Fumarama

By now, I am sure everyone has heard about the fact that Americans have stopped reading literature, or are at least fewer of them are reading literature.  Daniel Henninger had a column about this in last week's Wall Street Journal.  My favorite part of his column was this:

Contrary to all instinct, you can't blame this mess on TV. Literary readers average 2.7 hours of TV daily, compared with 3.1 hours for the numbskulls reading either "Diana" or nothing at all.
 
So there.  See us TV watchers are no worse about reading than anyone else.  Yay.  My theory on the matter is this, if you are engaged with the world you are engaged in all areas, and if you are not, then you are often not engaged in anything.  For me, TV isn't entirely a passive, mindless activity.  I care about the plotlines, the characters, I get really mad if they are stupid and pleased if they are smart.  I feel the same way about things I read.  Fiction excites me through all mediums.  Thus, television doesn't entirely replace reading,  but is simply another manner by which I get my fiction fix.  I would like to think that there are plenty of tv watchers with the same attitude.