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{{Short description|Activity that holds attention or gives pleasure}}
{{Redirect|General entertainment|the television channel format|Generalist channel|other uses|Entertainment (disambiguation)}}
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[[File:Symposium scene Nicias Painter MAN.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Banqueters playing [[Kottabos (game)|Kottabos]] and a girl playing the [[aulos]], Greece ({{circa|420&nbsp;[[Before common era|BCE]]}}). Banqueting and music have continued to be two important entertainments since ancient times.]]

'''Entertainment''' is a form of activity that holds the attention and [[Interest (emotion)|interest]] of an [[audience]] or gives [[pleasure]] and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more commonly one of the activities or events developed over thousands of years specifically to engage an audience.

Although people's attention is captured by different things due to individual preferences, most forms of entertainment are recognisable and familiar. [[Storytelling]], [[music]], [[drama]], [[dance]], and various kinds of [[performance]] exist in all cultures, were supported in [[Court (royal)|royal courts]], and developed into sophisticated forms over time, eventually becoming available to the general public. Modern times have accelerated this process through an entertainment industry that records and sells entertainment products. Entertainment can be adapted to suit any scale, ranging from an individual choosing private entertainment from an enormous array of pre-recorded products, to a [[banquet]] for two, to parties of any size with music and dance, to performances for thousands, and even global audiences.

The experience of being entertained is strongly associated with [[amusement]], so one common understanding is [[fun]] and laughter, although many entertainments serve serious purposes. This can occur in various forms of [[ceremony]], celebration, [[religious festival]], or [[satire]]. Therefore, what appears as entertainment may also be a means of achieving [[insight]] or intellectual growth.

A key aspect of entertainment is the audience, which transforms a private [[recreation]] or [[leisure]] activity into entertainment. The audience may have a passive role, as in people watching a [[Play (theatre)|play]], [[opera]], [[television show]], or [[film]]; or an active role, as in [[game]]s, where participant and audience roles can interchange. Entertainment can be public or private, involving formal, scripted performances such as [[theatre]] or [[concert]]s, or unscripted and spontaneous, as with [[List of traditional children's games|children's games]]. Most forms of entertainment have persisted for centuries, evolving due to cultural, technological, and fashion changes, as seen with [[Magic (illusion)|stage magic]]. [[Film]]s and [[video game]]s, though using newer media, continue to [[storytelling|tell stories]], present drama, and [[music|play music]]. [[Festival]]s devoted to [[music festival|music]], [[Film festival|film]], or [[Competitive dance|dance]] entertain audiences over consecutive days.

Some entertainment, such as public executions, is now illegal in most countries. Activities like [[fencing]] or [[archery]], once used in [[hunting]] or [[war]], have become [[spectator sport]]s. Similarly, other activities, such as [[cooking]], have evolved into performances among professionals, staged as global competitions, and broadcast for entertainment. What is entertaining for one group or individual may be considered work or cruelty by another.

Familiar forms of entertainment can cross over into different media and have demonstrated seemingly unlimited potential for creative [[remix]], ensuring the continuity and longevity of many themes, images, and structures.

== Etymology ==

The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] gives Latin and French origins for the word "entertain", including ''inter'' (among) + ''tenir'' (to hold) as derivations, giving translations of "to hold mutually" or "to hold intertwined" and "to engage, keep occupied, the [[attention]], thoughts, or time (of a person)". It also provides words like "merry-making", "pleasure", and "delight", as well as "to receive as a guest and show hospitality to". It cites a 1490 usage by [[William Caxton]].<ref>The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] (Oxford University Press, 1971, Vol 1 pp.&nbsp;213–214)</ref>

== Psychology and philosophy ==

Entertainment can be distinguished from other activities such as education and marketing even though they have learned how to use the appeal of entertainment to achieve their different goals. Sometimes entertainment can be a mixture for both. The importance and impact of entertainment is recognised by scholars<ref>For example, the application of psychological models and theories to entertainment is discussed in Part III of {{cite book|last=Bryant|first=Jennings|title=Psychology of Entertainment|year=2006|publisher=Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc|location=Mahwah, NJ|isbn=978-0-8058-5238-7|pages=367–434|author2=Vorderer, Peter}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|ref=CITEREFSayreKing2010|last=Sayre|first=Shay|title=Entertainment and Society: Influences, Impacts, and Innovations (Google eBook)|year=2010|publisher=Routledge|location=Oxon; New York|isbn=978-0-415-99806-2|edition=2nd|author2=King, Cynthia}} p. 22.</ref> and its increasing sophistication has [[Influence of the IBM PC on the personal computer market|influenced]] practices in other fields such as [[museology]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Conservation, Education, Entertainment?|year=2011|publisher=Channel View Publication|isbn=978-1-84541-164-0|editor=Frost, Warwick}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Museum Revolutions|year=2007|publisher=Routledge|location=Oxon; New York|isbn=978-0-203-93264-3|author1=Macleod, Suzanne |author2=Watson, Sheila |editor=Knell, Simon J.}}</ref>

{{Listen
|filename    = Applause.ogg
|title       = Applause
|description = Audience applauding a performance of [[Cavalleria Rusticana]] by [[Pietro Mascagni]] (2011)
|format      = [[Ogg]]
}}

[[Psychologist]]s say the function of media entertainment is "the attainment of [[gratification]]".<ref>{{cite book|last=Zillmann|first=Dolf|title=Media Entertainment – the psychology of its appeal|year=2000|publisher=Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Taylor & Francis e-library |location=Mahwah, NJ|isbn=978-0-8058-3324-9|page=vii|author2=Vorderer, Peter}}</ref> No other results or measurable benefits are usually expected from it (except perhaps the final score in a sporting entertainment). This is in contrast to education (which is designed with the purpose of developing understanding or helping people to learn) and marketing (which aims to encourage people to purchase commercial products). However, the distinctions become blurred when education seeks to be more "entertaining" and entertainment or marketing seek to be more "educational". Such mixtures are often known by the [[neologism]]s "[[edutainment]]" or "[[infotainment]]". The psychology of entertainment as well as of learning has been applied to all these fields.<ref>For example, [[marketer]]s mix commercial messages with non-commercial messages in entertainments on radio, television, films, videos and games. {{cite book|last=Shrum|first=L.J.J.|title=The Psychology of Entertainment Media|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-84872-944-5|edition=2nd}}</ref> Some education-entertainment is a serious attempt to combine the best features of the two.<ref>{{cite book|title=Entertainment-Education and Social Change: History, Research, and Practice|year=2008|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-4106-0959-5|editor1=Singhal, Arvind |editor2=Cody, Michael J. |editor3=Rogers, Everett |editor4=Sabido, Miguel }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Digital Games and Learning |year=2011 |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |location=London; New York |isbn=978-1-4411-9870-9 |editor1-last=de Freitas |editor1-first=Sara |editor2-last=Maharg |editor2-first=Paul}}</ref> Some people are entertained by others' pain or the idea of their unhappiness ([[schadenfreude]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2020 |title=Schadenfreude: Why Do We Like To See Others Suffer? |url=https://www.scienceabc.com/social-science/why-do-we-like-to-see-others-suffer-schadenfreude.html |access-date=2 May 2022 |website=Science ABC |language=en-US |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020162049/https://www.scienceabc.com/social-science/why-do-we-like-to-see-others-suffer-schadenfreude.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

An entertainment might go beyond gratification and produce some insight in its audience. Entertainment may skilfully consider universal philosophical questions such as: "What does it mean to be human?"; "What is the right thing to do?"; or "How do I know what I know?". "The [[meaning of life]]", for example, is the subject in a wide range of entertainment forms, including film, music and literature. Questions such as these drive many narratives and dramas, whether they are presented in the form of a story, film, play, poem, book, dance, comic, or game. Dramatic examples include [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s influential play ''[[Hamlet]]'', whose hero articulates these concerns in poetry; and films, such as ''[[The Matrix]]'', which explores the nature of knowledge<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Irwin|editor-first=William|title=The Matrix and Philosophy|year=2002|publisher=Carus Publishing Company|location=Peru, IL|page=[https://archive.org/details/matrixphilosophy00irwi/page/196 196]|isbn=978-0-8126-9502-1|url=https://archive.org/details/matrixphilosophy00irwi/page/196}}</ref> and was released worldwide.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ql_9| title = IMDb ''The Matrix'' worldwide release dates| website = [[IMDb]]| access-date = 30 June 2018| archive-date = 9 May 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190509185717/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ql_9| url-status = live}}</ref> Novels give great scope for investigating these themes while they entertain their readers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Peter|title=Philosophy and the Novel|year=1975|location=Oxford, Clarendon|publisher=Oxford University Press, Incorporated}}</ref> An example of a creative work that considers philosophical questions so entertainingly that it has been presented in a very wide range of forms is ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]''. Originally a [[radio comedy]], this story became so popular that it has also appeared as a novel, film, television series, stage show, comic, [[audiobook]], [[LP record]], [[adventure game]] and [[online game]], its ideas became popular references (see [[Phrases from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]) and has been translated into many languages.<ref>{{cite book |author=Simpson, M.J. |title=The Pocket Essential Hitchhiker's Guide |edition=2nd |publisher=Pocket Essentials |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-904048-46-6 |page=120}}</ref> Its themes encompass the [[meaning of life]], as well as "the ethics of entertainment, [[artificial intelligence]], multiple worlds, God, and [[philosophical method]]".<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Joll|editor-first=Nicholas|title=Philosophy and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|year=2012|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York|isbn=978-0-230-29112-6}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|Entertainment in the 16th century|Entertainment during the Great Depression}}
[[File:Bierstadt Albert The Campfire.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Albert Bierstadt]]'s ''The Campfire'' depicts [[storytelling]], a universal form of entertainment]]
[[File:Bestiarii.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Mosaic]] showing Roman entertainments that would have been offered at the [[gladiator]]ial games, from the 1st century]]

