Very nice post, Christopher. But I must take some exception to it.
You remember "Doonesbury" in its heyday, don't you? (I DO follow the comics regularly - to me, a better barometer of what society "thinks" than TV, which, to be honest, I rarely watch.)
One of its central subtexts was that the protagonists (representatives of the 60's generation) were acting out for the TV cameras ("The whole world is watching!"), not out of real "conviction". Another was that the "60's generation" itself was a media creation, not anything that really existed in reality. I would guess that only about 10% of the "youth" of the time fully subscribed to the "Don't trust anyone under 30", "Tune in and Drop Out" philosophy, or ever read Ken Kesey or Hunter Thompson.
Similarly, how many real people actually buy in to media-created myths, such as "we used to be into families, now we are into singles"? Notice that all the quotes in the NYT article E cited come from people like Norman Lear -- that is, from people who are in the TV business themselves. It is natural for them to take their creations seriously; but should we? (Especially since most of their creations are absolute garbage.)
As for "cohesive unity", it never really existed either, except as an "energizing myth". For example, don't forget the treatment of black citizens, up until very recently. (I come from the South, and believe me, hardly any whites down there wanted "cohesive unity" with them.) Personally, I like diversity...
Joan
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