During the pandemic, most of us wanted comfort content to get us to sleep. But did we err too far away from fulfilling art, and towards escapism? On this episode Terra Fernandez and I debate a now-36-year-old book that seems to have gained — or maintained — relevance recently in the world of social media, using a debate between George Orwell (and his 1984) and Aldous Huxley (and his Brave New World) as the modern precipitator to the media environment we currently face. We discuss:
the reputation of this book, from media luminaries like Tristan Harris recommending its critique;
alternate theories of TV influence, from gatekeepers to “the cone of silence”;
Terra’s experience working in advertising, on TV, online, and with branded content.
Also:
how quaint the book’s polemic is against Reagan post-Trump;
how dated the book’s TV polemic has become, with its viewership going down;
but how prescient the book’s polemic has been when applied to the internet.
Terra Fernandez is a director of content partnerships in advertising. While this photo of her is indicative of her skeptical thoughts on the book, it was also, in the moment, an impression of me.
Amusing Ourselves to Death is available in multiple editions, including its 20th anniversary edition, online and at brick and mortar bookstores.