Television is a fascinating invention. Its effect on the global population has not been especially enlightening, as its designers might have imagined it could have been. But TV provides something thats very difficult to achieve in a nation of 300 million very different people: cultural unity. Every single American alive in the 1960s saw a man set foot on the moon for the first time in human history. Many Americans have seen their favorite sports team when a national championship. White Americans watching from home were given a window seat into black homes on The Jeffersons. Millions wondered about who shot Mr. Burns and JR and millions more are at the edge of their seats waiting to see how it finally unfolds when Hank Schrader confronts his drug kingpin brother-in-law on Breaking Bad. A lot of people think its that cultural unity that makes TV such a bad thing in the first place. Unique and proud cultural identities are recycled and converted into generic stereotypes that enforce the preexisting worldview of the establishment class who manufactures the product. Its also a common complaint that most of the stuff on television just isnt that good. The production values of commercials have obviously skyrocketed in comparison to those of the shows during which they air, making televisions true purpose as little more than fluff for bookending advertisements apparent. Nonetheless, without TV Americans might have very little to talk to one another about. Whatever generation youre in, whatever culture you belong to, there are a handful of shows that everyone watched and can remember in detail. The stories and their legacy will live on as one of the nations very few shared cultural memories, making TV, despite its numerous shortcomings, a precious component of the American experience.
Kyle Schmidlin is a writer and musician living in Austin, TX. He manages the news blog at thirdrailnews.wordpress.com. Follow him at facebook.com/kyleschmidlin or twitter.com/kyleschmidlin1.
