In the past entertainment must have been a luxury that few could afford. Like everything taken to excess today entertainment is problematic. Today entertainment appears to be much more than a diversion but rather an end in itself. Whole industries, movies, theatre, sports, gaming, gambling have sprung up to support the demand. Like consuming too much food or alcohol, consuming too much entertainment is very problematic.
It seems that few realize the negative aspect of excess entertainment both to the individual and to society. We now have large portions of our newspapers, internet, public spaces devoted to pure entertainment. One might consider the Roman Amphitheatres for example and how the populace were entertained there. Was it collectively healthy? Some think that one reason the Roman Empire declined was because of their obsession with the Games. Rather than being creators people become more consumers, escape artists. An admonition was that if you watch too much TV your brain will turn to porridge. There may well be some figurative truth to that. Certainly if you don’t use your brain/mind to develop your thinking faculties and perhaps be creative you will lose this capacity. It may be argued that the entertainment industry (perhaps except for reality shows) creates creators but the vast majority are mere consumers.
It has been said that religion is the opiate of the masses. Today, in our more secular society, “entertainment” has that distinction. Religion has been displaced. We now, as a society, seem more obsessed by being entertained than ever before. While Rome burns (and Global warming ensues) we all head for the entertainment parlours of our minds. Of course those wishing to control populations or any form of questioning or dissent love it. Entertained sheep are incapable of questioning the wolves among them.
Many of us know people who live for being entertained. It’s hard to believe that would be anyone’s raison d'etre but it is. The problem is that the number of these people are growing. These people remind me of the "childlike" character Harold Skimpole in the Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House. Having a few of these characters around is fine, having a society of them is a disaster.
Entertainment is probably best received indirectly through living. Pursuing entertainment for entertainment sakes seems somewhat odious. Watching or consuming the news today can be entertaining or just socializing can be highly entertaining but to pursue entertainment ongoing for entertainment's sake? Give me a break! It has been said that if you can laugh at yourself you will never lack for entertainment. That is probably enough for me, otherwise I’d risk becoming pathologically narcissistic.
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