--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Television is a device that permits…" description: "\"Television is a device that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything.\" — Fred Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/fred-allen-4199_device_television-is-a-device-that-permits-peop_2628214.png" --- # Television is a device that permits people who haven't… ![“Television is a device that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything.” quote by Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/fred-allen-4199_device_television-is-a-device-that-permits-peop_2628214.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/fred-allen-4199_device_television-is-a-device-that-permits-peop_2628214.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/fred-allen-4199_device_television-is-a-device-that-permits-peop_2628214.png) > “Television is a device that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything.” [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Television often showcases people lacking skill, reflecting societal laziness and entertainment culture. **In simple terms:** TV shows unskilled people. Key Takeaway Critically assess media consumption. Themes media criticism society entertainment skill Mood sarcastic critical Type satirical observational When to use this quote - viewing habits - educational programming - social commentary - personal development Key Concepts Cultural laziness media influence Questions to Reflect On - How does media shape expectations? - What alternatives improve engagement? A Different Perspective Not all media is low‑brow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [“Televisio is a vehicle that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/televisio-is-a-vehicle-that-permits-people-who-haven-t-anything-to-do/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Television: The device that brings into your living room characters you would never allow in your living room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-skelton/television-the-device-that-brings-into-your-living-room-characters/) [Red Skelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-skelton/) > [Fashion has a right to exist, because it permits the people to define themselves over and over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-demeulemeester/fashion-has-a-right-to-exist-because-it-permits-the-people-to-define/) [Ann Demeulemeester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-demeulemeester/) > [It is the first time since 1993 that Russians have come out into the streets without an explicit permission from the government to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/it-is-the-first-time-since-1993-that-russians-have-come-out-into-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I value my anonymity. I'm happy to come in on the tube or the train and watch other people reading 'Fifty Shades.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james-2/i-value-my-anonymity-i-m-happy-to-come-in-on-the-tube-or-the-train/) [E. L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james-2/) > [It's heartbreaking to watch people working against themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/it-s-heartbreaking-to-watch-people-working-against-themselves/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Watch other people for clues about who they are, not just clues about how much they are or are not like you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-digh/watch-other-people-for-clues-about-who-they-are-not-just-clues-about/) [Patti Digh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-digh/) > [Television is where you watch people in your living room that you would not want near your house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/television-is-where-you-watch-people-in-your-living-room-that-you/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Voyeurism, watching people go about their daily lives, is universally funny, no matter the culture, no matter the anything, it's just always funny to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murray/voyeurism-watching-people-go-about-their-daily-lives-is-universally/) [James Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murray/) > [“I’d much rather watch people do what they do than talk to them across a desk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/i-d-much-rather-watch-people-do-what-they-do-than-talk-to-them-across/) [John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/) > [Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/watch-what-people-are-cynical-about-and-one-can-often-discover-what/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [“But most of all," she said, "I like to watch people. Sometimes I ride the subway all day and look at them and listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/but-most-of-all-she-said-i-like-to-watch-people-sometimes-i-ride-the/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I'm obsessed with people, I'm obsessed with human behavior. I just watch people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoya-akhtar/i-m-obsessed-with-people-i-m-obsessed-with-human-behavior-i-just/) [Zoya Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoya-akhtar/) > [It not that hard as you think,love is hard to find when will fall for the wrong person, but only if we can wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horla/it-not-that-hard-as-you-think-love-is-hard-to-find-when-will-fall-for/) [Horla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horla/) > [Heartbreaking to watch people deteriorating week after week. Constantly being let down by other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/heartbreaking-to-watch-people-deteriorating-week-after-week/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Fred Allen > [“I can't understand why a person will take a year or two to write a novel when he can easily buy one for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/i-can-t-understand-why-a-person-will-take-a-year-or-two-to-write-a/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [“(Faces are all important. Without faces it would be impossible to identify our friends. If we had to recognize people by their bodies, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/faces-are-all-important-without-faces-it-would-be-impossible-to/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [If I could get my membership fee back, I'd resign from the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/if-i-could-get-my-membership-fee-back-i-d-resign-from-the-human-race/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Ed Sullivan will be around as long as someone else has talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/ed-sullivan-will-be-around-as-long-as-someone-else-has-talent/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me. Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/i-like-long-walks-especially-when-they-are-taken-by-people-who-annoy/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [My uncle is a Southern planter. He's an undertaker in Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/my-uncle-is-a-southern-planter-he-s-an-undertaker-in-alabama/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Hollywood is a great place if you're an orange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/hollywood-is-a-great-place-if-you-re-an-orange/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Everywhere outside New York City is Bridgeport, Connecticut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/everywhere-outside-new-york-city-is-bridgeport-connecticut/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [I'm a little hoarse tonight. I've been living in Chicago for the past two months, and you know how it is, yelling for help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/i-m-a-little-hoarse-tonight-i-ve-been-living-in-chicago-for-the-past/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [He writes so well he makes me feel like putting my quill back in my goose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/he-writes-so-well-he-makes-me-feel-like-putting-my-quill-back-in-my/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Her hat is a creation that will never go out of style; it will just look ridiculous year after year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/her-hat-is-a-creation-that-will-never-go-out-of-style-it-will-just/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [When a radio comedian's program is finally finished it slinks down Memory Lane into the limbo of yesteryear's happy hours. All that the comedian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/when-a-radio-comedian-s-program-is-finally-finished-it-slinks-down/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [He's so small, he's a waste of skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/he-s-so-small-he-s-a-waste-of-skin/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [Life, in my estimation, is a biological misadventure that we terminate on the shoulders of six strange men whose only objective is to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/life-in-my-estimation-is-a-biological-misadventure-that-we-terminate/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [My agent gets 10 percent of everything I get, except the blinding headaches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/my-agent-gets-10-percent-of-everything-i-get-except-the-blinding/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) [Explore all 114 Fred Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) ## More Device quotes > [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [In my humble opinion, the PC as we have known it is in a continuous decline and being relegated to a utility device for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-ruiz/in-my-humble-opinion-the-pc-as-we-have-known-it-is-in-a-continuous/) [Hector Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-ruiz/) > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Silence has been destroyed, but also the idea that it's important to learn how another person thinks, to enter the mind of another person.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/silence-has-been-destroyed-but-also-the-idea-that-it-s-important-to/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Without vision, even the most focused passion is a battery without a device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-auletta/without-vision-even-the-most-focused-passion-is-a-battery-without-a/) [Ken Auletta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-auletta/) > [If we can't have the courage to tell our constituents, hey, we've got to cut back, then if we can point to something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-flake/if-we-can-t-have-the-courage-to-tell-our-constituents-hey-we-ve-got/) [Jeff Flake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-flake/) > [When you shop online, wouldn't you like to sample the bouquet of wines, the aroma of cigars, or the subtle fragrance of flowers before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/when-you-shop-online-wouldn-t-you-like-to-sample-the-bouquet-of-wines/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [Self-tracking using a wearable device can be fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/self-tracking-using-a-wearable-device-can-be-fascinating/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [I'm involved in everything from a nutraceutical company to a pharmaceutical company to a medical device company. My whole world revolves around health, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montel-williams/i-m-involved-in-everything-from-a-nutraceutical-company-to-a/) [Montel Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montel-williams/) > [Carbon nanotubes are amazing because they're really good electrical conductors, yet they are only a few atoms in diameter. You can make transistors out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mceuen/carbon-nanotubes-are-amazing-because-they-re-really-good-electrical/) [Paul McEuen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mceuen/) > [I was really ambitious, so I was innovative. I was one of the first DJs to do live calls, 'cause I found this phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-elba/i-was-really-ambitious-so-i-was-innovative-i-was-one-of-the-first-djs/) [Idris Elba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-elba/) > [The smart phone isn't a perfect device, as we all know. It forces the world into a tiny screen. It runs out of battery,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-smart-phone-isn-t-a-perfect-device-as-we-all-know-it-forces-the/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Marriage is a device originated by women for looting the men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/marriage-is-a-device-originated-by-women-for-looting-the-men/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [There is no known device for artistic contraception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/there-is-no-known-device-for-artistic-contraception/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [“Shin: a device for finding things in the dark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-nevil/shin-a-device-for-finding-things-in-the-dark/) Madison Nevil Browse all 137 Device quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Television is a device that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fred Allen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/television-is-a-device-that-permits-people-who-haven-t-anything-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Device" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/television-is-a-device-that-permits-people-who-haven-t-anything-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/fred-allen-4199_device_television-is-a-device-that-permits-peop_2628214.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/fred-allen-4199_device_television-is-a-device-that-permits-peop_2628214.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/761/fred-allen-4199_device_television-is-a-device-that-permits-peop_2628214.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Television is a device that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything.” — Fred Allen", "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": "Fred Allen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Television is a device that permits...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/television-is-a-device-that-permits-people-who-haven-t-anything-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/television-is-a-device-that-permits-people-who-haven-t-anything-to-do/#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 } } ] } ```