that seems callous, well, thats the way thing run 
in this group sometimes.

There is a danger to all this, however.  Check out Gibson's short story
"The Gernbeck Continumn" in the Burning Chrome collection.  Just because
you are intellectually aware that you're viewing the mass subconscious 
doesn't mean it won't reach you too.  Emotions are contagous...

Well, know that I've made my plug for the day, I'm going to go rent 
a really bad movie.  They keep the flying saucers away %-)

					Ratner

P.S. I'd love to recomend I book that deals with these ideas further,
(especially the relationship between C.P. and postmodernism) but I 
don't remember the author off-hand.  The title is Strange Weather, and
it is non-fiction.  If anyone is interested, I'll look it up and let 
you know who it's by.
					Rat