The "ancient craft of communicating events and experiences, using words, images, sounds and gestures" by telling a story<ref>{{cite book|last=Gakhar|first=Sonia|title=The influence of storytelling on pre-service students' attitudes and intentions (MSc Thesis)|year=2007|publisher=Iowa State University}}</ref> is not only the means by which people passed on their cultural values and traditions and history from one generation to another, it has been an important part of most forms of entertainment ever since the earliest times. Stories are still told in the early forms, for example, around a fire while [[camping]], or when listening to the stories of another culture as a tourist. "The earliest storytelling sequences we possess, now of course, committed to writing, were undoubtedly originally a speaking from mouth to ear and their force as entertainment derived from the very same elements we today enjoy in films and novels."<ref name=Kuhns>{{cite book|last=Kuhns|first=Richard Francis|title=Decameron and the Philosophy of Storytelling: Author as Midwife and Pimp|year=2005|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York; Chichester West Sussex|isbn=978-0-231-13608-2|page=7}}</ref> [[Storytelling]] is an activity that has evolved and developed "toward variety".<ref name=Kuhns /> Many entertainments, including storytelling but especially music and drama, remain familiar but have developed into a wide variety of form to suit a very wide range of personal preferences and cultural expression. Many types are blended or supported by other forms. For example, drama, stories and banqueting (or dining) are commonly enhanced by music; sport and games are incorporated into other activities to increase appeal. Some may have evolved from serious or necessary activities (such as running and [[jumping]]) into competition and then become entertainment. It is said, for example, that [[pole vault]]ing "may have originated in the Netherlands, where people used long poles to vault over wide canals rather than wear out their clogs walking miles to the nearest bridge. Others maintain that pole vaulting was used in warfare to vault over fortress walls during battle."<ref name=Carlsen>{{cite book|last=Carlsen|first=Spike|title=A Splintered History of Wood|year=2009|publisher=Harper Perennial|location=New York|isbn=978-0-06-137356-5|page=170}}</ref> The equipment for such sports has become increasingly sophisticated. Vaulting poles, for example, were originally made from woods such as [[Fraxinus|ash]], [[hickory]] or [[hazel]]; in the 19th century [[bamboo]] was used and in the 21st century poles can be made of [[Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer|carbon fibre]].<ref name=Carlsen /> Other activities, such as [[Stilts|walking on stilts]], are still seen in [[circus]] performances in the 21st century. [[Gladiator]]ial combats, also known as "gladiatorial games", popular during Roman times, provide a good example of an activity that is a combination of sport, punishment, and entertainment.<ref>{{Citation |title= Gladiators: violence and spectacle in ancient Rome|author = Dunkle, Roger| year= 2008| location = Harlow, England; New York| publisher = Pearson/Longman| isbn = 978-1-4058-0739-5}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=Medieval Sport: Quest for Survival | author1=Wiseman, Douglas C. | year=1977 | publisher=Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse Microfiche }}</ref>

Changes to what is regarded as entertainment can occur in response to cultural or historical shifts. Hunting wild animals, for example, was introduced into the [[Roman Empire]] from [[Carthage]] and became a popular public entertainment and spectacle, supporting an international trade in wild animals.<ref>{{cite book|last=Potter|first=David Stone|title=Life, Death, and Entertainment in the Roman Empire|year=1999|publisher=University of Michigan Press|isbn=978-0-472-10924-1|page=308|author2=Mattingly, David J.}}</ref>

Entertainment also evolved into different forms and expressions as a result of social upheavals such as wars and revolutions. During the Chinese [[Cultural Revolution]], for example, [[Revolutionary opera]] was sanctioned by the Communist party and [[World War I]], the [[Great Depression]] and the [[Russian Revolution]] all affected entertainment.<ref>{{cite book|last=Roshwald|first=Aviel|title=European Culture in the Great War: The Arts, Entertainment and Propaganda, 1914–1918|year=2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-57015-2|author2=Stites, Richard}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Heinrich|first=Anselm|title=Heinrich, Entertainment, propaganda, education: regional theatre in Germany and Britain between 1918 and 1945|year=2007|publisher=University of Hertfordshire Press|location=Hatfield, England|isbn=978-1-902806-74-7|editor=Meech, Tony}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Arthur|first=Max|title=When this bloody war is over: soldiers' songs from the First World War|year=2001|publisher=Piatkus|location=London|isbn=978-0-7499-2252-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Part 1 Media, Industry, Society|year=2003|publisher=Continuum|isbn=978-0-8264-6321-0|author1=Laing, Dave |author2=Oliver, Paul |author3=Wicke, Peter |editor=Horn, David}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=McReynolds|first=Louise|title=Russia at Play: Leisure Activities at the End of the Tsarist Era|year=2003|publisher=Cornell University|isbn=978-0-8014-4027-4}}</ref>

Relatively minor changes to the form and venue of an entertainment continue to come and go as they are affected by the period, fashion, culture, technology, and economics. For example, a story told in dramatic form can be presented in an open-air theatre, a [[music hall]], a cinema, a [[Multiplex (movie theater)|multiplex]], or as technological possibilities advanced, via a personal electronic device such as a [[tablet computer]]. Entertainment is provided for mass audiences in purpose-built structures such as a [[Theater (structure)|theatre]], [[auditorium]], or stadium. One of the most famous venues in the Western world, the [[Colosseum]], "dedicated [[Before common era|AD]]&nbsp;80 with a hundred days of games, held fifty thousand spectators," and in it audiences "enjoyed blood sport with the trappings of stage shows".{{sfnp|McDonald Walton|2007|p=51}} [[Spectacle]]s, competitions, [[Racing|races]], and sports were once presented in this purpose-built arena as public entertainment. New stadia continue to be built to suit the ever more sophisticated requirements of global audiences.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

=== Court entertainment ===
[[File:Codex Manesse 192v - Albrecht von Rapperswil.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Tournament before an audience and musicians (14th century)]]
[[File:Ralph Hedley The tournament 1898.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ralph Hedley]] ''The Tournament'' (1898) Children adapting a courtly entertainment]]
Imperial and royal courts have provided training grounds and support for professional entertainers, with different cultures using palaces, castles and forts in different ways. In the [[Maya civilization|Maya city states]], for example, "spectacles often took place in large plazas in front of palaces; the crowds gathered either there or in designated places from which they could watch at a distance."<ref>{{cite book|title=Servants of the Dynasty: Palace Women in World History|year=2008|publisher=University of California Press|location=London|isbn=978-0-520-25443-5|editor=Walthall, Anne|ref=CITEREFWalthall2008}} pp.&nbsp;4–5.</ref> Court entertainments also crossed cultures. For example, the [[Durbar (court)|durbar]] was introduced to India by the [[Mughal emperors|Mughals]], and passed onto the [[British Empire]], which then followed Indian tradition: "institutions, titles, customs, ceremonies by which a [[Maharaja]] or [[Nawab]] were installed&nbsp;... the exchange of official presents&nbsp;... the order of precedence", for example, were "all inherited from&nbsp;... the Emperors of Delhi".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Allen|first1=Charles|author-link = Charles Allen (writer)|last2 = Dwivedi|first2=Sharada|author-link2 = Sharada Dwivedi|title=Lives of the Indian Princes|year=1984|publisher=Century Publishing|location=London|isbn=978-0-7126-0910-4|page=210}}</ref> In Korea, the "court entertainment dance" was "originally performed in the palace for entertainment at court banquets."<ref>{{cite book|last=Van Zile|first=Judy|title=Perspectives on Korean Dance|year=2001|publisher=Wesleyan University Press|location=Middletown, CN|isbn=978-0-8195-6494-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/perspectivesonko0000vanz}} p. 36.</ref>

Court entertainment often moved from being associated with the court to more general use among [[commoner]]s. This was the case with "masked dance-dramas" in Korea, which "originated in conjunction with village [[Shamanism|shaman]] rituals and eventually became largely an entertainment form for commoners".{{sfnp|Van Zile|2001|p=9}} [[Nautch]] dancers in the Mughal Empire performed in Indian courts and palaces. Another evolution, similar to that from courtly entertainment to common practice, was the transition from religious ritual to secular entertainment, such as happened during the [[Goryeo]] dynasty with the Narye festival. Originally "solely religious or ritualistic, a secular component was added at the conclusion".{{sfnp|Van Zile|2001|p=69}} Former courtly entertainments, such as [[jousting]], often also survived in children's games.

In some courts, such as those during the [[Byzantine Empire]], the genders were segregated among the upper classes, so that "at least before the period of the [[Komnenos|Komnenoi]]" (1081–1185) men were separated from women at ceremonies where there was entertainment such as receptions and banquets.<ref name=Garland>{{cite book|editor-last=Garland|editor-first=Lynda|editor-link=Lynda Garland |title=Byzantine Women: Varieties of Experience 800–1200|year=2006|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Limited|location=Aldershot, Hampshire|isbn=978-0-7546-5737-8|pages=177–178}}</ref>

Court ceremonies, palace banquets and the spectacles associated with them, have been used not only to entertain but also to demonstrate wealth and power. Such events reinforce the relationship between ruler and ruled; between those with power and those without, serving to "dramatise the differences between ordinary families and that of the ruler".{{sfnp|Walthall|2008}} This is the case as much as for traditional courts as it is for contemporary ceremonials, such as the [[Hong Kong handover ceremony]] in 1997, at which an array of entertainments (including a banquet, a parade, fireworks, a festival performance and an art spectacle) were put to the service of highlighting a change in political power. Court entertainments were typically performed for royalty and courtiers as well as "for the pleasure of local and visiting dignitaries".{{sfnp|Van Zile|2001|p=6}} Royal courts, such as the Korean one, also supported traditional dances.{{sfnp|Van Zile|2001|p=6}} In Sudan, musical instruments such as the so-called "slit" or "talking" drums, once "part of the court orchestra of a powerful chief", had multiple purposes: they were used to make music; "speak" at ceremonies; mark community events; send long-distance messages; and call men to hunt or war.<ref>{{cite web|last=McGregor|first=Neil|title=Episode 94: Sudanese Slit Drum (Transcript)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/about/transcripts/episode94/|work=History of the World in 100 Objects|publisher=BBC Radio 4/British Museum|access-date=6 February 2013|archive-date=15 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615000158/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/about/transcripts/episode94/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=McGregor|first=Neil|title=A History of the World in 100 objects|year=2010|publisher=Allen Lane|location=London|isbn=978-1-84614-413-4|pages=613–}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/FMgugdskR7eaWj_ST2fAeQ| title = British Museum catalogue image of Sudanese slit drum| access-date = 20 December 2019| archive-date = 27 December 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191227151825/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/FMgugdskR7eaWj_ST2fAeQ| url-status = live}}</ref>

