Amusing Ourselves to Death "Shuffle Off to Bethlehem" Summary
Chapter 8 Outline
Postman argues that the medium of television has changed religion into entertainment.
He describes the different preachers and reverends that have their own television shows for entertainment.
1. Reverend Terry’s show is energetic and she persuades people to change their lives by finding god.
2. Pat Robertson’s show, The 700 Club, has stories of people whose lives were saved by god, entertainers, and singers.
3. Jimmy Swaggart show is theatrical and entertaining
B. There are thirty-five religious stations that are entertaining and the shows aren’t like traditional religion.
1. Religion on television is presented as entertainment and it doesn’t have tradition, theology, and “spiritual transcendence” as traditional religious practices
2. The medium of television in which the electronic preachers work is weak and not everything is not televisible.
All forms of discourse cannot be converted from medium to another. Something is significantly changed when it is presented in a different form.
Religion on television is translated into something else and it loses its original essence.
1. If the way religion is delivered, then the message is not the same, then the message is not the same.
2. If the context of the messaged is experienced differently, then the social and psychological meaning is different.
B. Television makes an authentic religious experience is impossible.
1. People are not concentrated on the religious experience when watching a religious show due to their environment being different than a traditional religious environment.
2. People are not focused on the religion, because they can easily change the channel or do something else.
C. Their goal is to attract an audience by entertaining.
1. The preachers give the audience what they want, but great religious leaders offer them what they need.
2. They have visual imagery to keep their high ratings.
The purpose of true religion is enchantment, not entertainment. Enchantment means that people access sacredness, but with entertainment people distance themselves from it.
People are more focused on the imagery and the preacher and not God.
1. Preachers who do theatrical performances like Bishop Sheen are worshipped instead of God.
2. The preachers are there on the television to be seen, admired, and adored.
B. Religion on television attracts millions of viewers.
1. The Religious shows have rock stars perform or they perform to build up their audience.
2. “…the danger is not that religion has become the content of television shows, but that television shows may become the content of religion” (Postman 124).
Major Concepts and Vocabulary
Coiffure: A person’s hairstyle.
She appears to be in her early fifties, and features a coiffure of which it has been said that it cannot be mussed, only broken (Postman, 114).
Knowing what a coiffure is enables the reader to understand the hint of humor in Postman’s writing.
Ecumenism: Representing a number of Christian churches.
But because this is television, he often moderates his message with a dollop of ecumenism (Postman, 115).
Knowing the ecumenism relates to Christianity is an important part of the chapter.
Austere: Severe or strict in manner.
If one puts aside the Quakers and a few other austere sects, every religion tries to make itself appealing through art, music, icons, and awe inspiring ritual(Postman, 122).
Using context clues helps to more clearly define the word austere.
Congregants: A member of a congregation.
They require congregants to respond to them with suitable reverence.
A person that isn’t religious may not know this word.
Accoutrements: Additional items of dress or equipment.
The difference between these accoutrements…(Postman, 122).
Accoutrements is not a very common word and looking it up cleared up the sentence for me.
This video is a basic collage of old religious TV shows, presented by Joe Bob Briggs. Briggs takes clips of the aforementioned religious TV shows and commentates on each one of them, bringing out their humorous qualities, and instead of demonstrating the actual and intended religious values the series hold, he depicts the satiric and demeaning sides of them by inferring the he personally believes religious shows hold no further use than providing means of laugher. He states, “I love religious TV. I’m a channel-surfing, Religious TV, couch-potato fool. I once sat in a motel room in Meridian, Mississippi watching a Pentecostal Revival meeting that lasted three and a half hours, and they didn’t even use snakes!” Immediately after. Briggs continued on to comment on a woman claiming that acne is a build of sins that is escaping the body. He replies by claiming she said “ACME”, not acne, followed by the phrase, “What a babe!”
Briggs’ uses many phrases and supposed “excerpts” in his claim that religious TV is just too funny to be serious. One of the best examples are when he said, “As God said to Moses, let’s boogie through the desert.” Postman’s claim is similar, stating that Religious TV really can’t be taken seriously. While Briggs turns to humor and satire as his main point in exemplification, Postman uses the point that religious TV is more about image, popularity, money, and entertainment; maybe not all at once, but it’s possible.
Many of the parts shown in “Godstuff” is perfect example of how ‘pure’ and ‘mindlessly devoted’ some of the hosts/priests appear, but some of them are too much, making their persona easy to laugh at. At the beginning, there is a man jumping up and down, flailing his arms mindlessly, and making various ungodly noises, which proves to be entertaining. In one of the following portions, a man claims that in the Bible, white hair is seen as godly and mainly the ideal appearance for the best priests and prophets, known as their “crown and glory.” The irony is in the preacher himself was sporting some lovely, white locks, proving that presentation and image is extremely important. Of course, Briggs proceeds to mock and satirize the religious statements in every single clip, just portraying all types of religious TV as funny and completely void of all seriousness, just as Postman does.
Discussion Questions
How does the content of television shows alter the content of religion?
