Re: Beer etc (was: none)

[Richard Caley <rjc%aipna.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK>]

>Really-From: arc!ken@apple.com
>

>	Sorry, you missed one word of my paragraph - "healthy" [mind].
>Yes the media know some tricks that work on a short range basis.  But
>they really have no idea about the structure of the mind.  Otherwise,
>they would want to elevate everyone's tastes and understanding, rather
>than just pander to the lowest common denominator for their own short
>term benefit.

Why? 

Seems to me it is always to the benefit of the media to go for the shor
term effect. Give them all 1 year intensive courses in psycology and
neuroscience and they would go back and do the same as now.

Only more effectivly.

Even those who are not directly responsible to advertisers ( eg the BBC
) are still going to loose viewers if they stop trying to create and/or
follow fashions. Comes a time when whoever holds the purse strings
starts to ask why they should be giving money to support something few
people are interested in.

Also following trends is cheeper than education. If some producer were
to be taken with the ide of introducing the masses to the joys of <<
insert something you consider elevated >>, and succeeded he would end up
with an audience expecting something he could not afford to give them.
Which do you think is cheeper, Dalas or an equivalent amount of ( good )
Shakespear?

	rjc@uk.ac.ed.aipna    " When Mother's gone there is always Justice,
				When Justice is gone there is always Force,
				When Force is gone there is always Mom "
					- Laurie Anderson, "O Superman"