Courtly entertainments also demonstrate the complex relationship between entertainer and spectator: individuals may be either an entertainer or part of the audience, or they may swap roles even during the course of one entertainment. In the court at the [[Palace of Versailles]], "thousands of courtiers, including men and women who inhabited its apartments, acted as both performers and spectators in daily rituals that reinforced the status hierarchy".{{sfnp|Walthall|2008}}

Like court entertainment, royal occasions such as coronations and weddings provided opportunities to entertain both the [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocracy]] and the people. For example, the splendid 1595 [[Accession Day]] celebrations of Queen [[Elizabeth I]] offered [[tournament]]s and jousting and other events performed "not only before the assembled court, in all their finery, but also before thousands of Londoners eager for a good day's entertainment. Entry for the day's events at the [[Tiltyard]] in [[Palace of Whitehall|Whitehall]] was set at [[History of the English penny (1485–1603)#Elizabeth I|12d]]".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Politics of the Stuart Court Masque|year=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-59436-3|author=Holbrook, Peter|editor=Bevington, David|pages=42–43}}</ref>

=== Public punishment ===
[[File:Ticket for the execution of Jonathan Wild.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Ticket for the execution of [[Jonathan Wild]] (1725)]]
Although most forms of entertainment have evolved and continued over time, some once-popular forms are no longer as acceptable. For example, during earlier centuries in Europe, watching or participating in the punishment of criminals or social outcasts was an accepted and popular form of entertainment. Many forms of [[public humiliation]] also offered local entertainment in the past. Even capital punishment such as [[hanging]] and [[Decapitation|beheading]], offered to the public as a warning, were also regarded partly as entertainment. Capital punishments that lasted longer, such as [[stoning]] and [[Hanged, drawn and quartered|drawing and quartering]], afforded a greater public spectacle. "A hanging was a carnival that diverted not merely the unemployed but the unemployable. Good bourgeois or curious aristocrats who could afford it watched it from a carriage or rented a room."<ref name=Gay /> Public punishment as entertainment lasted until the 19th century by which time "the awesome event of a public hanging aroused the[ir] loathing of writers and philosophers".<ref name=Gay>{{cite book|author-link=Peter Gay|last=Gay|first=Peter|title=Schnitzler's Century – The making of middle-class culture 1815–1914|year=2002|publisher=W.W. Norton & Co|location=New York; London|isbn=978-0-393-32363-4|page=121}}</ref> Both [[Charles Dickens|Dickens]] and [[William Makepeace Thackeray|Thackeray]] wrote about a hanging in [[Newgate Prison]] in 1840, and "taught an even wider public that executions are obscene entertainments".<ref name=Gay />

== Children ==
{{Main|Play (activity)}}
[[File:Pieter Bruegel d. Ä. 041b.jpg|thumb|[[Pieter Bruegel the Elder|Pieter Bruegel]] ''[[Children's Games (Bruegel)|Children's Games]]'' (1560)]]

Children's entertainment is centred on [[Play (activity)|play]] and is significant for their growth. It often mimics adult activities, such as watching performances (on television); prepares them for adult responsibilities, such as child rearing or social interaction (through dolls, pets and group games); or develops skills such as motor skills (such as a game of [[marbles]]), needed for sports and music. In the modern day, it often involves sedentary engagement with television or [[tablet computer]].

Entertainment is also provided to children or taught to them by adults. A children's entertainer or performer is a professional whose job it is to entertain children. The term can be used to describe a [[children's musician]] or [[children's television presenter|television presenter]],<ref name="u827">{{cite web | last=Nay | first=Isaac Phan | title=Children's entertainer Fred Penner still resonates with families | website=CBC | date=2024-05-28 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fred-penner-childrens-festival-1.7217303 | access-date=2024-08-28}}</ref><ref name="c124">{{cite web | title=Ron 'Buck Shot' Barge, longtime Calgary children's TV star, dies at 87 | website=CBC | date=2024-08-18 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-ron-barge-buck-shot-dies-1.7297836 | access-date=2024-08-28}}</ref> but encompasses a wide range of specializations, including [[children's magician|magician]]s, [[costumed performer]]s, [[puppeteers]] and [[party princess]]es.<ref name="h166">{{cite web | last=Seal | first=Rebecca | title=Kids' entertainers on the tricks of their trade: 'My years in the police were very useful' | website=the Guardian | date=2022-03-26 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/mar/26/kids-entertainers-on-the-tricks-of-their-trade-my-years-in-the-police-were-very-useful | access-date=2024-08-28}}</ref><ref name="d159">{{cite web | last=Ghazali | first=Rahmah | title=BBC star and renowned puppeteer dies at 73 after battle with pneumonia | website=NationalWorld | date=2024-08-14 | url=https://www.nationalworld.com/culture/celebrity/steve-lee-dead-bbc-star-and-renowned-puppeteer-dies-73-4742071 | access-date=2024-08-28}}</ref> Many activities that appeal to children such as [[puppet]]s, [[clown]]s, [[pantomime]]s and [[cartoon]]s are also enjoyed by adults.<ref>{{cite book|last=O'Brien|first=John|title=Harlequin Britain: Pantomime and Entertainment, 1690–1760|year=2004|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore|isbn=978-0-8018-7910-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Geipel|first=John|title=The cartoon: a short history of graphic comedy and satire|year=1972|publisher=Newton Abbot: David & Charles|isbn=978-0-7153-5328-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/cartoonshorthist0000geip}}</ref>

Children have always played games. It is accepted that as well as being entertaining, playing games helps children's development. One of the most famous visual accounts of children's games is a painting by [[Pieter Bruegel the Elder]] called ''[[Children's Games (Bruegel)|Children's Games]]'', painted in 1560. It depicts children playing a range of games that presumably were typical of the time. Many of these games, such as [[Marble (toy)|marbles]], [[hide-and-seek]], blowing [[soap bubble]]s and [[Piggy-back (transportation)|piggyback riding]] continue to be played.

[[File:Israel Rating.jpg|thumb|left|Example of a rating system specifying age appropriateness (Israel)]]
Most forms of entertainment can be or are modified to suit children's needs and interests. During the 20th century, starting with the often criticised but nonetheless important work of [[G. Stanley Hall]], who "promoted the link between the study of development and the 'new' laboratory psychology",<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Dennis |last2=Hogan |first2=John D. |last3=Clark |first3=Philip M. |title=Developmental Psychology in Historical Perspective |year=2012 |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |location=Malden, MA; Oxford |isbn=978-1-4051-6747-5 |page=18}}</ref> and especially with the work of [[Jean Piaget]], who "saw cognitive development as being analogous to biological development",{{sfnp|Thompson|Hogan|Clark|2012|p=114}} it became understood that the [[Developmental psychology|psychological development]] of children occurs in stages and that their capacities differ from adults. Hence, stories and activities, whether in books, film, or video games were developed specifically for child audiences. Countries have responded to the special needs of children and the rise of digital entertainment by developing systems such as [[television content rating systems]], to guide the public and the entertainment industry.

In the 21st century, as with adult products, much entertainment is available for children on the internet for private use. This constitutes a significant change from earlier times. The amount of time expended by children indoors on screen-based entertainment and the "remarkable collapse of children's engagement with nature" has drawn criticism for its negative effects on [[imagination]], adult [[cognition]] and [[Subjective well-being|psychological well-being]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Cobb|first=Edith|title=The ecology of imagination in childhood|year=1977|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-231-03870-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Louv|first=Richard|title=Last Child in the Woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder|year= 2005|publisher=Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill|location=Chapel Hill, NC|isbn=978-1-56512-391-5|title-link=Last Child in the Woods}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Monbiot|first=George|title=If children lose contact with nature they won't fight for it|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/19/children-lose-contact-with-nature|access-date=29 November 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 November 2012|archive-date=25 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925052205/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/19/children-lose-contact-with-nature|url-status=live}}</ref>
<gallery widths="180" heights="150" class="center" caption="Types of children's entertainment">
File:Toy Soldiers British Coldstream Guards.jpg|Toy [[Coldstream Guards]] soldiers (19th century)
File:6. Reborn doll - Jessy od Elizabeth Maris.jpg|Doll of a newborn baby
File:Two children playing with a dog.jpg|Children being entertained by a dog (19th century painting)
File:Kids Playing duduk.jpg|Boys play [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorders]]
File:Girl with styrofoam swimming board.jpg|Girl in a swimming pool
File:Playing together 4.jpg|Children in a group game
File:Children watching TV.jpg|Boys watch children's TV
File:Interest.jpg|Toddler using a [[tablet computer]]
</gallery>

