Do We Really Need Entertainment?

[Living Dead Boy]

Inspired by the conversations brought up in the "paying for autographs" thread, is entertainment really necessary? How many of us could live without music, or the theatre, or shows like Buffy for that matter?

An old classmate of mine once said that he actually never listens to music. At first, I found that bizarre, you know? I eat, sleep, and breathe music. It gives me a reason to keep living. It's my best friend when all others have let me down, so it was just sooo weird that a person wouldn't need those things. But everybody's different. So what's your opinion, can we really live without entertainment?

 

[Abbeycat]

[MENTION=11693]Living Dead Boy[/MENTION] - Marsh, that's how I feel about tv shows & music. When others have let me down, I turn to music and tv shows. It's probably why I have too many tv shows that I watch.😛

I need tv shows & music to live, to breathe. Music has always been in my life. Sure, my dad likes listening to radio station when it's sports talk (football talk) But he has always played music in the car and at home. My mom loves music too but she mostly just listens to music in the car.

Anyway, for me... YES. I need the entertainment (tv shows and music)

I'm not sure everyone could live without Entertainment. Depends on the person.

 

[ashleigh]

I could quite happily live without tv or music as long as i had books 😛

But to answer the question, I think that we do need some form of entertainment to be happy, but it doesn't necessarily have to be 'modern' entertainment such as television. The human race lasted long enough without it. Music on the other hand, has probably been around in one form or another forever. 🙂

Obviously physically we can survive without being entertianed. But mentally is a different issue completely.

 

[Jodast]

Warning this has turned out kind of rambly because I had a number of thoughts and very little organisation 🙂

I am not going to look up a definition, but for me entertainment is the diversion of the mind, and sometimes body, from serious, important or unwanted thoughts, feelings and/or activities. Using that as my definition, I sure as Hell need entertainment!

It's actually hard no to be entertained. Someone who doesn't watch TV or listen to music invariably has another hobby or pastime they indulge in, be it walking, creating art, going the the theatre going to a social discussion group, whatever. These are all done in the name of entertainment and distraction. Even inviting a few friends around for a night of chatting rubbish and eating snacks is entertaining. How often have we all had a really good night wth our mates and neither the stereo nor the TV has even been switched on? I don't have many firends but the ones I have are freaking hilarious!

Without entertainment, no matter what form it takes, in today's world, we would all go mad very quickly.

Also, as mentioned above, forms of entertainment, especially books, TV and film can help us to sort things out in our own minds because the writers create a scenario which the viewer or reader can relate to. I know that I have friends that I can turn to no matter what the crisis at hand may be, but sometimes they won't be able to help me through a situation as much as something like BtVS because they just don't get it.

So entertainment performs two functions, it diverts and distracts but it also explains and clarifies and for me is absolutely vital.

 

[Vamp Jenny]

If I didn't have movies/tv/music, I'd probably be dead by now. I've had very frequent down times in my life when music of TV shows kept me afloat long enough for me to get back on my feet. And without music I wouldn't have been studying dance for 1 1/2 year. And I wouldn't be taking singing lesson, my life passion...

For those of us who are underdogs, I think movies/tv/music are the only (or almost) thing that can always get to us because it doesn't discriminate.

 

[Robb Stark]

Of course we do.

Look, things differ from situation to situation, but in the modern world, entertainment is vital. Without entertainment, without things to enjoy, well, you're not really living; you're just existing. And if that becomes the case, then we get into the larger philosophical question of what's the point of existing.

I think that for virtually all humans, there's a scale of need, one that we often don't even think of, and it's a sliding scale. When our most immediate, basic needs are met or at least temporarily satisfied, we address other, less pressing ones. For example, if I'm getting mugged on the street, I'm not too worried about seeing a movie later that night. My immediate "need" is personal safety, or survival. Things like entertainment, or even more primal "needs" like food, shelter and love, become secondary in that situation. But right now, at this moment, where I'm full, sitting at home, physically comfortable and in no present danger, my primary "need" IS entertainment. Without it, with my other basic needs met, I'd have nothing to do.

I hope I'm getting my point across correctly. I think that entertainment, in everyday life, is extremely important. There are other "needs" we all share (food, shelter, survival) that are more pressing when they're NOT met, but overall, in the grand scheme of things, I believe being entertained is just as important. In the long run, it's one of the keys to life.

 

[Skytteflickan88]

There's actually been studies of this(and of course I can't remember any of them, but I could probably find a few in a scientific database if I took the time). People need free time. And unless you sit in a corner staring at a wall, basically anything you do is entertainment.

I wish I remembered the name of this guy from a century ago or so, some philosopher that was raised without any entertainment at all, just studying. He went bonkers and thereafter spoke of how everyone needs music and art and stuff.

But you could just take any person and forbid them from going without books, music, TV, non-work related conversations, you name it. After a while, I bet they won't feel good at all.

 

[Astral]

I agree with both Bangel and Sky. I find that even when I'm doing a non entertaining task my mind will eventually drift away from whatever I'm doing and start to day dream and make its own fun. I think for the most part people will always find something slightly pleasing to occupy them with no matter what their resources are, like Jodast said.

 

[kittenpoker]

Of course we do.
.

My rep thing doesnt work from my phone and I'm on the road....but this sums up my opinion. 🙂

 

[funsmiley]

I'm not sure the word could nowadays.

I personally couldn't music and film and everything is something i feel i need, and I think i would go a bit mad without it.

I think the word craves entertainment now, its something we need, not all of us, i mean there are some people out there who never watch t.v, never listen to music or even use a computer and that's ok for them because they like it that way.

