my sometimes-skeptical social commentary

I don’t watch much TV. Most of what’s on is just not interesting. I try to enjoy the cop shows, but they are just so poorly written and stiffly acted. I used to watch E.R. almost every week, but somewhere along the way I lost interest. I tried to watch all the new episodes of Lost, but I haven’t seen that show in a long time, and I’m told that new episodes won’t be aired until February of next year.

Anyway, when I do turn on the TV, I try to find interesting things to watch. I caught part of a lecture by Steven Pinker on Book TV. It is the only powerpoint-type presentation I’ve ever seen with lots and lots of profanity. Steven Pinker is one of those smarty pants types (he taught at MIT and now he teaches at Harvard) who can talk intelligently about how the words we use have come to have meaning. According to the blurb on Book TV:

Steven Pinker talks about the relationship between language and the way we think. During this discussion hosted by the Smithsonian Associates, Professor Pinker looks specifically at our use of profanity and what it says about us. This program contains language that some viewers may find offensive.

If you are not offended by strong language, I recommend watching the lecture on Book TV. It is not just an excuse to have swear words on TV.

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