== Forms ==

=== Banquets ===
[[Banquet]]s have been a venue for [[amusement]], entertainment or [[pleasure]] since ancient times,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=Sandra Romano |date=2013 |title=Banqueting Gods in Valerius Flaccus Arg. 5.690–5 |journal=Mnemosyne |volume=66 |issue=4–5 |pages=666–681 |doi=10.1163/156852512X617641 |issn=0026-7074}}</ref> continuing into the modern era.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carson |first=Cary |title=Banqueting Houses and the "Need of Society" among Slave-Owning Planters in the Chesapeake Colonies |journal=The William and Mary Quarterly |publisher=The William and Mary quarterly, 2013, Vol. 70 (4) The Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture |year=2013 |volume=70 |issue=4 |location=Williamsburg |pages=725–780 |doi=10.5309/willmaryquar.70.4.0725 |issn=0043-5597}}</ref> until the 21st century when they are still being used for many of their original purposes{{snd}}to impress visitors, especially important ones; to show hospitality; as an occasion to showcase supporting entertainments such as music or dancing, or both. They were an integral part of court entertainments and helped entertainers develop their skills. They are also important components of celebrations such as coronations, weddings, birthdays civic or political achievements, military engagements or victories as well as religious obligations, one of the most famous being the [[Banqueting House, Whitehall]] in London.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Charlton |first=John |title=The Banqueting House, Whitehall |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |year=1964 |isbn=978-0-11-671099-4 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Palme |first=Per |title=Triumph of peace : a study of the Whitehall Banqueting House |publisher=Thames and Hudson |year=1957 |location=London}}</ref> In modern times, banquets are available privately, or commercially in restaurants, sometimes combined with a dramatic performance in [[dinner theater|dinner theatres]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Solomon |first=Charmaine |title=Oriental banquets |publisher=Hamlyn |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-947334-46-8 |location=Port Melbourne}}</ref> Cooking by professional chefs has also become a form of entertainment as part of global competitions such as the [[Bocuse d'Or]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Graham |first=Joan M. |title=Cooking for competition: what the judges are looking for |publisher=Ercildourne |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-646-05369-1 |location=Richmond, Victoria}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" widths="180" heights="150" caption="Banquets across centuries and cultures">
File:An Egyptian Banquet.jpg| A banquet scene from [[Ancient Egypt]] (from a wall painting in [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]])
File:Byzantine Greek Banquet Alexander Manuscript (cropped).JPG| [[Byzantine]] banquet showing musicians and various musical instruments (1204–1453)
File:Banquet de Charles V le Sage.jpg| [[Jean Fouquet]], ''Banquet for [[Charles V of France]]'' (1455–1460)
File:A banquet for Babur.jpg| A banquet including [[roast goose]] given for [[Babur]] by the [[Mirza (noble)|Mirzas]] in 1507 (miniature {{circa|1590}})
File:Helst, Peace of Münster.jpg| [[Bartholomeus van der Helst]], ''[[Peace of Münster]]'' <br />Amsterdam (1648)
File:Victory banquet 1788.jpg| Victory banquet by [[Emperor Qianlong]] to greet the officers who attended the [[Lin Shuangwen rebellion|campaign against Taiwan]] (late 18th century)
File:Wedding in Toropets (landlords coming to the peasants’ wedding)..jpg| Landlords coming to the peasants' wedding banquet (late 18th century)
File:The banquet hall in King Sahla Sellases palace colour.jpg| The banquet hall in the palace of King [[Sahle Selassie]] painting from a photo, Ethiopia (1852)
File:George IV coronation banquet.jpg| Coronation banquet of [[George IV]] in [[Westminster Hall]] (1821)
File:Chinese banquet in a banquet hall.JPG| Chinese banquet in a banquet hall given as a birthday celebration (2012)
</gallery>

=== Music ===
[[File:A full house, seen from the rear of the stage, at the Metropolitan Opera House for a concert by pianist Josef Hofmann, 1 - NARA - 541890.tif|thumb|A full house at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in New York City, waiting for a musical entertainment to begin (1937)]]
Music is a supporting component of many kinds of entertainment and most kinds of performance. For example, it is used to enhance storytelling,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bullock |first=Jon E. |title=Broadcasting the Nation: The Importance of Radio in Kurdish Music History |publisher=VWB – Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung |year=2022 |issn=0043-8774}}</ref> it is indispensable in dance and opera,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Newman |first=Ernest |title=The stories of the great operas, with music : the stories and descriptive analysis of the music |publisher=Geo Newnes |year= |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lowe |first1=Geoff |title=Opera and music theatre resource book |last2=Chong |first2=Su-Lyn |publisher=McGraw-Hill |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-07-013796-7 |location=North Ryde, N.S.W.}}</ref> and is usually incorporated into dramatic film or theatre productions.<ref>{{cite book|last=Griffiths|first=Paul|title=A concise history of western music|url=https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof0000grif|url-access=registration|year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-521-84294-5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Prendergast |first=Roy M. |title=Film music : a neglected art : a critical study of music in films |publisher=W.W. Norton |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-393-02988-8 |edition=2nd |location=New York}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=DesJardins |first=Christian |title=Inside film music: composers speak |publisher=Silman-James Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-879505-88-9 |location=Los Angeles}}</ref>

Music is also a universal and popular type of entertainment on its own, constituting an entire performance such as when concerts are given. Depending on the [[rhythm]], [[Musical instrument|instrument]], performance and style, music is divided into many genres, such as classical, [[jazz]], [[Folk music|folk]], rock, pop music or traditional.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Oxford history of music |publisher=Oxford University Press, 1929–38 |year=1929–1938 |editor-last=Buck |editor-first=P.C. |edition=2nd |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Cecil |title=The history of music |publisher=London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner ; New York : Knopf |year=1931 |edition=2nd revised |location=London, New York}}</ref> Since the 20th century, performed music, once available only to those who could pay for the performers, has been available cheaply to individuals by the entertainment industry, which broadcasts it or pre-records it for sale.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chase |first=Gilbert |title=Music in radio broadcasting : [a symposium] |publisher=McGraw-Hill |year=1946 |location=New York}}</ref>

The wide variety of musical performances, whether or not they are artificially [[Amplifier|amplified]], all provide entertainment irrespective of whether the performance is from [[Solo (music)|soloists]], [[Choir|choral]] or orchestral groups, or [[Musical ensemble|ensemble]]. Live performances use specialised venues, which might be small or large; indoors or outdoors; free or expensive.<ref name="Kronenburg-2012">{{Cite book |last=Kronenburg |first=Robert |title=Live architecture: popular music venues, stages, and arenas |publisher=Abingdon, Oxon [England] ; New York, NY : Routledge |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-415-56192-1 |location=Abingdon, Oxford; New York}}</ref> The audiences have different expectations of the performers as well as of their own role in the performance. For example, some audiences expect to listen silently and are entertained by the excellence of the music, its rendition or its interpretation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dingle |first=Christopher |editor-first1=Christopher |editor-last1=Dingle |title=The Cambridge History of Music Criticism |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-139-79542-5 |location=Cambridge, UK |doi=10.1017/9781139795425|s2cid=241762186 }}</ref> Other audiences of live performances are entertained by the ambience and the chance to participate. Even more listeners are entertained by pre-recorded music and listen privately.

The instruments used in musical entertainment are either solely the [[human voice]] or solely instrumental or some combination of the two.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Hugh Milton |title=History of music |publisher=Barnes & Noble |year=1960 |edition=3rd |location=New York}}</ref> Whether the performance is given by vocalists or instrumentalists, the performers may be soloists or part of a small or large group, in turn entertaining an audience that might be individual, passing by, small or large.<ref>{{Cite book |title=New Oxford history of music 1954–1990 |publisher=Oxford University Press, 1954–1990 |year=1954–1990 |location=London; New York}}</ref> Singing is generally accompanied by instruments although some forms, notably [[a cappella]] and [[overtone singing]], are unaccompanied. Modern concerts often use various special effects and other theatrics to accompany performances of singing and dancing.<ref name="Kronenburg-2012" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Burrows |first=Tim |title=From CBGB to the Roundhouse : music venues through the years |publisher=Marion Boyars Publishers |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7145-3162-5 |location=London; New York}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" caption="Types of audience engagement with musical entertainment" widths="180" heights="150">
File:Lama orchestra.jpg|  Traditional instruments used to accompany dance (Tibet, 1949)
File:RIAN archive 24089 The youngsters singing.jpg| Children's choir providing musical entertainment ([[Soviet Union]], 1979)
File:Paris Metro orchestra.jpg|  Ensemble entertains travellers in the [[Paris Métro]] (2002)
File:Boduberu performer.jpg| Drummer playing [[Boduberu]] (Maldives, 2010)
File:CORO ECCLESIA.jpg|  Choir and orchestra in [[ecclesiology|ecclesiastical]] setting (Italy, 2008)
File:Rouvas fans.jpg|  Contemporary audience in ancient outdoor stadium (Greece, 2009)
File:Jay Chou The Era Singapore 2010 concert.jpg| A concert with a 3D enhanced stage (Singapore, 2010)
File:Concertkoor Haarlem 19-11-2010 Philharmonie.jpg|  Concert hall audience (Netherlands, 2010)
File:Phoenix ThomasMars1.jpg|  [[Crowd surfing]] at a concert (France, 2011)
File:Music listener.jpg|  Woman listening privately to music through headphones (Russia, 2010)
</gallery>

=== Games ===
{{Main|Game}}
Games are played for entertainment{{snd}}sometimes purely for recreation, sometimes for achievement or reward as well. They can be played alone, in teams, or online; by amateurs or by professionals. The players may have an audience of non-players, such as when people are entertained by watching a [[World Chess Championship|chess championship]]. On the other hand, players in a game may constitute their own audience as they take their turn to play. Often, part of the entertainment for children playing a game is deciding who is part of their audience and who is a player.

Equipment varies with the game. [[Board game]]s, such as [[Go (game)|Go]], ''[[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]]'' or [[backgammon]] need a board and markers. One of the oldest known board games is [[Senet]], a game played in Ancient Egypt, enjoyed by the [[pharaoh]] [[Tutankhamun]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Botermans|first=Jack|title=The Book of Games: Strategy, Tactics & History|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgamesstrat0000bote|url-access=registration|year=2008|publisher=Sterling Pub Co Inc|isbn=978-1-4027-4221-7}}</ref> [[Card game]]s, such as [[whist]], [[poker]] and [[Contract bridge|Bridge]] have long been played as evening entertainment among friends. For these games, all that is needed is a deck of [[playing card]]s. Other games, such as [[Bingo (U.S.)|bingo]], played with numerous strangers, have been organised to involve the participation of non-players via gambling. Many are [[children's game|geared for children]], and can be played outdoors, including [[hopscotch]], [[hide and seek]], or [[Blind man's bluff (game)|Blind man's bluff]]. The [[list of ball games]] is quite extensive. It includes, for example, [[croquet]], [[lawn bowling]] and [[paintball]] as well as many sports using various forms of [[ball]]s. The options cater to a wide range of skill and fitness levels. Physical games can develop agility and competence in [[motor skill]]s. Number games such as [[Sudoku]] and puzzle games like the [[Rubik's Cube]] can develop mental prowess.

