Definition of Entertainment

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` Posing a Definition of Entertainment Entertainment as a Connection (Linda) Yoo University of Southern California Abstract This paper seeks to draw from a diverse range of scholarly disciplines in order to provide a definition for entertainment. While recognizing the centrality of entertainment to society, this paper goes on to state that entertainment is a connection, a connection that links individuals to new ideas, space, and emotions, thereby allowing the individual to transcend their prior mental, physical, and emotional state. What starts off as a phenomenon can become so ubiquitous that we may feel more apprehensive regarding its lack of presence in our lives than to its dominance. Television, movies, or revolutionary interactive on-screen gaming, are all examples of entertainment. Ellen Degeneres’ 2014 Oscars “selfie” photo had even elicited 1.5 million retweets in less than an hour (Gerick, 2014), thereby revealing that entertainment can be more commonplace in the household than salt and pepper is at the breakfast table. Given the centrality of entertainment, then, it is helpful to pose a definition. This paper argues that entertainment is a connection. A connection, more aptly put, that allows individuals to transcend their prior emotional, physical and mental state as it links them to a different one. Entertainment requires a physical journey. Concert venues, movie theaters, game stores are all examples of establishments that draw out individuals from one setting into another. According to Mckee (2011), “When each film is released, its performance is tracked in detail…how well did it sell for example (76).” These measurements reveal more than a successful film; however, it also reveals the various physical transactions that take place. Film makers expect talent personnel to appear at studio locations, and we cannot forget that fans gather
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