In Praise of Creamed Spinach

Remember that famous sci-fi novel from back in the day called Fahrenheit 451? It was about a time in the not so distant future when the State would burn books in an effort to control thought. There was a time when such an idea seemed plausible, but certainly not now. There's no need to burn something that has no value. Comedian Chris Rock once said that if you want to hide something from the average person, hide it in a book. Unfortunately, he's probably right. 

I own a business in Vegas called MovieBrat Poster Shop. I primarily sell posters, but I also sell DVDs and books too. Or rather I "stock" books. Selling them is another matter altogether. I'm lucky to sell one book a week. I sell a wide variety of non-fiction books and with a name like MovieBrat, I naturally carry tons of movie related titles. Books on directing, producing, editing, writing, acting, etc. Anyone truly into film is going to love my stuff. Once, a librarian from the American Film Institute visited my store and he raved about the variety and reasonable prices. And yet, when young, "aspiring" filmmakers come to my store, they almost never show any interest whatsoever in reading about the craft they claim to love. I actively try and introduce these filmmakers of tomorrow to the books that might enlighten them, but my efforts are almost always in vain. They'd rather look at the extra features on the DVD. They only want to look at movies.

How did society get to such a point where a book is akin to creamed spinach... something gross but good for you... something to be avoided at all cost? In an earlier blog, I mercilessly blasted the educational system for turning students into robots. Let me get out my trusty shotgun once more. The educational system has absolutely turned students away from books. That's because students are routinely forced to read books that don't interest or engage them. As a result, they end up viewing all books in the same negative light. 

But in all fairness, the educational system is hardly the only villain in this sad tale. Reading requires active involvement unlike television and films which require virtually no involvement at all. These days, it's difficult for Charles Dickens to compete with Survivor or American Idol. Who wants creamed spinach when you can have burgers and fries?

Regardless of what a person is into... art, sports, voodoo, whatever, there's a book out there that will provide a deeper understanding of that subject. The right book is a door. If you open it, you can enter an entirely new world filled with knowledge and valuable insights. Books can literally transform thought and lives. People that don't read are... for all intents and purposes... basically illiterate. And an illiterate person is more easily controlled, particularly with regard to information. Rather than actively gaining perspectives that come from a wide variety of books, illiterate people are forced to passively accept the information coming from far fewer sources. 

So, boys and girls, if you want to grow up to be big and strong, eat your spinach.