TV Nation

Americans are a nation of television-philes. They spend endless hours in front of tv, and the rise of stars such as made-for-tv-movie don, Brian Dennehy are testimony to tv's importance in American culture.

Compared to China, Americans are idle tv glancers.
TV in China is the ever-invited guest. You turn on the telly at a restaurant or yum cha as unconsciously as you would pull out a chair for a guest. It flickers away, idly watched in the conversation pauses, and toothpickery.
Supermarkets have a tv every aisle, usually playing endless ads. Bars play whatever channel takes the remote holder's fancy. Even at the very top of the holy Mt. Qingcheng the attendant at the most sacred temple of the cow-riding historical explorer was watching some trashy drama on a tiny set, no doubt lugged up there by some poor bearer.

As yet there are no tvs in cars, only buses. As yet.