We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to entertainment these days. Whether you’re commuting to work or chilling on the sofa, there’s no end of movies and TV shows to pick from—everything from Love Island to Animal Control. 

To some, it’s one more sign of our collective mental decline. We’re dumbing ourselves down with simplistic, shallow amusement, and the collapse of civilization is sure to follow.

Unless, of course, you consider that people all over the world have thrived on a steady diet of infotainment for over two thousand years—since at least 500 B.C.E., and probably longer.

I’m talking about fables, and their long evolution from the campfire to your TV screen.

First, let’s clear up a misconception: that fables were created for children. Most of us think of fables as something strictly for kids, amusing stories about foxes and grasshoppers. But fables were originally guides for everyone, especially adults. They were practical messages used to demonstrate the right way to behave in society, and the likely consequences if you didn’t. 

Aristotle even wrote about the use of fables as a way to inspire political action. He advised in his Rhetoric to frame fables “just as you frame illustrative parallels: all you require is the power of thinking out your analogy, a power developed by intellectual training.”

And we can’t forget the most well-known fable in modern times, George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

In every corner of the world, over thousands of years, fables have served a crucial role: to entertain and educate people at the same time. As Britannica puts it, they’re “a rich stock of philosophical resources for people . . . in need of practical philosophical principles to be used in their day-to-day life.”

So what does that have to do with our appetite for shows like Real Housewives or Run the Burbs?

All of them—fictional tortoises, silly sitcoms, and reality TV shows alike—are morality tales in their simplest form. Every character serves a purpose. Some are peacemakers, some stir up trouble. Some are hardworking, others lazy. The tale plays out a hundred different ways, but in the end, important social norms are reinforced.

The tortoise wins the race, the sitcom characters learn a lesson, and the least liked reality star gets turfed out of the house or off the island. It might take a season or three for the drama to play out, but the bad-guy contestants always get their comeuppance.

So if you’re worried that modern fare like Below Deck or Bob’s Burgers are a sure sign we’re dumbing down society, fear not. Just remember the crow and the pitcher, and know that you’re in good company.

We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to entertainment these days. Whether you’re commuting to work or chilling on the sofa, there’s no end of movies and TV shows to pick from—everything from Love Island to Animal Control.

To some, it’s one more sign of our collective mental decline. We’re dumbing ourselves down with simplistic, shallow amusement, and the collapse of civilization is sure to follow.

Unless, of course, you consider that people all over the world have thrived on a steady diet of infotainment for over two thousand years—since at least 500 B.C.E., and probably longer.

I’m talking about fables, and their long evolution from the campfire to your TV screen.

First, let’s clear up a misconception: that fables were created for children. Most of us think of fables as something strictly for kids, amusing stories about foxes and grasshoppers. But fables were originally guides for everyone, especially adults. They were practical messages used to demonstrate the right way to behave in society, and the likely consequences if you didn’t.

Aristotle even wrote about the use of fables as a way to inspire political action. He advised in his Rhetoric to frame fables “just as you frame illustrative parallels: all you require is the power of thinking out your analogy, a power developed by intellectual training.”

And we can’t forget the most well-known fable in modern times, George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

In every corner of the world, over thousands of years, fables have served a crucial role: to entertain and educate people at the same time. As Britannica puts it, they’re “a rich stock of philosophical resources for people . . . in need of practical philosophical principles to be used in their day-to-day life.”

So what does that have to do with our appetite for shows like Real Housewives or Run the Burbs?

All of them—fictional tortoises, silly sitcoms, and reality TV shows alike—are morality tales in their simplest form. Every character serves a purpose. Some are peacemakers, some stir up trouble. Some are hardworking, others lazy. The tale plays out a hundred different ways, but in the end, important social norms are reinforced.

The tortoise wins the race, the sitcom characters learn a lesson, and the least liked reality star gets turfed out of the house or off the island. It might take a season or three for the drama to play out, but the bad-guy contestants always get their comeuppance.

So if you’re worried that modern fare like Below Deck or Bob’s Burgers are a sure sign we’re dumbing down society, fear not. Just remember the crow and the pitcher, and know that you’re in good company.

Photo by Oscar Nord on Unsplash