Tuesday, August 09, 2005

New Reality TV!

Here is an idea for a new "Reality TV" program to be called "The Book." Lock an average American in a clean, well-lit, and comfortable room with food and water for 24 hours. This room is equipped with only one piece of unelectrified technology: a book, a difficult book--say, Augustine's City of God, or Pascal's Pensees, or the Bible, or something similar. (Left Behind will be left behind.) Film the hapless soul and use time-lapsed photography (if that is what compressing the time into shorter segments is called) to "capture" his or her slow descent into insanity--or perhaps, if grace abounds, his or her slow ascent into sanity. For most, the release from this prison would be a sufficient reward.

3 comments:

Pilgrim in Progress said...

You are too kind. I would make them read Kant.

Ted M. Gossard said...

I think this is a great idea. It would be the first "reality" program I'd want to watch.

Michael Kruse said...

I was thinking something like Robinson Caruso might be good. May not have the length but it would be the perfect subject.