--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's no accident that Julia Child…" description: "\"It's no accident that Julia Child appeared on public television - or educational television, as it used to be called. On a commercial network, a progra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/michael-pollan-408_accident_it-s-no-accident-that-julia-child-appear_2170917.png" --- # It's no accident that Julia Child appeared on public… ![“It's no accident that Julia Child appeared on public television - or educational television, as it used to be called. On a commercial network, a program that actually inspired viewers to get off the couch and spend an hour cooking a meal would be a commercial disaster, for it would mean they were…” quote by Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/michael-pollan-408_accident_it-s-no-accident-that-julia-child-appear_2170917.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/michael-pollan-408_accident_it-s-no-accident-that-julia-child-appear_2170917.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/michael-pollan-408_accident_it-s-no-accident-that-julia-child-appear_2170917.png) > “It's no accident that Julia Child appeared on public television - or educational television, as it used to be called. On a commercial network, a program that actually inspired viewers to get off the couch and spend an hour cooking a meal would be a commercial disaster, for it would mean they were turning off the television to do something else.” [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Julia Child’s TV presence showed how educational cooking shows can inspire active participation, unlike commercial TV that avoids content requiring viewers to act. **In simple terms:** Educational TV can motivate viewers to cook, not just watch. Key Takeaway Use media to inspire action. Themes media education cooking culture Mood inspirational reflective Type observational cultural When to use this quote - home cooking - TV programming - public broadcasting Key Concepts public television educational programming viewer engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can modern media inspire active participation? - What role does education play in entertainment? A Different Perspective Commercial TV may avoid content that disrupts passive viewing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accident/) [Accident Julia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accident-julia-4649263/) [Cooking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooking/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Educational Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational-television-997853/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/julia-child/) [Public Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-television-993178/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Television Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-educational-1353532/) ## Related quotes > [All television is educational television. The question is: what is it teaching?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-johnson/all-television-is-educational-television-the-question-is-what-is-it/) [Nicholas Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-johnson/) > [All television is educational television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-television-is-educational-television/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not talking about having to consult Julia Child before you can take a pot off the rack. I think that's something we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/i-m-not-talking-about-having-to-consult-julia-child-before-you-can/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [You're children. Don't you want a home, a family?" "With, like, vitamin-fortified cereal and educational television?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-children-don-t-you-want-a-home-a-family-with-like-vitamin/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-must-say-i-find-television-very-educational-the-minute-somebody-2/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I won't stop for a little...EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION!!! AHHH!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sponge-bob/i-won-t-stop-for-a-little-educational-television-ahhh/) [Sponge Bob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sponge-bob/) > [Educational television should be absolutely forbidden. It can only lead to unreasonable disappointment when your child discovers that the letters of the alphabet do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/educational-television-should-be-absolutely-forbidden-it-can-only/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-must-say-i-find-television-very-educational-the-minute-somebody/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [My father was invited to play on a television show when I was 17 or 18 that was an early equivalent of educational television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sebastian/my-father-was-invited-to-play-on-a-television-show-when-i-was-17-or/) [John Sebastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sebastian/) > [“I find television very educational. Every time someone switches it on I go into another room and read a good book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-find-television-very-educational-every-time-someone-switches-it-on/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I find television very educational. Every time someone turns it on, I go in the other room and read a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-find-television-very-educational-every-time-someone-turns-it-on-i/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Public television works hard to engage young learners and build the skills needed for a jump-start on life. We need our youngest to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/public-television-works-hard-to-engage-young-learners-and-build-the/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [It's definitely the highest rated pre-school show on Cable. It's difficult to mix markets that way in terms of ratings. It's hard to tell,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-burns/it-s-definitely-the-highest-rated-pre-school-show-on-cable-it-s/) [Steve Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-burns/) > [The current public television and radio system in the United States, while it's better than nothing, that's about the best you can say about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-waterman-mcchesney/the-current-public-television-and-radio-system-in-the-united-states/) [Robert Waterman McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-waterman-mcchesney/) > [With public television, they're making things that aren't driven by advertisers. They're one of the only platforms where we can really mine for truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-choi/with-public-television-they-re-making-things-that-aren-t-driven-by/) [Roy Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-choi/) ## More by Michael Pollan > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [The problem is that we let special-occasion food become everyday food. That goes for soda and french fries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-problem-is-that-we-let-special-occasion-food-become-everyday-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Every peasant cuisine has incredible ingenious tricks for getting a lot of nutrition out of a small amount of ingredients. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/every-peasant-cuisine-has-incredible-ingenious-tricks-for-getting-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“In ancient Greece, the word for “cook,” “butcher,” and “priest” was the same—mageiros—and the word shares an etymological root with “magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-ancient-greece-the-word-for-cook-butcher-and-priest-was-the-same/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [In the end I'm still a writer. I'm still a journalist, and my first responsibility is to my readers. That's where I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-end-i-m-still-a-writer-i-m-still-a-journalist-and-my-first/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“The bubble logic driving tulipomania has since acquired a name: “the greater fool theory.” Although by any conventional measure it is folly to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-bubble-logic-driving-tulipomania-has-since-acquired-a-name-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Of the seven deadly sins, surely it is pride that most afflicts the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-surely-it-is-pride-that-most-afflicts-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Growing corn, which from a biological perspective had always been a process of capturing sunlight to turn into food, has in no small measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/growing-corn-which-from-a-biological-perspective-had-always-been-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Eat with consciousness. When you eat with consciousness, and you know what you're eating, and you eat it in full appreciation of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-with-consciousness-when-you-eat-with-consciousness-and-you-know/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [This is part of human nature, the desire to change consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/this-is-part-of-human-nature-the-desire-to-change-consciousness/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“...whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it's actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/whenever-i-hear-people-say-clean-food-is-expensive-i-tell-them-it-s/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. Imagine if it produced that food in a way that restored the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/imagine-if-we-had-a-food-system-that-actually-produced-wholesome-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“CONSULT YOUR GUT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/consult-your-gut/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) [Explore all 584 Michael Pollan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## More Accident quotes > [Fame, we may understand, is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such: it is an accident, not a property, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/fame-we-may-understand-is-no-sure-test-of-merit-but-only-a/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [“The accident in your rearview mirror already happened. The one in front of you is still preventable. Pay attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nakia-r-laushaul/the-accident-in-your-rearview-mirror-already-happened-the-one-in/) [Nakia R. Laushaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nakia-r-laushaul/) > [People dont get married by accident and they dont get divorced by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hayes/people-dont-get-married-by-accident-and-they-dont-get-divorced-by/) [Darren Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hayes/) > [My father had Parkinson's, though he actually died following a bicycle accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/my-father-had-parkinson-s-though-he-actually-died-following-a-bicycle/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [A tragic car accident put me in a wheelchair and dashed my hopes and dreams for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/a-tragic-car-accident-put-me-in-a-wheelchair-and-dashed-my-hopes-and/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [My musical career was an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/my-musical-career-was-an-accident/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [The spirit in the body is like wine in a glass; when it spills, it seeps into air and earth and light….It’s a mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/the-spirit-in-the-body-is-like-wine-in-a-glass-when-it-spills-it/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) > [accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/accident-ruled-every-corner-of-the-universe-except-the-chambers-of/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [There is a French expression that says: to be exposed to an accident, to cross a street without looking at the cars means exposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/there-is-a-french-expression-that-says-to-be-exposed-to-an-accident/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [It's no accident that most self-help groups use 'anonymous' in their names; to Americans, the first step toward redemption is a ritual wiping out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/it-s-no-accident-that-most-self-help-groups-use-anonymous-in-their/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [“I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit a book mark and flew across the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-just-got-out-of-the-hospital-i-was-in-a-speed-reading-accident-i/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [However, I met with a horrible accident while riding my bike in Sangla Valley. The accident was a wakeup call for me stop getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-shukla/however-i-met-with-a-horrible-accident-while-riding-my-bike-in-sangla/) [Abhinav Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-shukla/) > [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 922 Accident quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accident/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's no accident that Julia Child appeared on public television - or educational television, as it used to be called. 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