Produced in 1973 [by Richard Serra and Carlota Ray Schoolman], “Television Delivers People” is a seminal work in the now well-established critique of popular media as an instrument of social control that asserts itself subtly on the populace through “entertainments,” for the benefit of those in power-the corporations that maintain and profit from the status quo. Television emerges as little more than a insidious sponsor for the corporate engines of the world.
A historical lesson for the potential futures of the internets?
Thank you Nessman for making my day!
It would be cool to see this redone using the tools of today, visually.
Lloyd,
I totally agree, and while some of the basic ideas of complete control have changed. The ideas of bandwidth, advertising, and power and fortune through aggregated masses remains in tact. The Google in 2020 video moves towards this, but I love the way this video truly inhabits the medium it is critiquing. It is the television, in its most passive and consumptive state. I love that part of it.
Yes, we need to get this redone. But even as is, man … I have so many ideas for using this in the spaces of my presentations/discussions/conversations. Great stuff!
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