--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What TV is extremely good at - and…" description: "\"What TV is extremely good at - and realize that this is 'all it does' - is discerning what large numbers of people think they want, and supplying it.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/david-foster-wallace-161_discerning_what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize_3175614.jpg" --- # What TV is extremely good at - and realize that this is… ![“What TV is extremely good at - and realize that this is 'all it does' - is discerning what large numbers of people think they want, and supplying it.” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/david-foster-wallace-161_discerning_what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize_3175614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/david-foster-wallace-161_discerning_what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize_3175614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/david-foster-wallace-161_discerning_what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize_3175614.jpg) > “What TV is extremely good at - and realize that this is 'all it does' - is discerning what large numbers of people think they want, and supplying it.” [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wallace argues TV excels at reflecting mass desires, offering exactly what large audiences think they want. **In simple terms:** TV mirrors popular demand. Key Takeaway Recognize TV's role in shaping taste. Themes mass media consumer desire reflection Mood analytical thoughtful Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - advertising - programming decisions - audience analysis - media criticism Key Concepts cultural homogenization media economics Questions to Reflect On - What drives collective taste? - How can creators challenge popular demand? A Different Perspective TV also shapes desires, not just reflects them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [I have realised that TV is extremely gratifying in the sense that people see you in their houses, and they get very attached to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poonam-dhillon/i-have-realised-that-tv-is-extremely-gratifying-in-the-sense-that/) [Poonam Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poonam-dhillon/) > [I think Ms. Monroe's architecture is extremely good architecture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/i-think-ms-monroe-s-architecture-is-extremely-good-architecture/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [I am very good at decoration. 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Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [When we have an inner initiation into pure love, we are in contact with our true nature. Judgment of ourselves and others disappears. Compassionate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/when-we-have-an-inner-initiation-into-pure-love-we-are-in-contact/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [If you feel a great loneliness and a deep longing for human contact, you have to be extremely discerning...and ask yourself whether this situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/if-you-feel-a-great-loneliness-and-a-deep-longing-for-human-contact/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [“He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/he-who-knows-other-men-is-discerning-he-who-knows-himself-is/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [My first job with a network was 'General Hospital,' and that was ABC. I feel like I have so much history with them, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-ray-newman/my-first-job-with-a-network-was-general-hospital-and-that-was-abc-i/) [Jaime Ray Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-ray-newman/) > [If I were to offer any advice to young writers, it would be this: be discriminating and be discerning about the work you set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-l-pez/if-i-were-to-offer-any-advice-to-young-writers-it-would-be-this-be/) [Barry Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-l-pez/) > [A discerning man, when he eats grapes, takes only the ripe ones and leaves the sour. Thus also the discerning mind carefully marks the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/a-discerning-man-when-he-eats-grapes-takes-only-the-ripe-ones-and/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > ['The Observer's Very Short List' is another example of how the Observer Media Group offers its readers the most cutting-edge information, available in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-kushner/the-observer-s-very-short-list-is-another-example-of-how-the-observer/) [Jared Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-kushner/) > [“Not every good idea is God's perfect will for you; it may need discerning, wisdom and experience to tell the difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-lucas-d-shallua/not-every-good-idea-is-god-s-perfect-will-for-you-it-may-need/) [Dr. Lucas D. Shallua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-lucas-d-shallua/) > [We are all responsible to Jesus first, and then, under him, to various other persons and offices. 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Haney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-l-haney/) Browse all 140 Discerning quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What TV is extremely good at - and realize that this is 'all it does' - is discerning what large numbers of people think they want, and supplying it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Foster Wallace" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize-that-this-is-all-it-does-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discerning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize-that-this-is-all-it-does-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/david-foster-wallace-161_discerning_what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize_3175614.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/david-foster-wallace-161_discerning_what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize_3175614.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/david-foster-wallace-161_discerning_what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize_3175614.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What TV is extremely good at - and realize that this is 'all it does' - is discerning what large numbers of…” — David Foster Wallace", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Foster Wallace", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What TV is extremely good at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize-that-this-is-all-it-does-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/what-tv-is-extremely-good-at-and-realize-that-this-is-all-it-does-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```