The radio and television […] have succeeded in lifting the manufacture of banality out of
the sphere of handicraft and placed it in that of a major industry.
—Nathalie Sarraute, 1960
All television is children’s television.
—Anonymous
22
Television is not the truth! Television is the goddamned amusement park!
—Paddy Chayefsky, 1976
Television: a medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well done.
—Ernie Kovacs, 1996
Television is a rat race, and remember this, even if you win you are still a rat.
—Jackie Gleason, 1956
23
Television is for appearing on – not for looking at.
24
—Noël Coward, 1956
I find television very educational. Every time somebody switches it on, I go into another
room and read a good book.
—Groucho Marx
25
Television is the first truly democratic culture – the first culture available to everybody and
entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.
—Clive Barnes, 1969
26
***
We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete
works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.
—Robert Wilensky, 1996
Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless that for some people it is a complete substitute
for life.
—Andrew Brown
27
Information on the Internet is subject to the same rules and regulations as conversation at a bar.
—George D. Lundberg, 1997
22
I have seen this wisdom attributed to Richard Adler, but could not find a reliable confirmation of
his authorship.
23
Later paraphrased/generalized by many, most famously by Lily Tomlin.
24
This reminds me of prestigious scientific journals like Science and Nature that are, similarly, for
being published in—not for reading of.
25
As quoted, without a date, in many sources, possibly starting from Leslie Halliwell in 1984.
26
I believe that this evaluation is even more applicable to the Internet—read on.
27
As quoted, without a date, in several generally reliable sources, starting not later than 1996.
118
On Arts, Entertainment, and Internet
the sphere of handicraft and placed it in that of a major industry.
—Nathalie Sarraute, 1960
All television is children’s television.
—Anonymous
22
Television is not the truth! Television is the goddamned amusement park!
—Paddy Chayefsky, 1976
Television: a medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well done.
—Ernie Kovacs, 1996
Television is a rat race, and remember this, even if you win you are still a rat.
—Jackie Gleason, 1956
23
Television is for appearing on – not for looking at.
24
—Noël Coward, 1956
I find television very educational. Every time somebody switches it on, I go into another
room and read a good book.
—Groucho Marx
25
Television is the first truly democratic culture – the first culture available to everybody and
entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.
—Clive Barnes, 1969
26
***
We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete
works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.
—Robert Wilensky, 1996
Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless that for some people it is a complete substitute
for life.
—Andrew Brown
27
Information on the Internet is subject to the same rules and regulations as conversation at a bar.
—George D. Lundberg, 1997
22
I have seen this wisdom attributed to Richard Adler, but could not find a reliable confirmation of
his authorship.
23
Later paraphrased/generalized by many, most famously by Lily Tomlin.
24
This reminds me of prestigious scientific journals like Science and Nature that are, similarly, for
being published in—not for reading of.
25
As quoted, without a date, in many sources, possibly starting from Leslie Halliwell in 1984.
26
I believe that this evaluation is even more applicable to the Internet—read on.
27
As quoted, without a date, in several generally reliable sources, starting not later than 1996.
118
On Arts, Entertainment, and Internet