Years ago they even had entertainment not t.v s or computers but they did have forms of entertainment.

i think the world needs it in this day and age, but maybe one day that will change and we wont, but until then i think a lot of us couldn't really live without it.

 

[Skytteflickan88]

I'm not sure the word could nowadays.

I personally couldn't music and film and everything is something i feel i need, and I think i would go a bit mad without it.

I think the word craves entertainment now, its something we need, not all of us, i mean there are some people out there who never watch t.v, never listen to music or even use a computer and that's ok for them because they like it that way.

Years ago they even had entertainment not t.v s or computers but they did have forms of entertainment.

i think the world needs it in this day and age, but maybe one day that will change and we wont, but until then i think a lot of us couldn't really live without it.

Well, that depends how you define entertainment. I count non-survival or work-related conversations as entertainment, so to me, entertainment is something every human needs. It's not something we learn, it's something we crave. Just look at any child; they always find a way to play, no matter what culture.

But even with a more narrow definition, we've always needed entertainment. The romans had gladiators and the cavemen had their cave paintings(I assume that was for amusement).

 

[brinkster130]

Entertainment has always existed, long before the TV, film, books etc. of todays world people did things for their own enjoyment. People enjoyed nature, told stories, played games, sang, made things etc. etc. I don't think it's possible to live in a world without some form of entertainment.

While I love having todays TV, film, books, music etc. I'm sure I could adapt if something were to happen to that and it suddenly didn't exist anymore.

 

[JCoatsworth]

I believe I'm the one who said that we didn't need entertainment in the first place, so I feel like I ought to write something as well. This subject became deeper than I intended in the autograph thread. My opinion is rather complicated and I don't know if I can really sum it up at all, but I'll try my best.

I think we don't need entertainment to survive. We could live without it. Of course not just like that, with the flick of a switch. A few thousand years ago, humans didn't really have entertainment. They struggled to survive. They only needed the basic stuff: Food, water, shelter. As the centuries passed, life became easier and more and more... boring. We don't spend our day hunting anymore, we have more free time. Our lives today would be empty without entertainment. I need it and I couldn't imagine my life without music or - god forbid - Jurassic Park. I'm addicted to all sorts of entertainment. But the thing is, I think that we only need it, because we have nothing better to do. In my opinion, humans are able to live without entertainment, but first they need something to fill the enormous gap, and that certain something just isn't there anymore.

 

[Kean]

I don't actually believe we can give it up, even if we wanted to. I think it is part of who we are as a species. Whether it's paintings on a cave thousands of years ago, or the closing ceremony of the Olympics last night, we as a humans have the need within us to create and imagine and express ourselves in tangible ways. That is the very core of entertainment. It's the source of it. That can't be cut out or shut off. It is breathing.

However, I do think we could remove a vein of entertainment from our lives, I just don't understand why any would want to. If I had to choose, I would keep music above all else. That is something fundamental to me and my life and I know for a fact my life would be less without it. Books would come second, but ultimately I could write my own stories if I had to. So that leaves tv, film and theatre. These are three things that I absolutely adore, but if I couldn't have them, I'd get over it. But not music.

 

[white avenger]

Can we live without entertainment of some sort? (obviously, both the concept and the means of achieving it vary from person to person) Certainly. We could also live on a steady diet of unseasoned oat meal and distilled water. The results of either would be quite similar. First boredom. Then restlessness, accompanied by dreams of huge bowls of fresh fruit, chocolate ice cream, or even just a pinch of salt or sugar. Over time, the restlessness would result in sleep deprivation, effectively removing even dreams. Somewhere in the process, we start talking to ourselves, but that ends pretty quickly once we have an argument and are no longer on speaking terms with ourselves. Through all of that, the oat meal and distilled water has sustained our bodies, and the mind numbing routine of our daily existence keeps our mental functions working.

Sure, we can live without entertainment. We can live without chocolate ice cream. No problem whatsoever.

But who would want to?

 

[xfivebyfive]

I would die without tv!! yes literally! lol

 

[SlayerFest]

Why would anyone want to live without entertainment? It comes in so many different forms. Reading, writing, playing a sport, watching random homeless people yell at pedestrians, eating cheese (😉) haha if someone wants to live without entertainment, they must want to live miserably.

If you're solely talking about music, t.v., movies, video games, etc...(yeah that's still broad but...I think I know what you're implying) the only thing I absolutely need is music. I have gone months without playing video games, watching t.v., and maybe weeks without watching a movie. I don't need those things. However, it's impossible to go a day without listening to music, whether it's some random stranger whistling Twisted Nerve (that seriously happened once in the 12th grade RIGHT before the bell rang, I never found the kid! I may have been hallucinating) or my really sad attempt at singing.

 

[SlayerOfVampyrs]

I need music. Need it. As evidenced by my recent stint in the hospital, and the days that followed, that was pretty much all I did. Listened to music. I'm not sure how I could have made it through that calmly, or how I could make it through my 6 miles a day of physical therapy calmly, without music. It just wouldn't work for me.

In addition....I'm not sure I could live life without having seen The Lord of the Rings 5874546 billion times. Or Buffy, for that matter.

 

[Spikefan31]

Yes. Life without music especially, but also tv/film, would be awful. Just awful.

 

[Nix]

Everyone needs a form of entertainment. In any time, from caveman to now, we need entertainment. As it has been said already, entertainment comes in many forms... from hunting to music everyone needs something!!

Personally I prefer my games, tv and music to hunting lol. But caveman did not have a games console!!