The Definition of Stupidity
Stupidity by Albert Nerenberg Features Bill Maher, Noam Chomsky, George W. Bush, Mark Crispin Miller and many others. It’s a humorous examination of stupidity in contemporary American culture, covering: the effects of television and mass media on the American intellect; the “dumbing down” of American culture; the popularity of Steve-O and Jackass; role of religion in willful stupidity; the identification of many Americans with George W. Bush; the evolution of such concepts as “idiot” and “moron.”
The DVD edition contains extra interviews commentaries and readings. The film is not connected to Matthijs van Boxsel’s book called Encyclopaedia of Stupidity — also 2003- but recommended. Notes written September 17th, 2007
Note: a 30 second delay appears before the video. The film has been checked for completeness. It’s 70 minutes long but well worth watching.
Its interesting academics have avoided this subject matter perhaps as mentioned we are sacred of it…. Society obviously has a powerful role to play when it comes to the impact, acceptability, the interpretation, the values, and the generation of stupidity. All these factors kept coming to mind when watching this …..
And television – I am ever so glad to say I have reduced my television watching a long time ago and only watch what I consider useful..Ive found TV watching a bad way of burning dead time….
This post is interesting, hilarious and educational. I had to share it for all to see..
@Fatima
I’m so glad you made the time to watch it all the way through. Our responses to it are the same. It’s a fascinating, funny and food for thought documentary.
Like you I turned off the boob tube long ago. Then I had lots of time to pursue many rewarding interests that I never would have undertaken if I had remained like a zombie in front of the box.
I will definitely watch the video when I have the time set aside. Sounds so interesting–thank you for passing it along to all of us!
Melinda
Melinda´s last blog ..I Have the Swine Flu!
Please rest and take good care of yourself. Hopefully this flu will leave your body soon and you will watch this remarkable documentary then. Thanks for commenting. {{HUG}}
Good video, thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome and thanks for the feedback.
I’ll have to see if we can get this movie for our library system. (As the sole non-right-wing-christian-republican in S. Louisiana I do what I can to get “alternative” views available to the public.
Lana´s last blog ..Fontainebleau…Finally
I’ve likewise submitted a request for acquisition to my local library because I think this documentary is well worth watching. The dumbing down is without doubt a phenomena that we can witness everywhere in our culture. I honestly can’t imagine what it would be like to live where you live. I live in a location where right wingers are very lonely souls.
Interesting video and true.
David Brooks in his book Bobos in Paradise talks about “proudly illiterate culture” (quoted in Pannapacker). I encounter students too often who just don’t want to know about anything beyond what they already know.
Perhaps academics think that education will overcome stupidity, but it obviously doesn’t. (Mea culpa!)
Soirette´s last blog ..Little Black Meme
Perhaps academics think that education will overcome stupidity, but it obviously doesn’t.
Well said. :)
I found the documentary quite amusing and informative. It’s funny how the word stupidity is over-used but still people have difficulty defining it. Stupidity, I guess is quite relative. I find, the more we advance technologically, the more stupidness we breed, I guess due to a more extensive media coverage that has become a replacement for good literature.
Funkkeejooce´s last blog ..Me and Ma
Watching thus video was a real eye opener for me and that’s why I shared it. We all bear responsibility for behaving in stupid ways and perpetuating more stupidity. We are a society that’s dumbing down. I don’t lay all the responsibility at the feet of the media and advertising either because they simply dish out what we demand. I also agree with you final sentence the more technology advances the stupider we become.