Computers Quote by Neil Postman
““Today, we must look to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, as a metaphor of our national character and aspiration, its symbol a thirty-foot-high cardboard picture of a slot machine and a chorus girl. For Las Vegas is a city entirely devoted to the idea of entertainment, and as such proclaims the spirit of a culture in which all public discourse increasingly takes the form of entertainment. Our politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice. The result is that we are a people on the verge of amusing ourselves to death.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: The Closing of the American Mind, 1985
Society treats politics, religion, and other serious topics as entertainment, risking loss of depth and critical thought.
In simple terms: We turn serious matters into shows, losing seriousness.
Key Takeaway
Beware turning life into endless performance.
Themes
culture
media
politics
entertainment
critical thinking
Mood
cautious
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political debates
- news consumption
- education curricula
- advertising strategies
Key Concepts
media saturation
spectacle
public discourse
Questions to Reflect On
- How does entertainment shape your perception of truth?
- Can show business methods improve civic engagement?
A Different Perspective
This view may overlook genuine benefits of engaging formats for education and awareness.
![“[On Las Vegas:] ... The City That Never Sleeps. The City That Sins and Smiles and Lives On the Edge. The city where vices become virtues, become what everyone is here to do.” quote by Karen Kijewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4fb/karen-kijewski-52069_character_on-las-vegas-the-city-that-never-sleeps_41614.jpg)
