“Television has changed the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object”
“Television is changing the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object.—Time Magazine” was printed in The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA) on September 9, 1958. No author was stated. “Television is changing the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object (quoted in Time)” was printed in The Reader’s Digest in 1958.
The joke—borrowing from the classic statement of “What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?”—says that the force that is the American child is changing into an immovable object that sits in front of a television set. Later versions of the quotation change “is changing” to “has changed.” “Television has changed the American child from an irresistible force into an immovable object” was printed in the book Peter’s Quotations: Ideas for Our Time (1977) by Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990). Peter is frequently—and incorrectly—given authorship of the quotation.
Wikipedia: Irresistible force paradox
The unstoppable force paradox, also called the irresistible force paradox, shield and spear paradox, is a classic paradox formulated as “What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?” The immovable object and the unstoppable force are both implicitly assumed to be indestructible, or else the question would have a trivial resolution. Furthermore, it is assumed that they are two entities.
Wikiquote: Laurence J. Peter
Laurence Johnston Peter (September 16, 1919 – January 12, 1990) was a Canadian educator and management theorist, best known for having formulated the Peter Principle.
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Peter’s Quotations: Ideas for Our Time (1977)
Laurence J. Peter (1977) Peter’s Quotations: Ideas for Our Time ISBN 0-688-03217-6
Television has changed the American child from an irresistible force into an immovable object.
p. 324
9 September 1958, The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA), pg. 14, col. 2:
Television is changing the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object.—Time Magazine.
Google Books
The Reader’s Digest
Volume 73
1958
Pg. 62:
Television is changing the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object (quoted in Time).
Old Fulton NY Post Cards
10 December 1959, Hackettstown (NJ) Gazette, pg. 14, col. 4:
A BORROWED GEM
Television is changing the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object.
20 October 1965, Evening World-Herald (Nebraska, NE), pg. 54, col. 4:
He Just Sits There—
Television Defined
Branson (Mo.) White River Leader
About the most apt definition we can think of for television is that it is a marvelous electronic device that changes a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object.
Google Books
The Comic Encyclopedia:
A Library of the Literature and History of Humor Containing Thousands of Gags, Sayings, and Stories
By Evan Esar
Garden City, NY: Doubleday
1978
Pg. 512:
Television has turned every child from an irresistible force into an immovable body.
Google Books
The American Legion Magazine
Volumes 104-105
1978
Pg. 128:
TV has changed the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object. — SELMA GLASSER
Google Books
The American Legion
Volume 125
1988
Pg. 54:
Television has changed the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object.—Bud Hutchison
Google Books
14,000 Quips & Quotes:
For Speakers, Writers, Editors, Preachers, and Teachers
By E. C. McKenzie
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House
1990, ©1980
Pg. 505:
A television set is a device that changes a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object.
Twitter
cjcarat
@cjcarat
@aleta : Television has changed a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object. ~Author Unknown
10:57 AM - 30 Jan 2009
Twitter
Quote For The Day
@q4td
“Television has changed a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object.” — Laurence J. Peter #Q4TD http://j.mp/2gBpDX3
1:00 AM - 13 Oct 2017
Twitter
Ubaid Ullah
@itsubaidullah
Just another fact for you to remember on #WorldTelevisionDay
“Television has changed a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object”
10:05 AM - 21 Nov 2018