Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

We now live in two Americas. Onenow the minorityfunctions in a print-based, literate world that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The otherthe majorityis retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. To this majoritywhich crosses social class lines, though the poor are overwhelmingly affectedpresidential debate and political rhetoric is pitched at a sixth-grade reading level. In this other America, serious film and theater, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins of society.In the tradition of Christopher Laschs The Culture of Narcissism and Neil Postmans Amusing Ourselves to Death, Pulitzer Prize-winner Chris Hedges navigates this cultureattending WWF contests, the Adult Video News Awards in Las Vegas, and Ivy League graduation ceremoniesto expose an age of terrifying decline and heightened self-delusion.