Even "bad" storytelling can require historical context or reasonable attention span to consume.
On the other hand, celebrity reporting and the rise of reality TV require absolutely no mental commitment or understanding of anything outside of what is immediately presented. I assert that, as the number of people whose economic circumstances prevent any sort of useful education grows, demand for empty content grows accordingly. There just won't be enough people with enough mental furniture to make use of anything more sophisticated.
Who are we to say that people who want to watch Celebrity Apprentice or some celebrity reporting are watching the wrong type of programming and you are watching the right type of programming? Or even saying that no programming at all is what we should strive for?
This indeed is a "high horse" attitude. I guarantee you that whatever you do in your leisure time I can find fault with also. Of course, you won't agree with my opinions at all, but it still doesn't take away from my point. Which is that it's easy to point the finger and say someone is wrong for doing something. And make not mistake, you are saying that people that watch "empty" television are wrong.
And in the long run, what does it matter? We'll all on a path to oblivion anyway. If everyone stopped doing what they're doing at the very second and followed your way of thinking, it still won't stave off the inevitable. Time will devour us all, so it really doesn't matter if someone wishes to watch Jersey Shore instead of...well...instead of whatever it is you do personally.
Even "bad" storytelling can require historical context or reasonable attention span to consume.
On the other hand, celebrity reporting and the rise of reality TV require absolutely no mental commitment or understanding of anything outside of what is immediately presented. I assert that, as the number of people whose economic circumstances prevent any sort of useful education grows, demand for empty content grows accordingly. There just won't be enough people with enough mental furniture to make use of anything more sophisticated.