As Neil Postman claims that, “what is televised is transformed from what it was to something else, which may or may not present its former essence” (postman, 118). Does this inevitably result in a psychology of secularism?
Is there an inversion of roles of who to be worshipped when religion is featured on television?
How is the essence of just accepting the lord in the people’s heart lost, when television preachers claim that “you can only get your share of the audience only by offering people something they want.”(postman, 121).
Contributions to these shows run into millions. Behind the preaching is there an incentive for their show to become more popular by the minute? How does this change the face of Christianity?
When Christianity is delivered as easy and amusing is another kind of religion presented? Why or why not?
How does the act of ‘“offering free pamphlets, Bibles and gifts, and, in Jerry Falwell’s case, two free “Jesus first” pins”’(postman,121), portray Jesus as just another celebrity? And if so, how can this be dangerous in differentiating who is the real God?
Is there danger if televised religion feels as if it to some degree must be entertaining for the audience?
The article, “Thinking Theologically about Social Media”, defends Neil Postman’s struggle of how televised religion serves as another form of entertainment. The transition between televised religion and social media creates a change in the “core beliefs” of a society (Huff Post, para.4). The Huffington Post questions God’s relevance when he asks, “does all the glitz and glamor of these particular changes just distract us from following a steadfast and loving God” (para.4), thus social media becomes worshiper-centric rather than God being the epicenter of it all. The value of God’s role is at stake when “God is conveyed digitally over Twitter or on YouTube”. The digital reality of a God deviates away from the sacred sanctions of religion. Both Neil Postman and the Huffington Post defend that religion is lost in translation when featured on television. When the delivery of the message is altered into measures of amusement and entertainment secularizes religion, according to the Huffington Post, the definition of salvation is changed. Televised religion strives to encompass many hearts and souls salvation in a way that lures in as many as viewers as it can. When religion evolves into a form of comedy or entertainment then all hope is lost when the message is delivered in a way that undermines the sacred intent of it all.
References
Postman, Neil. "Shuffle Off to Bethlehem." Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Viking, 1985. N. pag. Print.
Contributors
Blake Florian ~ Major Concepts and Vocabulary
Kiana Smith ~ Summary
KT Porter ~ Visual Presentation
Natasha Dillon ~ Discussion Questions and Research
Rachel El-Yousef ~ Web designer and editor
"Shuffle Off to Bethlehem"
Summary
Chapter 8 Outline
- Postman argues that the medium of television has changed religion into entertainment.
- He describes the different preachers and reverends that have their own television shows for entertainment.
1. Reverend Terry’s show is energetic and she persuades people to change their lives by finding god.2. Pat Robertson’s show, The 700 Club, has stories of people whose lives were saved by god, entertainers, and singers.
3. Jimmy Swaggart show is theatrical and entertaining
B. There are thirty-five religious stations that are entertaining and the shows aren’t like traditional religion.
1. Religion on television is presented as entertainment and it doesn’t have tradition, theology, and “spiritual transcendence” as traditional religious practices
2. The medium of television in which the electronic preachers work is weak and not everything is not televisible.
- All forms of discourse cannot be converted from medium to another. Something is significantly changed when it is presented in a different form.
- Religion on television is translated into something else and it loses its original essence.
1. If the way religion is delivered, then the message is not the same, then the message is not the same.2. If the context of the messaged is experienced differently, then the social and psychological meaning is different.
B. Television makes an authentic religious experience is impossible.
1. People are not concentrated on the religious experience when watching a religious show due to their environment being different than a traditional religious environment.
2. People are not focused on the religion, because they can easily change the channel or do something else.
C. Their goal is to attract an audience by entertaining.
1. The preachers give the audience what they want, but great religious leaders offer them what they need.
2. They have visual imagery to keep their high ratings.
- The purpose of true religion is enchantment, not entertainment. Enchantment means that people access sacredness, but with entertainment people distance themselves from it.
- People are more focused on the imagery and the preacher and not God.
1. Preachers who do theatrical performances like Bishop Sheen are worshipped instead of God.2. The preachers are there on the television to be seen, admired, and adored.
B. Religion on television attracts millions of viewers.
1. The Religious shows have rock stars perform or they perform to build up their audience.
2. “…the danger is not that religion has become the content of television shows, but that television shows may become the content of religion” (Postman 124).
Major Concepts and Vocabulary
- Coiffure: A person’s hairstyle.
She appears to be in her early fifties, and features a coiffure of which it has been said that it cannot be mussed, only broken (Postman, 114).Knowing what a coiffure is enables the reader to understand the hint of humor in Postman’s writing.
- Ecumenism: Representing a number of Christian churches.
But because this is television, he often moderates his message with a dollop of ecumenism (Postman, 115).Knowing the ecumenism relates to Christianity is an important part of the chapter.
- Austere: Severe or strict in manner.
If one puts aside the Quakers and a few other austere sects, every religion tries to make itself appealing through art, music, icons, and awe inspiring ritual(Postman, 122).Using context clues helps to more clearly define the word austere.
