During the 1940s, there were only a few television receivers in American homes. Some called television an invention for stupid people to watch. By the end of the 1950s, however, television was here to stay. The average family watched six hours a day.
Although many critics dubbed the 1950s as the Golden Age of Television, the actuality was that many believed that television failed to reach the lofty intellectual and cultural expectations that accompanied its introduction. Common critical phrases regarding the TV were “boob tube” and “cultural wasteland.”
Other criticisms aimed at TV were that television has turned society into an audience that is dependent on the need for constant entertainment. People spent more time in the house than ever before. People no longer needed to go to major events, they could watch them on the television without the hassle of transportation to the event or the cost of the ticket. This gave rise to the derogatory term “couch potato.” In addition, it was said that TV destroyed the sense of community, discouraged reading, shortened attention spans, and promoted violence. Typical complaints included: “Television content generally strives to be popular and profitable first, entertaining second, and informational third, if at all.” (https://press.rebus.community/mscy/chapter/chapter-5-television-through-time/). “Popular television content is made to entertain, not inform. The most entertaining and popular shows of the 20th century were not poorly made, nor were they necessarily detrimental to society as mainstays of the culture. They were, however, usually void of thoughtful social content. Television often serves to distract…. If the television craze continues with the present level of programs, we are destined to have a nation of morons.” (Quoting the president of Boston University in 1950 graduation speech, “The American Television Critic: A History,” Melissa Crowley, p.18.) Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr predicted in 1949 that “much of what is still wholesome in our lives will perish under the impact of this visual aid.”
Formulaic programing was designed to attract the most amount of viewers and offend the least amount of people. The result was shows that painted unrealistic pictures of family life, pictures of a standardized version of the white middle-class suburban family lowered to the lowest common denominator. “Not only were the starring families suburban, they were decidedly middle-class, with middle-class common sense. No maid for these families; Mom made the family’s meals and cleaned the home. Each family was financially secure. Neither Mom nor children had to earn money to help support the family, although occasionally a child would work (boys would take a paper route, girls would baby sit) to earn extra money for some especially attractive purchase. Although extravagant wealth was disapproved of (one cannot appreciate any particular commodity if one has much too much), poverty was fairly ignored (the poor were still trying to meet their basic needs). All these suburban families led a sheltered life, with no deprivation. The Puritan work ethic was emphasized, yet home and its accompanying pleasures was more important than any job. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Leave It to Beaver were portrayed as typical.”
The families and lifestyles presented in domestic comedies did not encompass the overall American experience by any stretch of the imagination. As historian Stephanie Coontz points out, “the June Cleaver or Donna Stone homemaker role was not available to the more than 40 percent of black women with small children who worked outside the home.” (Coontz, 1992). Although nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population was labeled middle class by the mid-1950s, 25 percent of all families and more than 50 percent of two-parent Black families were poor. Migrant workers suffered horrific deprivations, and racial tensions were rife. None of this was reflected in the world of domestic comedies, where even the Hispanic gardener in Father Knows Best was named Frank Smith. (Coontz, 1992) Moreover, television shows were full of gunplay, fisticuffs, and crime stories. The inevitable result, said the critics, was that Americans were growing “callous” toward human suffering. And, it was argued that TV was the cause for the rise in juvenile delinquency, resulting in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee investigating the influence of television on the juvenile crime rate in 1954. (See Kefauvor Committee above.)
Edward R. Murrow was considered the conscience and spiritual leader of TV news. In 1958, Murrow delivered a critique of the TV industry known as the “Wires and Lights in a Box” speech. Near the end of his chastising remarks, Murrow challenged broadcasting’s leaders to use television to “teach,” “illuminate” and “inspire.” Otherwise, he warned, the promise of electronic media would be relegated to “nothing but wires and lights in a box.” Network executives were angry with Murrow because he scolded them for wasting broadcasting’s potential to inform the citizenry. They had been expecting a ceremonial pat on the back. Instead, the executives got straight talk from a media visionary. “I am seized with an abiding fear regarding what these two instruments (radio and TV) are doing to our society, our culture, our heritage,” Murrow worried, “Television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us.”
On May 9, 1961, Newton N. Minow, chair of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) that regulated television broadcasting, gave a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters. Minow’s speech was quite critical of the industry he regulated. In his opinion, television producers failed to meet the objective of upholding the public interest. He believed that “when television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better. But when television is bad, nothing is worse.” He described the programming offered on television as a “vast wasteland.” “You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, western bad men, western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly, commercials — many screaming, cajoling, and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you’ll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few.” Minow noted that the FCC had the power to refuse to reissue broadcasting licenses. The audience, TIME reported, “took the speech as a deliberate tactic to scare stations and networks into better programing, and as a hint that they should do something about it soon.”
“Boob-Tube,” The Homewreckers (2014) This song presents a critical picture of the impact of television on the American culture. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=JuLNCAjMEJE&feature=share
I’m trapped inside my TV
I’m there most every night
It’s really quite exciting
So why put up a fightWhy do, when you can see what’s being done
Why feel, when you can see they’re havin’ fun
Why think if you don’t have to
Comes right whizzin’ past you
Reaches out to grab youI love my TV!
Why bother to be
It’s easier to step inside
Why bother to be
Turn off your mind and go for a ride
Why bother to be
Well it’s so easy to do
Put your brain in park and let it live for youNo matter how much I watch
I just can’t seem to get enough
I’m telling you man, them Honey Boo Boo reruns
Oh that’s classic stuff
Telling you man, oh don’t you know, there ain’t no hope
I gotta get runnin’ now, and catch those midday soaps
I know the things that’s comin’ to meI know its true man, I seen it on TV!
Why do, when you can see what’s being done
Why feel, when you can see they’re havin’ fun
Why think if you don’t have to
Comes right whizzin’ past you
Reaches out to grab youI love my TV!
Why bother to be
It’s easier to step inside
Why bother to be
Turn off your mind and go for a ride
Why bother to be
Well it’s so easy to do
Put your brain in park and let it live for you