5 Great TV Shows that Changed the World
These iconic programs made us safer, healthier, quippier, and more tuneful.
from Mental Floss from Reader's Digest Magazine (February 2013)
TVS: Xavier Arnau/Getty Images. walsh: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
the simpsons: Courtesy Fox. Er: Sven Arnstein/NBCU Photo Bank. Michele: Danielle Levitt/Courtesy Fox
The Simpsons Transformed How We Talk
University of Pennsylvania linguistics professor Mark Liberman wrote in 2005, “The Simpsons has apparently taken over from Shakespeare and the Bible as our culture’s greatest source of
idioms, catchphrases, and sundry other textual allusions.” Liberman’s assertion sounds crazy—at least until you remember there’s a Milhouse quote for every occasion. Even the gatekeeper of language, the Oxford English Dictionary, has found a spot for Homer Simpson’s trademark “D’oh!”
TVS: Xavier Arnau/Getty Images. walsh: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
the simpsons: Courtesy Fox. Er: Sven Arnstein/NBCU Photo Bank. Michele: Danielle Levitt/Courtesy Fox
Glee Helped Boost the Record Industry
Fox scored a sleeper hit with the musical series
in 2009. But the show’s real impact came between airings. As most of
the record industry flailed, the Glee recordings found staggering
success on iTunes. By the end of 2011, the cast had sold more than 11 million albums and another 36 million single tracks. Meanwhile, the 2011 concert tour grossed more than $40 million. Lea Michele and her Glee castmates are the fastest act to earn 20 top-40 hits, surpassing even Elvis.
TVS: Xavier Arnau/Getty Images. walsh: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
the simpsons: Courtesy Fox. Er: Sven Arnstein/NBCU Photo Bank. Michele: Danielle Levitt/Courtesy Fox
America’s Most Wanted Cleaned Up Our Streets
The show has helped capture over 1,100 fugitives since its debut in 1988.
TVS: Xavier Arnau/Getty Images. walsh: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
the simpsons: Courtesy Fox. Er: Sven Arnstein/NBCU Photo Bank. Michele: Danielle Levitt/Courtesy Fox
Sex and the City Encouraged Teens to Communicate
A 2011 Ohio State University
study found that undergraduates who viewed an episode of Sex and the
City were more than twice as likely to talk to their partners about
sexual-health issues. This is especially important considering that, in
2008, a Rand Institute study reported that girls between 12 and 17 who
watched the show and other shows with “high sexual content” were more
than twice as likely to become pregnant—a ringing endorsement for enforcing the Mature Audience rating.
TVS: Xavier Arnau/Getty Images. walsh: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
the simpsons: Courtesy Fox. Er: Sven Arnstein/NBCU Photo Bank. Michele: Danielle Levitt/Courtesy Fox
ER Made Us Healthier
ER did more than make George Clooney a superstar. It also changed the way America ate. In three 2004 episodes, the show focused on the doctors’ orders for a teenager with high blood pressure: exercise, and eat more fruits and vegetables. While the plot sounds humdrum, it scared viewers straight. In 2007, researchers from the University of Southern California’s medical school found that viewers who caught these episodes had started walking or exercising more, eating more fruits and vegetables, or getting their blood pressure checked. How can anyone say watching TV is bad for you?
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