[[History of video games|Video games]] are played using a controller to create results on a screen. They can also be played online with participants joining in remotely. In the second half of the 20th century and in the 21st century the number of such games increased enormously, providing a wide variety of entertainment to players around the world.<ref>{{cite book|title=Understanding Digital Games|year=2006|publisher=Sage Publications|location=London; California; New Delhi|isbn=978-1-4129-0033-1|author=Bryce, Jo|editor=Rutter, Jason}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Newman|first=James|title=Videogames|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|location=London; New York|isbn=978-0-203-64290-0}}</ref> Video games are popular across the world.
<gallery class="center" caption="Games" widths="180" heights="150">
File:The Chess Game (Sofonisba Anguissola) 1555 (4096x3236px).jpg|[[Sofonisba Anguissola]] <br />''The [[Chess]] Game'' (1555) <br /> An intellectual game
File:Duverger Hopscotch.jpg|[[Théophile Emmanuel Duverger]] (before 1901) ''[[Hopscotch]]'' <br />A physical game
File:Televised Star Craft.jpg|Televised match of ''[[StarCraft]]'' (2006) South Korea <br /> An electronic game
</gallery>

=== Literature ===
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French poet [[Louise Labé]] (1520/1522–1566) wrote "a profound and timeless insight into reading's innate power".

''The past gives us pleasure and is of more service than the present; but the delight of what we once felt is dimly lost never to return and its memory is as distressing as the events themselves were then delectable&nbsp;... But when we happen to put our thoughts in writing, how easily, later on, does our mind race through an infinity of events, incessantly alive, so that a long time afterwards when we take up those written pages we can return to the same place and to the same disposition in which we once found ourselves.'' <br />quote from and commentary by Fischer (2003)<ref>{{cite book|last=Fischer|first=Steven Roger|title=A history of reading|year=2003|publisher=Reaktion Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-86189-160-0|page=236}}</ref>
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{{Quote box
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The young Saint [[Teresa of Ávila]] (1515–1582) read chivalrous novels and wrote about the "rapture" that books provided.

''I became accustomed to reading [novels] and that small fault made me cool my desire and will to do other tasks. I thought nothing of spending many hours a day and night in this vain exercise, hidden from my father. My rapture in this was so great, that unless I had a new book to read, it seemed to me that I could not be happy.'' <br /> quoted in Fischer (2003){{sfnp|Fischer|2003|pp=234–235}}
}}

[[Reading (process)|Reading]] has been a source of entertainment for a very long time, especially when other forms, such as performance entertainments, were (or are) either unavailable or too costly. Even when the primary purpose of the writing is to inform or instruct, reading is well known for its capacity to distract from everyday worries. Both stories and information have been passed on through the tradition of [[orality]] and oral traditions survive in the form of [[performance poetry]] for example. However, they have drastically declined. "Once literacy had arrived in strength, there was no return to the oral prerogative."{{sfnp|Fischer|2003|p=215}} The advent of printing, the reduction in costs of books and an increasing literacy all served to enhance the mass appeal of reading. Furthermore, as [[font]]s were standardised and texts became clearer, "reading ceased being a painful process of decipherment and became an act of pure pleasure".{{sfnp|Fischer|2003|p=212}} By the 16th century in Europe, the appeal of reading for entertainment was well established.

Among literature's many genres are some designed, in whole or in part, purely for entertainment. [[Limerick (poetry)|Limericks]], for example, use verse in a strict, predictable rhyme and rhythm to create humour and to amuse an audience of listeners or readers. Interactive books such as "[[choose your own adventure]]" can make literary entertainment more participatory.
[[File:Old man reading newspaper early in the morning at Basantapur-IMG 6800.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Old man reading newspaper at Basantapur]]

[[Comics]] and [[editorial cartoon]]s are literary genres that use drawings or graphics, usually in combination with text, to convey an entertaining narrative.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chapman|first=James|title=British comics: a cultural history|year=2011|publisher=Reaktion Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-86189-855-5}}</ref> Many contemporary comics have elements of fantasy and are produced by [[Company (law)|companies]] that are part of the entertainment industry. Others have unique authors who offer a more personal, philosophical view of the world and the problems people face. Comics about [[superheroes]] such as [[Superman]] are of the first type.<ref>{{cite book|last=Benton|first=Mike|title=Superhero comics of the Golden Age: the illustrated history|url=https://archive.org/details/superherocomicso0000bent|url-access=registration|year= 1992|publisher=Taylor Publishing|location=Dallas, TX|isbn=978-0-87833-808-5}}</ref> Examples of the second sort include the individual work over 50 years of [[Charles M. Schulz]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cartoonician.com/charles-m-schulz-on-cartooning/ |title="Charles M. Schulz on Cartooning", ''Hogan's Alley'' #1, 1994 |access-date=14 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603035016/http://cartoonician.com/charles-m-schulz-on-cartooning/ |archive-date=3 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> who produced a popular comic called ''[[Peanuts]]''<ref>Films have been made of the ''Peanuts'' cartoons, including one [[The Peanuts Movie|released in 2015]] to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the comic strip.</ref> about the relationships among a cast of child characters;<ref>The philosophical and theological implications of Schulz's work were explored in: {{cite book|last=Short|first=Robert L.|title=The Gospel According to Peanuts|url=https://archive.org/details/gospelaccordingt0000shor_k6b8|url-access=registration|year=1965|publisher=John Knox Press|location=Westminster|isbn=978-0-664-22222-2}}</ref> and [[Michael Leunig]] who entertains by producing whimsical cartoons that also incorporate [[social criticism]]. The Japanese [[Manga]] style differs from the western approach in that it encompasses a wide range of genres and themes for a readership of all ages. [[Caricature]] uses a kind of graphic entertainment for purposes ranging from merely putting a smile on the viewer's face, to raising social awareness, to highlighting the moral characteristics of a person being caricatured.

=== Comedy ===
{{Main|Comedy}}
[[File:Dictator charlie3.jpg|thumb|Comedian [[Charlie Chaplin]] impersonating [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] for comic effect in the [[satire|satirical]] film ''[[The Great Dictator]]'' (1940)]]
Comedy is both a genre of entertainment and a component of it, providing laughter and amusement, whether the comedy is the sole purpose or used as a form of contrast in an otherwise serious piece. It is a valued contributor to many forms of entertainment, including in literature, theatre, opera, film and games.<ref>{{cite book|last=[[Murray Roston|Roston]]|first=Murray|title=The comic mode in English literature: from the Middle Ages to today|year=2011|publisher=Continuum|location=London|isbn=978-1-4411-9588-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Grindon|first=Leger|title=The Hollywood romantic comedy: conventions, history, controversies|year=2011|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|location=Malden, M|isbn=978-1-4051-8266-9}}</ref> In royal courts, such as in the Byzantine court, and presumably, also in its wealthy households, "[[Mime artist|mimes]] were the focus of orchestrated humour, expected or obliged to make fun of all at court, not even excepting the emperor and members of the imperial family. This highly structured role of [[jester]] consisted of verbal humour, including [[teasing]], jests, [[insult]], ridicule, and [[obscenity]] and [[Nonverbal communication|non-verbal]] humour such as [[slapstick]] and horseplay in the presence of an audience."<ref name=Garland /> In medieval times, all comic types{{snd}} the [[buffoon]], jester, [[hunchback]], [[Dwarfism|dwarf]], jokester, were all "considered to be essentially of one comic type: the fool", who while not necessarily funny, represented "the shortcomings of the individual".<ref>{{cite book|last=Hokenson|first=Jan Walsh|title=The Idea of Comedy: History, Theory, Critique|year=2006|publisher=Rosemont Publishing and Printing Corp|location=Cranbury, NJ|isbn=978-0-8386-4096-8|pages=150–151}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hornback|first=Robert|title=The English clown tradition from the middle ages to Shakespeare|year=2009|publisher=D.S. Brewer|location=Woodbridge Suffolk, Rochester, New York|isbn=978-1-84384-200-2}}</ref>

Shakespeare wrote seventeen [[Shakespearean comedy|comedies]] that incorporate many techniques still used by performers and writers of comedy{{snd}}such as [[joke]]s, [[pun]]s, parody, [[wit]], [[observational humour]], or the unexpected effect of [[irony]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gay|first=Penny|title=The Cambridge introduction to Shakespeare's comedies|year=2008|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge; New York|isbn=978-0-521-85668-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ellis|first=David|title=Shakespeare's practical jokes: an introduction to the comic in his work|year=2007|publisher=Bucknell University Press|location=Lewisburg, PA|isbn=978-0-8387-5680-5}}</ref> [[One-liner joke]]s and satire are also used to comedic effect in literature. In [[farce]], the comedy is a primary purpose.

The meaning of the word "comedy" and the audience's expectations of it have changed over time and vary according to culture.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thorpe|first=Ashley|title=The role of the chou ("clown") in traditional Chinese drama: comedy, criticism, and cosmology on the Chinese stage|year=2007|publisher=[[Edwin Mellen Press]]|location=[[Lewiston, New York]]|isbn=978-0-7734-5303-6}}</ref> Simple physical comedy such as [[slapstick]] is entertaining to a broad range of people of all ages. However, as cultures become more sophisticated, national nuances appear in the style and references so that what is amusing in one culture may be unintelligible in another.<ref>{{cite book|title=Comedy: A Geographic and Historical Guide|year=2005|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0-313-32706-8<!-- (set)-->|editor=Charney, Maurice}}</ref>

=== Performance ===
{{Main|Performance}}
Live performances before an audience constitute a major form of entertainment, especially before the invention of audio and video recording. Performance takes a wide range of forms, including theatre, music and drama. In the 16th and 17th centuries, European royal courts presented [[masque]]s that were complex theatrical entertainments involving dancing, singing and acting. Opera is a similarly demanding performance style that remains popular. It also encompass all three forms, demanding a high level of musical and dramatic skill, collaboration and like the masque, production expertise as well.

