The Downfall of American Television vs. The Rise of English

“In the early 1920s it was desperately unclear why English was worth studying at all; by the early 1930s it had become a question of why it was worth wasting your time on anything else.” -Terry Eagleton

I couldn’t help but compare this particular reading about the “Rise of English” to my earlier thoughts on the “Rise of Reality TV”. Just as the Victorian academic community fought the rise of this branch of study, so too has the elitist population in the United States fought the rise of reality television. I feel as though America’s current elitist academic population has the same feelings towards reality TV as did the Victorian elitist population in England. For example, as Eagleton mentions, “If one were asked to provide a single explanation for the growth of English studies in the later nineteenth century, one could do worse than reply ‘the failure of religion.’” As he continues, “This was particularly worrying for the Victorian ruling class, because religion is for all kinds of reasons an extremely effective form of ideological control.”
Take for example when Kathy Griffin won the Emmy for Best Reality Show. In her speech, she famously declared, “Suck it Jesus, this award is my god now.” See the entire clip below (I hope). . .
The religious community in the United States was livid over her comments. How dare she declare an inanimate object, won for being the star of a crass cable channel reality show about her life, as more important than Jesus? Just as the Victorians worried that the rise of English literature was demonstrating the downfall of religion, modern Americans must also have thought that reality TV was demonstrating the downfall, yet again, of modern religion. The rise of English literature over English Literature must have horrified the elitist members of Victorian society. What if this crass, low-brow writing became more popular and more enduring than past serious, high-minded essays? Just as today’s elitists fear, what if reality Television becomes Reality television? Perhaps one day students will be sitting down in classes to analyze the importance of “Jersey Shore” and “America’s Top Model’s” effect on society and how to model future television shows on their structures. Perhaps one day people will question whether there is any other type of television show to concern yourself with than reality TV.