[PEN-L:12421] re: Affluenza/Running Out of Time

[Brent McClintock, Prof. Economics]

Given the discussion on the list re the Affluenza program, it's interesting 
to note the differences in the earlier Running Out of Time documentary 
(1994), also fronted by Scott Simon and produced by Oregon Public 
Broadcasting & KCTS/Seattle. I think Oregon PBS produced the Affluenza 
documentary. The format & tone of the documentaries are very much the same.

In Running Out of Time, which looks at the stressed out American, working 
hours, etc, there is some much more attention to the role of social movements 
in dealing with the problem historically, eg union efforts to reduce the 
working week. Also, attention to solutions includes calls to raise the 
minimum wage, the need to reduce length of the work week, the need for 
universal pension & health benefits etc. It does this in a comparative 
analysis of the U.S. vs. Japanese and German attitudes and practices. Juliet 
Schor's work gets much more coverage than it does in Affluenza.

It's interesting to see that Affluenza avoids most of this. Is this because 
the right wing revolution in 1994 cut back PBS funding & one shouldn't bite 
the hand that feeds you? (They can expect Jesse Helms to get after them 
anyway for using old TV ads for cigarettes as an indicator of the problems 
created by Affluenza). Or is the explanation more benign? Perhaps the amazing 
thing is that a show like this makes it to broadcast TV at all in such an 
Affluenza society...

cheers,

Brent McClintock
Economics
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140-1994