- Congregants: A member of a congregation.
They require congregants to respond to them with suitable reverence.A person that isn’t religious may not know this word.
- Accoutrements: Additional items of dress or equipment.
The difference between these accoutrements…(Postman, 122).Accoutrements is not a very common word and looking it up cleared up the sentence for me.
Visual Presentation
Godstuff
This video is a basic collage of old religious TV shows, presented by Joe Bob Briggs. Briggs takes clips of the aforementioned religious TV shows and commentates on each one of them, bringing out their humorous qualities, and instead of demonstrating the actual and intended religious values the series hold, he depicts the satiric and demeaning sides of them by inferring the he personally believes religious shows hold no further use than providing means of laugher. He states, “I love religious TV. I’m a channel-surfing, Religious TV, couch-potato fool. I once sat in a motel room in Meridian, Mississippi watching a Pentecostal Revival meeting that lasted three and a half hours, and they didn’t even use snakes!” Immediately after. Briggs continued on to comment on a woman claiming that acne is a build of sins that is escaping the body. He replies by claiming she said “ACME”, not acne, followed by the phrase, “What a babe!”
Briggs’ uses many phrases and supposed “excerpts” in his claim that religious TV is just too funny to be serious. One of the best examples are when he said, “As God said to Moses, let’s boogie through the desert.” Postman’s claim is similar, stating that Religious TV really can’t be taken seriously. While Briggs turns to humor and satire as his main point in exemplification, Postman uses the point that religious TV is more about image, popularity, money, and entertainment; maybe not all at once, but it’s possible.
Many of the parts shown in “Godstuff” is perfect example of how ‘pure’ and ‘mindlessly devoted’ some of the hosts/priests appear, but some of them are too much, making their persona easy to laugh at. At the beginning, there is a man jumping up and down, flailing his arms mindlessly, and making various ungodly noises, which proves to be entertaining. In one of the following portions, a man claims that in the Bible, white hair is seen as godly and mainly the ideal appearance for the best priests and prophets, known as their “crown and glory.” The irony is in the preacher himself was sporting some lovely, white locks, proving that presentation and image is extremely important. Of course, Briggs proceeds to mock and satirize the religious statements in every single clip, just portraying all types of religious TV as funny and completely void of all seriousness, just as Postman does.
Discussion Questions
How does the content of television shows alter the content of religion?
As Neil Postman claims that, “what is televised is transformed from what it was to something else, which may or may not present its former essence” (postman, 118). Does this inevitably result in a psychology of secularism?
Is there an inversion of roles of who to be worshipped when religion is featured on television?
How is the essence of just accepting the lord in the people’s heart lost, when television preachers claim that “you can only get your share of the audience only by offering people something they want.”(postman, 121).
Contributions to these shows run into millions. Behind the preaching is there an incentive for their show to become more popular by the minute? How does this change the face of Christianity?
When Christianity is delivered as easy and amusing is another kind of religion presented? Why or why not?
How does the act of ‘“offering free pamphlets, Bibles and gifts, and, in Jerry Falwell’s case, two free “Jesus first” pins”’(postman,121), portray Jesus as just another celebrity? And if so, how can this be dangerous in differentiating who is the real God?
Is there danger if televised religion feels as if it to some degree must be entertaining for the audience?
Research
Thinking Theologically About Media
The article, “Thinking Theologically about Social Media”, defends Neil Postman’s struggle of how televised religion serves as another form of entertainment. The transition between televised religion and social media creates a change in the “core beliefs” of a society (Huff Post, para.4). The Huffington Post questions God’s relevance when he asks, “does all the glitz and glamor of these particular changes just distract us from following a steadfast and loving God” (para.4), thus social media becomes worshiper-centric rather than God being the epicenter of it all. The value of God’s role is at stake when “God is conveyed digitally over Twitter or on YouTube”. The digital reality of a God deviates away from the sacred sanctions of religion. Both Neil Postman and the Huffington Post defend that religion is lost in translation when featured on television. When the delivery of the message is altered into measures of amusement and entertainment secularizes religion, according to the Huffington Post, the definition of salvation is changed. Televised religion strives to encompass many hearts and souls salvation in a way that lures in as many as viewers as it can. When religion evolves into a form of comedy or entertainment then all hope is lost when the message is delivered in a way that undermines the sacred intent of it all.
References
Postman, Neil. "Shuffle Off to Bethlehem." Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Viking, 1985. N. pag. Print.
Joe, Briggs, perf. Godstuff. 2011. Web. 13 Mar 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wejGcyI5TgE>.
Verity, Jones. "Thinking Theologically About Social Media." Huffington Post [New York City, United States] 6 28 2012, n. pag. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/verity-a-jones/thinking-theologically-about-social-media_b_1634878.html>.
Contributors
Blake Florian ~ Major Concepts and Vocabulary
Kiana Smith ~ Summary
KT Porter ~ Visual Presentation
Natasha Dillon ~ Discussion Questions and Research
Rachel El-Yousef ~ Web designer and editor
Real Page
Shuffle Off to Bethlehem