Apparently, Ray Bradbury didn't write Fahrenheit 451 as a possible illustration of life under totalitarianism but to show what watching too much TV can do to humans. Or so one Amy Johnston claims in an article.

I don't know if a medium can be blamed for some of us choosing to be comfortable and dumb. The TV is one of many available and relatively cheap distractions such as alcohol, post stamps collecting, the telephone, various drugs - medically prescribed or not, ipods, tobaccer, rapping, pornography, sugary drinks or role-playing games.

I happen to know that there is a vast and diverse supply of alcohol out there but I do not spend must of my day boozing. Some people do that though. Some people choose to get themselves drunk while watching the teevee and maybe munching on Twinkies. Voluntary addictions or intoxications should not be blamed on the intoxicating agent. Blaming the corrupting substances or circumstances would only support the theory that we're all just a bunch of big, in-need-of-control children who will always need daddy and mommy State (the Authorities) to make sure we don't hurt ourselves and to ensure that our own kids don't get corrupted by our own bad examples of irresponsible and irreversible addictions and self-abuse.