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Re: The troubles



While I agree with your assessment of television and its probable effect on
students' reading ability and proclivity (Television is markedly worse now
than it was 40-50 years ago, in the sense that most of the stuff that gets
widely watched has been "dumbed down" to the point of imbecility. It is so
bad that the occasional "average" show stands out in stark contrast.), your
reading list doesn't strike me as one that will bring in many takers, even
among the scholarly community.

"Time for Beanie"? "Howdy Doody Time"? "Kukla, Fran & Ollie"? "Tom Corbett,
Space Cadet"? Come on Hugh, does your memory need jogging here? 40+ years
ago TV's cultural high ground was "Playhouse 90", though my personal
favorite was "Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Those among
you unfortunate enough to have been raised in LA may remember Moto Polo and
Rasslin' (with Gorgeous George and the raw power of Primo Carnera). Junk
sports were invented a long time before "American Gladiators".

There is much good entertainment available on TV today. To be accurate one
would have to say that the worst of TV is worse than what was on more than
40 years ago. Parental censorship is far more important today than it was
even twenty years ago. (The V-chip was invented by a fellow here at SFU, by
the way.)

It does my heart good to see that parental concerns rise so quickly in this
discussion in a physics group. It's not just because so many of us are
parents, either. It is my belief that the institution which is failing most
rapidly in our society is the family, and this is, at the root of it, the
cause of our declining student quality. I read lots of scholarship
applications for one of my committees here. The recurring theme in the
essays of these, the best kids from our high schools, is the strong family
background - two parents, lots of family activities like biking and camping
(and skiing among the more affluent). Family wealth is not the dominant
common factor across this group; family health is.

Leigh