Kareem Says Watch More TV, and He Might Just Be Right
There are many ways to describe Los Angeles Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Tall. All-time leading scorer. NBA champion. Starred in the movie Airplane! Funny goggles.
He's also a pretty deep thinker. So it was with great interest that I read "Life Lessons with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" at Esquire.com. A lot of these were unsurprising although no less profound and arresting. But one made me think in a good way:
18. Watch more TV. Yeah, you heard right, Little Kareem. It’s great that you always have your nose in history books. That’s made you more knowledgeable about your past and it has put the present in context. But pop culture is history in the making and watching some of the popular shows of each era reveals a lot about the average person, while history books often dwell on the powerful people.
He's also a pretty deep thinker. So it was with great interest that I read "Life Lessons with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" at Esquire.com. A lot of these were unsurprising although no less profound and arresting. But one made me think in a good way:
18. Watch more TV. Yeah, you heard right, Little Kareem. It’s great that you always have your nose in history books. That’s made you more knowledgeable about your past and it has put the present in context. But pop culture is history in the making and watching some of the popular shows of each era reveals a lot about the average person, while history books often dwell on the powerful people.
Comments
It's true that when everyone around the office is talking about Game of Thrones I can't take part in the conversation. It's also true that I appreciate the chances sports knowledge gives me to connect with coworkers and neighbors.
That said, I am unlikely to start watching Mad Men or the like anytime soon. TV doesn't just reflect the zeitgeist; it forms it, too. I think I get plenty of "in the world" formation through my time on the Internet, and I still don't spend enough time on pursuits that help me to be not "of the world."