[[File:Aida poster colors fixed.jpg|center|thumb|550px|Poster for a 1908 production of [[Verdi]]'s 1871 opera ''[[Aida]]'', performed by the Hippodrome Opera Company of Cleveland, Ohio]]
Audiences generally show their appreciation of an entertaining performance with applause. However, all performers run the risk of failing to hold their audience's attention and thus, failing to entertain. Audience dissatisfaction is often brutally honest and direct.

{{Blockquote|Of course you all ought to know that while singing a good song or, or giving a good recitation&nbsp;... helps to arrest the company's attention&nbsp;... Such at least was the case with me{{snd}} the [[Publican (United KIngdom)|publican]] devised a plan to bring my entertainment to an end abruptly, and the plan was, he told the waiter to throw a wet towel at me, which, of course, the waiter did&nbsp;... and I received the wet towel, full force, in the face, which staggered me&nbsp;... and had the desired effect of putting an end to me giving any more entertainments in the house.|[[William McGonagall]] (Performance artist and poet)<ref>{{cite book|last=McGonagall|first=William|title="Reminiscences" in Collected Poems|year=1992|publisher=Birlinn|location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-1-874744-01-6|page=13}}</ref>}}

==== Storytelling ====
{{Main|Storytelling}}
[[File:Millais Boyhood of Raleigh.jpg|thumb|''[[The Boyhood of Raleigh]]'' by [[Sir John Everett Millais]], oil on canvas, 1870.<br />A seafarer tells the young [[Sir Walter Raleigh]] and his brother the story of what happened out at sea.]]
Storytelling is an ancient form of entertainment that has influenced almost all other forms. It is "not only entertainment, it is also thinking through human conflicts and contradictions".<ref name=Kuhns /> Hence, although stories may be delivered directly to a small listening audience, they are also presented as entertainment and used as a component of any piece that relies on a narrative, such as film, drama, ballet, and opera. Written stories have been enhanced by illustrations, often to a very high artistic standard, for example, on [[illuminated manuscript]]s and on ancient scrolls such as Japanese ones.<ref>{{cite book|last=Watanabe|first=Masako|title=Storytelling in Japanese Art|year=2011|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|location=New York|isbn=978-0-300-17590-5}}</ref> Stories remain a common way of entertaining a group that is on a journey. Showing how stories are used to pass the time and entertain an audience of travellers, [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]] used [[pilgrim]]s in his literary work ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]'' in the 14th century, as did Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century in ''[[Journey to the West]]''. Even though journeys can now be completed much faster, stories are still told to passengers en route in cars and aeroplanes either orally or delivered by some form of technology.

The power of stories to entertain is evident in one of the most famous ones{{snd}}[[Scheherazade]]{{snd}}a story in the [[Iran|Persian]] professional storytelling tradition, of a woman who saves her own life by telling stories.<ref>{{cite book|last=Yamanaka|first=Yuriko|title=The Arabian nights and orientalism: perspectives from East & West|year=2006|publisher=I.B. Tauris|location=London; New York|author2=Nishio, Tetsuo}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=[[Sir Richard Francis Burton]]|title=[[The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night|Arabian nights. A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights' entertainments: now entitled The book of the thousand and one nights]]|year=1958|publisher=Barker|location=[[London]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Arabian nights in English literature : studies in the reception of The thousand and one nights into British culture|year=1988|publisher=Macmillan|location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire|isbn=978-0-333-36693-6|editor=Caracciolo, Peter L.}}</ref> The connections between the different types of entertainment are shown by the way that stories like this inspire a retelling in another medium, such as music, film or games. For example, composers [[Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)|Rimsky-Korsakov]], [[Shéhérazade (Ravel)|Ravel]] and [[Karol Szymanowski|Szymanowski]] have each been inspired by the Scheherazade story and turned it into an orchestral work; director [[Pier Paolo Pasolini|Pasolini]] made a [[Arabian Nights (1974 film)|film adaptation]]; and there is an [[The Magic of Scheherazade|innovative video game]] based on the tale. Stories may be told wordlessly, in music, dance or puppetry for example, such as in the Javanese tradition of [[wayang]], in which the performance is accompanied by a [[gamelan]] orchestra or the similarly traditional [[Punch and Judy]] show.

Epic narratives, poems, [[saga]]s and [[allegory|allegories]] from all cultures tell such gripping tales that they have inspired countless other stories in all forms of entertainment. Examples include the Hindu ''[[Ramayana]]'' and ''[[Mahabharata]]''; [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'' and ''[[Iliad]]''; the first Arabic novel ''[[Hayy ibn Yaqdhan]]''; the Persian epic ''[[Shahnameh]]''; the [[Sagas of Icelanders]] and the celebrated ''[[The Tale of Genji|Tale of the Genji]]''. Collections of stories, such as ''[[Grimms' Fairy Tales]]'' or those by [[Hans Christian Andersen]], have been similarly influential. Originally published in the early 19th century, this collection of folk stories significantly influence modern popular culture, which subsequently used its themes, images, symbols, and structural elements to create new entertainment forms.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rankin|first=Walter|title=Grimm pictures: fairy tale archetypes in eight horror and suspense films|year=2007|publisher=McFarland & Co|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-0-7864-3174-8}}</ref>

Some of the most powerful and long-lasting stories are the foundation stories, also called [[myth of origin|origin]] or [[creation myth]]s such as the [[the Dreaming|Dreamtime]] myths of the [[Aboriginal Australians]], the Mesopotamian ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]'',<ref>{{cite book|title=The epic of Gilgamesh: the Babylonian epic poem and other texts in Akkadian and Sumerian (English – translated from Akkadian and Sumerian by Andrew George)|year=1999|publisher=Allen Lane|location=London|isbn=978-0-7139-9196-3}}</ref> or the Hawaiian stories of the origin of the world.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Vivian Laubach|title=Hawaiian Myths of Earth, Sea, and Sky|year=1966|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=978-0-8248-1171-6|author2=Kahalewai, Marilyn}}</ref> These too are developed into books, films, music and games in a way that increases their longevity and enhances their entertainment value.

<gallery class="center" caption="Telling stories" widths="180" heights="150">
File:William Blake - Canterbury Pilgrims Picture.jpg|[[William Blake]]'s painting of the pilgrims in ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]''
File:Sultan Pardons Scheherazade.jpg|[[Scheherazade]] telling her stories to King [[Shahrayar|Shahryar]] in ''[[The Arabian Nights]]''
File:Wayang golek SF Asian Art Museum.JPG|Telling stories via [[Wayang]] golek puppets in Java
File:Tosa Mitsuoki—Portrait of Murasaki Shikibu.jpg|[[Tosa Mitsuoki]] illustrating her ''[[The Tale of Genji|Tale of Genji]]''
</gallery>

==== Theatre ====
{{Main|Theatre}}
[[File:G Durand Saturday Night at the Victoria Theatre VA.jpg|thumb|Saturday night audience at the [[Victoria Palace Theatre|Victoria Theatre]], London (1872)]]
Theatre performances, typically dramatic or musical, are presented on a stage for an audience and have a history that goes back to [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic times]] when "leading musicians and actors" performed widely at "poetical competitions", for example at "[[Delphi]], [[Delos]], [[Ephesus]]".<ref>{{cite book|ref=CITEREFMcDonald_Walton2007|title=The Cambridge companion to Greek and Roman theatre|year=2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge; New York|isbn=978-0-521-83456-8|editor=McDonald, Marianne |editor2=Walton, J. Michael |page=26}}</ref> [[Aristotle]] and his teacher [[Plato]] both wrote on the theory and purpose of theatre. Aristotle posed questions such as "What is the function of the arts in shaping character? Should a member of the ruling class merely watch performances or be a participant and perform? What kind of entertainment should be provided for those who do not belong to the elite?"{{sfnp|ref=CITEREFMcDonald_Walton2007|McDonald & Walton|2007|p=93}} The "Ptolemys in Egypt, the [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucids]] in [[Pergamon|Pergamum]]" also had a strong theatrical tradition and later, wealthy patrons in Rome staged "far more lavish productions".{{sfnp|ref=CITEREFMcDonald_Walton2007|McDonald & Walton|2007|p=26}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Cambridge History of British Theatre|year=2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press (3 volumes)|isbn=978-0-521-82790-4|editor1=Milling, Jane |editor2=Donohue, Joseph W. |editor3=Thomson, Peter }}</ref>

Expectations about the performance and their engagement with it have changed over time.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kenrick|first=John|title=Musical theatre: a history|year=2008|publisher=Continuum|location=London|isbn=978-0-8264-2860-8}}</ref> For example, in England during the 18th century, "the prejudice against actresses had faded"<ref>{{cite book|last=Ackroyd|first=Peter|title=London: The Biography|year=2000|publisher=Anchor Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0-385-49771-8}} p. 620.</ref> and in Europe generally, going to the theatre, once a socially dubious activity, became "a more respectable middle-class pastime"<ref>{{cite book|last=Frame|first=Murray|title=The St. Petersburg Imperial Theaters: Stage and State in Revolutionary Russia, 1900–1920|year=2000|publisher=McFarland & Co, Inc. Publishers|isbn=978-0-7864-4330-7}} pp.&nbsp;65–66.</ref> in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the variety of popular entertainments increased. [[Operetta]] and music halls became available, and new drama theatres such as the [[Moscow Art Theatre]] and the [[Aleksey Suvorin#Suvorin Theatre|Suvorin Theatre]] in Russia opened.{{sfnp|Frame|2000}} At the same time, commercial newspapers "began to carry theatre columns and reviews" that helped make theatre "a legitimate subject of intellectual debate" in general discussions about art and culture.{{sfnp|Frame|2000}} Audiences began to gather to "appreciate creative achievement, to marvel at, and be entertained by, the prominent 'stars'."{{sfnp|Frame|2000}} [[Vaudeville]] and music halls, popular at this time in the United States, England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, were themselves eventually superseded.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bailey|first=Peter|title=Popular Culture and Performance in the Victorian City|year=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-57417-4}}</ref>

