[Crito]

Thinking about this more, I think I would say that TED actually is worse than the Jersey Shore, even ignoring the TEDx angle:

Blatantly mindless entertainment like the Jersey Shore does not sell itself as mentally nutritious, and as such, it does not satiate any sort of intellectual curiosity. Watching it only burns time, which is not intrinsically problematic.

TED on the other hand sells itself as educational, or at least edutainment. It satiates intellectual curiosity without providing any real mental nutrition. It leaves you feeling as though you have just learned something, as though you have just gained some sort of profound insight, but that sensation is empty.

[MAGZine]

"It satiates intellectual curiosity without providing any real mental nutrition."

i take issue with that. You're saying that it's better to do /absolutely nothing/ with your time then stimulate intellectual thought, even if it's just surface? If you're not getting people interested in the pursuit of solving problems, then you're never going to have any problem solvers.