On the Unpopularity of Leftish TV shows....

[Wojtek Sokolowski]

At 02:33 PM 9/10/2002 -0400, randy wrote:
>Wojtek wrote:
>
> > This merely confirms what I already know - that the American public tends
> > to be very conservative.  Consequently, any form of left-leaning opinion,
> > be it a tv or radio show, or a political program is unlikely to attract
>any
> > significant following.  Their popularity, if any, will be at best limited
> > to very narrow audiences linked mainly to universities.
>
>Before moving to the big generalizations I think it's a good idea to
>seriously consider the question of how to maximize appeal or, in terms I
>argue for, the ability to tolerate criticism of the powerful.  Doug's

Well, you still propose an individualistic approach - a personal appeal to 
individual tastes - and dismiss my suggestion that we should concentrate on 
institution building as "big generalization."

To make my point clear - ideas are like food, you like what you are 
familiar with.  People who not exposed to, say, Ethiopian food, are 
unlikely to like it - no matter how much you try to persuade them.  To make 
them like it, you need to introduce a bunch of restaurants serving the 
Ethiopian cuisine to the area.

Ditto for political views and opinions.  The left is not institutionally 
represented in this country in any commonly recognizable form (fringe 
campus groups are NOT legitimate public institutions), hence the US public 
has no taste for left views and opinions.  The only way to change it is to 
build "left food restaurants" - legitimate public institutions (such as 
political parties and unions) representing the left point of view.

wojtek