Plays,<ref>{{cite book|last=Mordden|first=Ethan|title=All that glittered: the golden age of drama on Broadway|year=2007|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-312-33898-5|url=https://archive.org/details/allthatglittered00mord}}</ref> musicals,<ref>{{cite book|last=Stempel|first=Larry|title=Showtime: a history of the Broadway musical theater|year= 2010|publisher=W.W. Norton & Co.|location=New York|isbn=978-0-393-06715-6}}</ref> [[monologue]]s, [[pantomime]]s, and [[performance poetry]] are part of the very long history of theatre, which is also the venue for the type of performance known as comedy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Peter M.|title=The dance of the comedians: the people, the president, and the performance of political standup comedy in America|year=2010|publisher=University of Massachusetts Press|location=Amherst|isbn=978-1-55849-733-7}}</ref> In the 20th century, radio and television, often broadcast live, extended the theatrical tradition that continued to exist alongside the new forms.

The stage and the spaces set out in front of it for an audience create a theatre. All types of stage are used with all types of seating for the audience, including the impromptu or improvised; the temporary; the elaborate; or the traditional and permanent. They are erected indoors or outdoors. The skill of managing, organising and preparing the stage for a performance is known as [[stagecraft]]. The audience's experience of the entertainment is affected by their expectations, the stagecraft, the type of stage, and the type and standard of seating provided.

<gallery class="center" caption="Theatrical entertainment – stages, staging and stagecraft" widths="180" heights="150">
File:Isaac Cruikshank King John's first appearance at the New Theatre Covent Garden 1809.jpg| Satirical representation of audience reaction (1809)
File:Öffentlich durchgeführte medizinische Behandlung auf einem französischen Jahrmarkt.jpg| Improvised stage for a public performance at a [[fair]] (1642)
File:The stage.jpg| Improvised stage for domestic theatre
File:Dalhalla stage before show.JPG| Outdoor stage before a show
File:Troldsalen-inne03.jpg| Concert theatre ready for solo instrumentalist
File:PipesAndDrums.jpg| Outdoor theatre created from [[Edinburgh castle]] forecourt
File:Noh stage Miyajima Sep2008.jpg| Traditional stage for Japanese [[Noh]] theatre
File:Music Circus Stage 2011.jpg| Stage for [[theatre in the round]]
File:Colon-interior-escenario-TM.jpg| [[Teatro Colón]], a highly decorative, horseshoe theatre
File:SWHS locking rail.jpg| Stagecraft{{snd}} a [[Fly system|locking rail]] backstage
</gallery>

==== Cinema and film ====
[[File:Munken kino (kinolerret).jpg|thumb|Film audiences are typically seated in comfortable chairs arranged in close rows before a projection screen. Norway (2005)]]

[[Film|Films]] are a major form of entertainment, although not all films have entertainment as their primary purpose: documentary film, for example, aims to create a record or inform,<ref>{{cite book|last=Wyver|first=John|title=The Moving Image: An International History of Film, Television, and Video|year=1989|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Limited|isbn=978-0-631-16821-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/movingimageinter0000wyve}}</ref> although the two purposes often work together. The medium was a global business from the beginning: "The [[Auguste and Louis Lumière|Lumière brothers]] were the first to send cameramen throughout the world, instructing them to film everything which could be of interest for the public."<ref name=Paris>{{cite book|ref=CITEREFParis1999|title=The First World War and popular Cinema|year=1999|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-0-8135-2824-3|editor=Paris, Michael}} p. 9.</ref> In 1908, [[Pathé]] launched and distributed [[Pathé News|newsreels]]<ref name=Paris /> and by [[World War I]], films were meeting an enormous need for mass entertainment. "In the first decade of the [20th] century cinematic programmes combined, at random, fictions and newsfilms."<ref name=Paris /> The Americans first "contrived a way of producing an illusion of motion through successive images," but "the French were able to transform a scientific principle into a commercially lucrative spectacle".{{sfnp|Paris|1999|p=115}} Film therefore became a part of the entertainment industry from its early days. Increasingly sophisticated techniques have been used in the film medium to delight and entertain audiences. Animation, for example, which involves the display of rapid movement in an art work, is one of these techniques that particularly appeals to younger audiences.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cavalier|first=Stephen|title=The world history of animation|year= 2011|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=978-0-520-26112-9}}</ref> The advent of [[computer-generated imagery]] (CGI) in the 21st century made it "possible to do spectacle" more cheaply and "on a scale never dreamed of" by [[Cecil B. DeMille]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Byrnes|first=Paul|title=Pompeii, Noah and Exodus: The sword giveth again|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/pompeii-noah-and-exodus-the-sword-giveth-again-20140327-35jm4.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=30 March 2014|date=28 March 2014|archive-date=30 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330015918/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/pompeii-noah-and-exodus-the-sword-giveth-again-20140327-35jm4.html|url-status=live}}</ref> From the 1930s to 1950s, movies and radio were the "only mass entertainment" but by the second decade of the 21st century, technological changes, economic decisions, risk aversion and globalisation reduced both the quality and range of films being produced.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Losing the plot|last = Byrnes|first = Paul|date = 12 December 2015|work = The Sydney Morning Herald|pages = 12–13}}</ref> Sophisticated [[visual effects]] and CGI techniques, for example, rather than humans, were used not only to create realistic images of people, landscapes and events (both real and [[Fantasy|fantastic]]) but also to animate non-living items such as [[Lego]] normally used as entertainment as a game in physical form.<ref name=Maddox>{{cite news|last=Maddox|first=Garry|title=The Lego Movie: Hit off the old block|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/the-lego-movie-hit-off-the-old-block-20140327-35jek.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=30 March 2014|date=28 March 2014|archive-date=30 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330015903/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/the-lego-movie-hit-off-the-old-block-20140327-35jek.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Creators of ''[[The Lego Movie]]'' "wanted the audience to believe they were looking at actual Lego bricks on a tabletop that were shot with a real camera, not what we actually did, which was create vast environments with digital bricks inside the computer."<ref name=Maddox /> The convergence of computers and film has allowed entertainment to be presented in a new way and the technology has also allowed for those with the personal resources to screen films in a [[home cinema|home theatre]], recreating in a private venue the quality and experience of a public theatre. This is similar to the way that the nobility in earlier times could stage private musical performances or the use of domestic theatres in large homes to perform private plays in earlier centuries.

Films also re-imagine entertainment from other forms, turning stories, books and plays, for example, into new entertainments.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rothwell|first=Kenneth S.|title=A History of Shakespeare on Screen: A Century of Film and Television|year=1999|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge; New York|isbn=978-0-521-59404-2|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofshakesp0000roth_t4d6}}</ref> ''[[The Story of Film: An Odyssey|The Story of Film]]'', a documentary about the [[history of film]], gives a survey of global achievements and innovations in the medium, as well as changes in the conception of film-making. It demonstrates that while some films, particularly those in the [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] tradition that combines "realism and [[melodrama]]tic romanticism",{{sfnp|Paris|1999|p=17}} are intended as a form of [[escapism]], others require a deeper engagement or more thoughtful response from their audiences. For example, the award-winning Senegalese film ''[[Xala]]'' takes government corruption as its theme. [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s film ''[[The Great Dictator]]'' was a brave and innovative parody, also on a political theme. Stories that are thousands of years old, such as [[Noah (2014 film)|''Noah'']], have been re-interpreted in film, applying familiar [[literary devices]] such as allegory and [[personification]] with new techniques such as CGI to explore big themes such as "human folly", good and evil, courage and despair, love, faith, and death{{snd}} themes that have been a main-stay of entertainment across all its forms.<ref>{{cite web|last=Byrnes|first=Paul|title=Noah review: Moments of brilliance but can't shake sinking feeling|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/noah-review-moments-of-brilliance-but-cant-shake-sinking-feeling-20140327-35jm3.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=30 March 2014|date=27 March 2014|archive-date=30 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330213729/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/noah-review-moments-of-brilliance-but-cant-shake-sinking-feeling-20140327-35jm3.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

As in other media, excellence and achievement in films is recognised through a range of awards, including ones from the American [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]], the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]], the [[Cannes International Film Festival]] in France and the [[Asia Pacific Screen Awards]].

==== Dance ====
{{Main|Dance}}
[[File:Peterborough Snow Ball 2008 silent video.ogg|left|thumb|[[Contra dance]]rs at a ball in New Hampshire, United States (silent video)]]
The many forms of dance provide entertainment for all age groups and cultures. Dance can be serious in tone, such as when it is used to express a culture's history or important stories; it may be provocative; or it may put in the service of comedy. Since it combines many forms of entertainment{{snd}} music, movement, storytelling, theatre{{snd}} it provides a good example of the various ways that these forms can be combined to create entertainment for different purposes and audiences.

