The art of knowledge

You are capable of criticizing something and still enjoying it. Criticism should add to your enjoyment of the thing. Contextualizing and analyzing media is the only true sign that you enjoy it instead of just consume it. Stop selling the straggling iotas of your final brain cell to a fascio-capitalist system that wants to gorge you til you burst. Not consuming anything is better than blindly inhaling whatever is put in front of you without discretion.

David Bowie on the anti-intellectualism of American media:

In American media, particularly sitcoms and animated series, there is a persistent trend that elevates ignorance as a virtue while mocking intellectual curiosity. The ideology of “ignorance is bliss” is woven into the cultural fabric of entertainment, shaping generations of viewers to equate intelligence with alienation and foolishness with belonging. While comedy has long relied on exaggeration and absurdity, the steady glorification of stupidity goes beyond humor and enters the realm of subtle propaganda.

Sitcoms such as Married… with Children, According to Jim, and Two and a Half Men construct entire narratives around the bumbling, clueless father or male lead who succeeds despite laziness, arrogance, or sheer idiocy. These men are not punished for their lack of insight but rewarded with acceptance, family loyalty, and steady laughs. Their smarter counterparts - wives, neighbors, or children - are depicted as uptight nags or outsiders, undermining the value of critical thought. This formula quietly reinforces the idea that intelligence is undesirable, even socially corrosive, while ignorance is charming and relatable.

Animated series often push this further. The Simpsons’ Homer, Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, and Beavis and Butt-Head all became cultural icons precisely because of their stupidity. Their ignorance is framed as endearing, humorous, and quintessentially American. In contrast, characters who display knowledge - Lisa Simpson, Brian Griffin, or teachers and authority figures - are mocked, sidelined, or portrayed as pretentious and ineffective. This dynamic ensures that intelligence is not something to admire but something to ridicule.

The cumulative effect of these portrayals is not neutral. In a society where media shapes identity and aspiration, constant reinforcement of “it’s cool to be dumb” nurtures an anti-intellectual culture. At best, it conditions audiences to distrust expertise and prefer gut instinct over critical reasoning. At worst, it serves as cultural anesthesia, dulling the drive for education and reflection. The laughter becomes a mechanism to normalize mediocrity.