[lbo-talk] Warm summers or dark ages?/ Why not the best for theworking class ?

[John Adams]

On Tuesday, October 5, 2004, at 09:56 AM, Doug Henwood wrote:

> I can understand the practice of talking about things you haven't read 
> or seen - as a lot of people have said, learning that trick is one of 
> the great benefits of an Ivy League education. But actually admitting 
> to and defending the practice is a novelty to me. You learn something 
> new every day.

What's shameful is _denying_ the practice, pretending to information or 
experience one does not have. Anyone who only depends on direct 
experience or knowledge to guide their actions isn't going to get a lot 
done. On _M*A*S*H_, I believe they called this sort of activity triage.

Based on the second-hand criticism I've read of the series, I don't 
care to watch it. I have a very low tolerance level for pretend 
violence (aside from Chuck Jones et al), and I'm pretty picky what of 
it I let into my brain. _Lear_, yes; _Macbeth_, no.

Having been a critic myself, I know to be wary of negative reviews and 
less so of positive ones, so I understand I may be wrong here--but the 
stakes are rather low (what television I watch)...almost abstract, in 
that I don't have cable and hope never to have cable. (It's hard enough 
getting _Sesame Street_ on and off without showing Quincy the 
McCommercials.)

All the best,

	John A