Several weeks ago I watched a segment on CBS Sunday morning, featuring a book titled "The Wisdom of Crowds." The author gives multiple examples on how crowds are smarter than individuals. For example, if you have a jar jelly beans in your window and you ask people to guess the number of them in the jar, the average of all the guesses will be better than the guess of an expert.
But as someone who watches incredible amounts of television, I have found a chink in this theory. How is it possible that the viewing audience of "Dancing with the Stars" chose Jerry Rice over Stacy Keibler? Are they blind? The flamboyant and irritating judges (experts) got it right this time, by giving Jerry and Anna a lower score. Maybe its because I hate to think of my childhood football hero ballroom dancing. No, I'm pretty sure, it is simply that Jerry lacks rhythm and light fancy feet required for dancing. And even though I hate Stacy (completely out of jealousy of her amazing body), I have to give her props on the dancing.
It obvious to me that Mr. Surowiecki, the author of "The Wisdom of Crowds," does not watch reality television. I can find multiple examples from shows like, "American Idol," in which the crowd makes the "wrong choice." Maybe I am mistaking matters of taste with wisdom. No, I'm pretty sure the television viewing crowd is simply un-wise in its collective decisions.
2 comments:
Surowiecki is a total windbag. I've heard him speak in person twice and he can't shut up. I've also read his stupid book -- it's almost criminal to call it a book... it's really a 15 page magazine article expanded into book form with a ton of fluff. What a rip off!
So... After 10 years, you still think you ought to be dictator of the world ;)
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