What is Entertaiment?

Entertaiment is a broad and voluminous subject matter, with a rich history of themes, images, and structures that seem to be indestructible. It is also a highly flexible genre, capable of extending across multiple media. In fact, it has demonstrated an unlimited potential for creative remix. This has ensured the longevity of many familiar forms, and it also means that what is entertainment for one person or group may not be entertaining to another. (The word “entertainment” derives from the Medieval Latin intertenere, from the prefix inter meaning “inside” and the suffix tenere, from the Indo-European root ten, which means to hold.)

This article originally appeared in the fall 2011 issue of Transformational Entertainment News.