is it fair to describe the television as an "idiot box?"?

Answer 1

More than fair. Allows people to give into their baser instincts. By that, I mean, it allows them to be lazy and allow other people to do their thinking for them.

Answer 2

The TV has been decribed as the great babysitter, the dumb station, the idiot box for years. Your question however is valid.

My opinion is maybe now it is unfair to call it the idiot box as there are a wealth of channels where a child can learn things. For example the History Channel.

In days gone bye however, yes it was fair. Nothing good was learned from the TV and in fact some of the early days of television, beginning in the 50's and early 60's after the Korean War, TV was considered harmful. Kids would watch the 3 Stoogies and would act like the stoogies in the sense of poking people in the eye, or banging someone on the head, etc etc etc.

Today there is so much good on TV that I don't see it as an idiot box anymore. I do however must say I don't watch that much TV. Just not interested in it. After all there is Yahoo answers...:-)

Answer 3

Probably because it does things according to what the users say to do so, say, the user plays with the remote control and the TV dances according to his/her tunes. The TV can't think for itself. It doesn't understand which channel the user wants to watch. This may be a reason why it's called the "Idiot Box."
On the contrary, the TV is so informative and entertaining. Why should this poor thing be called an Idiot Box?

Answer 4

Absolutely.
There is a great book out called "Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television" by Jerry Mander. There is a whole part in the book about how the mind actually shuts down when you watch television.

Answer 5

It depends...

If you only ever watch the Dicovery Channel then no, calling it an "idiot box" would be unfair.

But if all you ever watch is trashy soaps, reality TV and stuff like that, then calling it an "idiot box" would probably be a good description.

The answer to your question probably has more to do with the viewer, than the actual TV.

Answer 6

it depends on the viewers. Because the TV reflects from good to bad and simply coining it as an idiot box is not really correct. I would coin it as intelegent box because it gives an opening to everything from good to bad and idividual taste differs.

Answer 7

Absolutely! Idiots writing what the idiots on it are saying, so idiots can sit and stare at it for hours on end.

Answer 8

I think it's fair. in the days before cable. people used to go places, do things, read books a lot more. now our society is less inteligent because we watch a lot more tv. we even use tv as a baby sitter.

Answer 9

Absolutely!

Answer 10

Fair to whom?
To the television or to the people staring at it?:))))