Speaking to Middle Tennessee State students yesterday, Al Gore commented on the role of television in our democracy:
“Our democracy is suffering in an age when the dominant medium is not accessible to the average person and does not lend itself most readily to the conveyance of complex ideas about self-governance,” Gore said. “Instead it pushes toward a lowest common denominator.”
Gore said the results of that inaccessibility are reflected most prominently in the changed priorities of the country’s elected officials, who feel that debating important issues is “relatively meaningless today. How do they spend their time instead? Raising money to buy 30-second television commercials.”
What on earth is this man talking about? Television is inaccessibile? I agree that it is not the best medium for communicating complex ideas, but show me a home in this country without at least one television! Gore goes on to cite the fact that most Americans watch four hours of television per day. Am I missing something here or does this make no sense whatsoever?
Gore’s lecture was watched by most people via satellite television. I suppose that made it difficult to communicate his ideas, resulting in his confusing statement.
Even more interesting that he thinks the Internet is more accessible than television. I guess he has to promote the Internet as much as possible, though, since he invented it and all.