Now, I've seen it all.....

And now a break from my usual political commentary, and a note on the current state of American society....

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After tonight's late night ads, I must say that - Now, I've seen it all - Coloring books being marketed to adults!  When I grew up, a child would progress from simple coloring books to being able to draw simple pictures on his/her own.  If that child had talent, it would be nurtured, so that he/she could draw or paint complex pictures.  If not, he/she would have to be content, painting by the numbers and churning out many a Velvet Elvis.

Strangely enough, I can see why this product would be easy to sell - a coloring book becomes a form of meditation. Even Crayola has seen a way to sell its products to adults. The minimal effort needed to fill in blank space can help clear the mind, and allow it to relax.  But I am appalled by the sales pitch - where they say that the after product becomes a piece of artwork which one could give to friends.  Are they serious????

According to Wikipedia, 

"In 1958 the National Defense Education Act was passed with the encouragement of many legislators who feared the United States education system was falling behind that of the Soviet Union. The act yielded textbooks, produced in cooperation with the American Institute of Biological Sciences, which stressed the importance of evolution as the unifying principle of biology. The new educational regime was not unchallenged. The greatest backlash was in Texas where attacks were launched in sermons and in the press.Complaints were lodged with the State Textbook Commission. However, in addition to federal support, a number of social trends had turned public discussion in favor of evolution. These included increased interest in improving public education, legal precedents separating religion and public education, and continued urbanization in the South."

In short, cultural competition and urbanization pushed America forward in regard to scientific education.  But now, we're seeing people who are too busy to learn basic STEM skills, as well as others that prefer to use their religion as an excuse not to recognize generally accepted scientific reality.

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This rot is not limited to mathematics and the sciences.  It infects what we call common entertainment as well.  Compare two Television episodes made about 50 years apart.  In the 1960's one show had a child's father talking about the day the child was born. A wonderfully innocent joke was made: "Was Mommy There?" And the response was an obvious yes, with the setup for a story.  50 years later, a popular TV show made a big production about who peed on a pregnancy test stick - and bored the hell out of me. Yet, the people on the 2010's TV show made a fortune - even though what they did wasn't that funny.

Recently, I went to Atlantic City, and saw a comedy show with 3 popular comics.  The whole audience was laughing their guts out, while my partner and I was totally bored by the acts. When one of the comics started to make jokes referring to an 8 year old boy who shot his dad, I got disgusted.  The child was a victim of child abuse, having been beaten for 1,000 days in a row.  Is this something to laugh about?

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But back to the coloring books....

I have nothing against the firm who is selling these books.  In fact, I wish I had thought of this idea first.  It is something that actually serves a purpose - just not the one being advertised.  And I hope the people buying this product enjoy the time they spend filling in the blanks with colors.....