Tom Shales
Tom Shales
#### Full Name and Common Aliases
Tom Shales is a renowned American television critic, journalist, and author. His full name is Thomas William Shales.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on November 27, 1940, Tom Shales has been an influential voice in the entertainment industry for several decades.
Nationality and Profession(s)
As an American by nationality, Tom Shales is a television critic, journalist, and author. His work primarily focuses on reviewing television programs and analyzing their impact on popular culture.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in New York City, Shales developed a passion for writing at a young age. He attended the George Washington University, where he began his career as a writer and critic. After graduating, Shales worked as an editor for various publications before transitioning to television criticism full-time.
Major Accomplishments
Tom Shales' most significant contributions to the entertainment industry can be attributed to his work as a television critic. He was one of the first critics to recognize the potential of television programming and its influence on popular culture. His writing often pushed against conventional norms, challenging readers to think critically about the media they consumed.
Notable Works or Actions
Shales is perhaps best known for co-authoring "Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live" with James Andrew Miller. This comprehensive history of SNL explores the show's origins and evolution over the years, highlighting its influence on American comedy.
In addition to his work on SNL, Shales has written extensively about television programming, including reviews of popular shows like "The Cosby Show," "Roseanne," and "Seinfeld." His insightful analysis provided readers with a deeper understanding of these programs' cultural significance.
Impact and Legacy
Tom Shales' influence on the entertainment industry cannot be overstated. As one of the first prominent television critics, he paved the way for future generations of writers and analysts. His work continues to inspire new voices in the media landscape, pushing readers to think critically about the content they consume.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Tom Shales is widely quoted and remembered due to his profound impact on the television industry. As a pioneering critic, he not only informed viewers but also helped shape the direction of programming. His legacy extends beyond his written work; it represents a commitment to holding media accountable for its content.
Shales' influence can be seen in the way critics approach their work today, emphasizing nuance and critical thinking. By challenging conventional norms and expectations, he set a new standard for television criticism that continues to inspire readers and writers alike.
Quotes by Tom Shales
Like sugar and, oh – let’s say the most tabloidy and gossipy reality television programs – credit is, for millions, genuinely addictive.
If the networks can get audiences to tolerate pop-up promos by the dozens, maybe they’ll start selling pop-up commercials, too.
The once inviolate frame within which programs or commercials were displayed on television – always separately – has been violated to a pulp. Program content is seen increasingly as a mere backdrop on which ads are posted like billboards on a fence.
In the 500-channel universe, which may, of course, contain many more channels than 500, the fun never stops – fun at such a fever pitch as to sometimes seem threatening, numbing, even agonizing.
Obviously neither ‘American Idol’ nor ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is a variety show in the classic sense, but the way they incorporate elements of drama, comedy and suspense is moderately ingenious.
You don’t hear TV cops griping because they have to enforce some Draconian law that shouldn’t be on the books in the first place, or lamenting vindictive excesses in sentencing. Hollywood, supposedly a frothing cauldron of liberalism, has always been conservative on crime.
No matter how much programming improves, however, media savants tend to see the medium living out numbered days. It’s feared that the Internet will do to TV what TV did to the movies in the 1950s. But instead of panicking, the networks are finding ways to co-opt the Web.
Gimmicks come and go; the cop show seems one genre that will never leave – not as long as people like to sit at home in the suburbs and see what awful things go on in the cities.
Perhaps Western civilization is in a post-decline phase, or maybe the decline is just taking a really long time, like the Roman Empire’s did. The Romans had gladiators and Christian-hungry lions and that sort of thing. We have MTV.
Television’s escapist programming naturally continues to endorse living beyond one’s means as the time-tested American Way and rarely depicts families or individuals wracked by the pressures and miseries that come with excess.