What does entertainment actually mean?

Have you ever wondered how the world of entertainment evolved into the form we know it today? Well, to answer that question, we have to go back to the etymology of the word itself. The word entertainment has its origin in the Middle English word "entertainen", which is actually borrowed from Old French "entretenir". The Old French word is built from "entre"- which means "between", and "tenir"- which means "to hold". In English, to entertain originally meant "to keep someone in a certain headspace". By the 16th century, the meaning had shifted to "to amuse" or "to divert".

The catalyst of entertainment

The beginning of entertainment dates back to prehistoric times, when cavemen used cave paintings, carvings, and oral storytelling not only as a source of joy but also as a means for survival. This was the first way civilizations could communicate, document events, and pass down traditions.

Branching out

By the time ancient civilizations like Greece, Rome, and Egypt were founded, entertainment started branching out in different directions. Theatre performances were considered a more sensible approach to entertainment, while athletic competitions were all about honor and strength. During those times, by far the most enjoyed and violent form of entertainment was gladiatorial games. It is in these times that entertainment started being accessible to everyone.

The peak of delight

Five male trapeze artists performing at a circus, 1890. Image: This picture is in the public domain.

During the Middle Ages, entertainment was the closest it has ever been to common people. The rise of the troubadours (poets and musicians) brought joy to the streets! Festivals were blooming all around, and if you were lucky enough to do an amazing stunt while the king was looking, you could be chosen as the court jester! The jester was an important staple of entertainment in royalty. The king is feeling down? The jester can make him feel better by telling him a joke. The king doesn't know what to do with his kingdom? The jester is there to point him in the right direction. The king needs a trusted member of the court to deliver an important message to a rival kingdom? The jester is a perfect fit for the job. In other words, jesters were the main source of entertainment in the courtroom, but they were also trusted advisors and messengers of the king. Probably the most powerful tool in a jester's arsenal was a thing called "jester's privilege". In essence, jesters' privilege consists of almost complete freedom of speech! As long as you don't offend the king, you could pretty much just say whatever you want to his face. Jesters used this privilege to give the king advice while wrapping the wise words in a joke. It is said that many empires were saved by jesters making the right "joke" at the right time.

What goes up must come down

And here we arrive in the modern world, where entertainment is more desolate than ever. Instead of painting and drawing, we use artificially generated images and call them "art". Instead of writing books, we use artificial intelligence to write them for us. We have become way too lazy and passionless to even bother pursuing something so amazing as real, true, and honest entertainment. But why? Why have we become so cold, a shell of what we once were? Because everything is "boring". We get so easily bored with everything that our attention span lessens by the day! If something doesn't catch our eye in 8.25 seconds, we stroll by without a second thought. Our minds have been so plagued with ideas like "nothing is new" or "it is impossible to be unique nowadays" that we won't even bother challenging them. Hope seems truly lost for us.

So.......What now?

Now I say we rebuild! There has to be a way, there has to be something we can do in order to reinvent the industry of entertainment! I can't just sit down and let life pass me by. We must relight the flame of passion in our hearts and at least try to use our heads. I can proudly say that I, Valentin Horvath, feel like a whole new person after writing this article. The passion that I put into every sentence and the care that I put into every word are way more valuable than any A.I generated articles. So if I can, you can too! Go out there and let your creativity run wild! Paint, draw, act, sculpt, dance, do whatever your heart tells you to. By expressing ourselves freely, we can be released from these shackles and live in a new world where freedom is a blessing and entertainment is a right.