Dance is "a form of cultural representation" that involves not just dancers, but "[[Choreography (dance)|choreographers]], audience members, [[Patronage|patrons]] and [[impresario]]s&nbsp;... coming from all over the globe and from vastly varied time periods."<ref>{{cite book|ref=CITEREFDilsAlbright2001|title=Moving History/Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader|year=2001|publisher=Wesleyan University Press|location=Durham, NC|isbn=978-0-8195-6412-2|author=Albright, Ann Cooper|editor=Dils, Ann}} p. xviii.</ref> Whether from Africa, Asia or Europe, dance is constantly negotiating the realms of political, social, spiritual and artistic influence."{{sfnp|Dils|Albright|2001|p=96}} Even though dance traditions may be limited to one cultural group, they all develop. For example, in Africa, there are "[[Dahomey|Dahomean]] dances, [[Hausa people|Hausa]] dances, [[Maasai people|Masai]] dances and so forth."{{sfnp|Dils|Albright|2001|p=34}} Ballet is an example of a highly developed Western form of dance that moved to the theatres from the French court during the time of [[Louis XIV]], the dancers becoming professional theatrical performers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Clarke|first=Mary|title=The history of dance|year=1981|publisher=Crown Publishers|location=New York|isbn=978-0-517-54282-8|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofdance0000clar}} p. 98.</ref> Some dances, such as the [[quadrille]], a square dance that "emerged during the [[Napoleonic era|Napoleonic years]] in France"{{sfnp|Clarke|1981|p=97}} and other [[country dance]]s<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Thomas|title=An Analysis of Country Dancing|date=1808|publisher=W. Calvert}}</ref> were once popular at social gatherings like [[Ball (dance)|balls]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Fullerton|first=Susannah|title=A Dance with Jane Austen: How a Novelist and Her Characters Went to the Ball|year=2012|publisher=Pgw|isbn=978-0-7112-3245-7|author2=Le Faye, Deirdre|title-link=Jane Austen}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Thomas|title=The Treasures of Terpsichore: or, A Companion for the Ball-Room|date=1816|publisher=Sherwood, Neely and Jones|location=London}}</ref> but are now rarely performed. On the other hand, many [[folk dance]]s (such as [[Scottish highland dance|Scottish Highland dancing]] and [[Irish dance|Irish dancing]]), have evolved into competitions, which by adding to their audiences, has increased their entertainment value. "Irish dance theatre, which sometimes features traditional Irish steps and music, has developed into a major dance form with an international reputation."<ref name="Wulff">{{cite book|last=Wulff|first=Helena|title=Dancing at the Crossroads: Memory and Mobility in Ireland|year=2007|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-1-84545-328-2|page=137}}</ref>

Since dance is often "associated with the female body and women's experiences",{{sfnp|Dils|Albright|2001|p=96}} female dancers, who dance to entertain, have in some cases been regarded as distinct from "decent" women because they "use their bodies to make a living instead of hiding them as much as possible".{{sfnp|Dils|Albright|2001|p=142}} Society's attitudes to female dancers depend on the culture, its history and the entertainment industry itself. For example, while some cultures regard any dancing by women as "the most shameful form of entertainment",<ref>van Nieuwkerk, Karin. "Changing Images and Shifting Identities: Female Performers in Egypt" in Dils & Albright (2001). p. 141.</ref> other cultures have established venues such as [[strip clubs]] where deliberately erotic or sexually provocative dances such as [[striptease]] are performed in public by professional women dancers for mostly male audiences.

Various political regimes have sought to control or ban dancing or specific types of dancing, sometimes because of disapproval of the music or clothes associated with it. Nationalism, authoritarianism and racism have played a part in banning dances or dancing. For example, during the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] regime, American dances such as [[Swing (dance)|swing]], regarded as "completely un-German", had "become a public offense and needed to be banned".<ref>{{cite book|last=Karina|first=Lilian|title=Hitler's Dancers: German Modern Dance and the Third Reich|year=1999|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-1-57181-300-8|page=174|edition=English|others=Translated by Jonathan Steinberg|author2=Kant, Marion}}</ref> Similarly, in Shanghai, China, in the 1930s, "dancing and nightclubs had come to symbolise the excess that plagued Chinese society" and officials wondered if "other forms of entertainment such as [[brothel]]s" should also be banned. Banning had the effect of making "the dance craze" even greater.<ref>{{cite book |last=Field |first=Andrew David |title=Shanghai's Dancing World: Cabaret Culture and Urban Politics, 1919–1954 |year=2010 |publisher=The Chinese University of Hong Kong |location=Sha Tin, Hong Kong |isbn=978-962-996-373-6 |page=169}}</ref> In Ireland, the Public Dance Hall Act of 1935 "banned{{snd}} but did not stop{{snd}} dancing at the crossroads and other popular dance forms such as house and [[barn dance]]s."<ref name="Wulff" /> In the US, various dances were once banned, either because like [[burlesque]], they were suggestive,<ref>{{cite book|last=Butters|first=Gerald R.|title=Banned in Kansas: Motion Picture Censorship, 1915–1966|year=2007|publisher=University of Missouri Press|location=Columbia|isbn=978-0-8262-1749-3|page=230}}</ref> or because, like the [[Twist (dance)|Twist]], they were associated with African Americans.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pruter|first=Robert|title=Chicago Soul|year=1991|publisher=University of Illinois|isbn=978-0-252-06259-9|page=191}}</ref> "African American dancers were typically banned from performing in [[minstrel show]]s until after the [[American Civil War]]."<ref>{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Constance Valis|title=Tap Dancing America: A Cultural History|year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-19-539082-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/tapdancingameric0000hill/page/12 12]|url=https://archive.org/details/tapdancingameric0000hill/page/12}}</ref>

Dances can be performed [[Solo (dance)|solo]], in pairs, in groups, or by massed performers. They might be improvised or highly choreographed; spontaneous for personal entertainment (such as when children begin dancing for themselves); a private audience, a paying audience, a world audience, or an audience interested in a particular dance genre. They might be a part of a celebration, such as a wedding or New Year, or a cultural ritual with a specific purpose, such as a dance by [[warrior]]s like a [[haka]]. Some dances, such as traditional dance and ballet, need a very high level of skill and training; others, such as the [[can-can]], require a very high level of energy and physical fitness. Entertaining the audience is a normal part of dance but its physicality often also produces joy for the dancers themselves.

<gallery class="center" caption="Dance across cultures" widths="180" heights="150">
File:Korea-Andong-Hahoe Folk Village-Thai dancer-01.jpg| Traditional dancer (Thailand)
File:Harlekin Columbine Tivoli Denmark.jpg| [[Harlequinade|Harlequin and Columbine]] (Denmark)
File:Ballroom dance exhibition.jpg| [[Ballroom dance|Ballroom dancing]] (Czech Republic)
File:Belly dancer dancing in Morocco.jpg| [[Belly dance]]r (Morocco)
File:Morris dancing at Berwick St John - geograph.org.uk - 903611.jpg| [[Morris dance|Morris dancing]] (England)
File:Allan-highlandwedding1780.jpg| [[Scottish Highlands|Highland]] wedding (Scotland, 1780)
File:Mt Hagen Cultural Show PNG 2008.jpg| Warrior dancers (Papua New Guinea)
File:Fire Dragon dance.jpg| Fire Dragon dance for [[Chinese New Year]]
File:Bhangra 1.jpg| [[Bhangra (dance)|Bhangra dancers]] at the [[International Children's Festival]]
File:Arirang Mass Games, Pyongyang, North Korea-1.jpg| Children in [[Mass Games]] (North Korea)
</gallery>

==== Animals ====
Animals have been used for the purposes of entertainment for millennia. They have been hunted for entertainment (as opposed to hunted for food); displayed while they hunt for prey; watched when they compete with each other; and watched while they perform a trained routine for human amusement. The Romans, for example, were entertained both by competitions involving wild animals and acts performed by trained animals. They watched as "lions and bears danced to the music of pipes and [[cymbal]]s; horses were trained to kneel, bow, dance and prance&nbsp;... acrobats turning handsprings over wild lions and vaulting over wild leopards." There were "violent confrontations with wild beasts" and "performances over time became more brutal and bloodier".<ref>{{cite book|last=St Leon|first=Mark|title=Circus: the Australian story|year=2011|publisher=Melbourne Books|location=Melbourne|isbn=978-1-877096-50-1|page=3}}</ref>

Animals that perform trained routines or "acts" for human entertainment include fleas in [[flea circus]]es, dolphins in [[Dolphinarium|dolphinaria]], and monkeys doing tricks for an audience on behalf of the player of a [[street organ]]. Animals kept in [[zoo]]s in ancient times were often kept there for later use in the arena as entertainment or for their entertainment value as exotica.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hancocks|first=David|title=A different nature: the paradoxical world of zoos and their uncertain future|url=https://archive.org/details/differentnaturep0000hanc|url-access=registration|year=2001|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=978-0-520-23676-9}}</ref>

Many contests between animals are now regarded as sports{{snd}} for example, [[horse racing]] is regarded as both a sport and an important source of entertainment. Its economic impact means that it is also considered a global industry, one in which horses are carefully transported around the world to compete in races. In Australia, the horse race run on [[Melbourne Cup]] Day is a public holiday and the public regards the race as an important annual event. Like horse racing, [[camel racing]] requires human riders, while [[greyhound racing]] does not. People find it entertaining to watch animals race competitively, whether they are trained, like horses, camels or dogs, or untrained, like [[Cockroach racing|cockroaches]].

The use of animals for entertainment is sometimes controversial, especially the hunting of wild animals. Some contests between animals, once popular entertainment for the public, have become illegal because of the cruelty involved. Among these are [[blood sport]]s such as [[bear-baiting]], [[dog fighting]] and [[cockfighting]]. Other contests involving animals remain controversial and have both supporters and detractors. For example, the conflict between opponents of pigeon shooting who view it as "a cruel and moronic exercise in marksmanship, and proponents, who view it as entertainment" has been tested in a court of law.<ref>An extensive discussion of the legal and cultural issues can be found in {{cite book|last=Bronner|first=Simon J.|title=Killing Tradition: Inside Hunting and Animal Rights Controversies|year=2008|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky|isbn=978-0-8131-2528-2}}</ref> [[Fox hunting]], which involves the use of horses as well as hounds, and [[bullfighting]], which has a strong theatrical component, are two entertainments that have a long and significant cultural history. They both involve animals and are variously regarded as sport, entertainment or cultural tradition<!--don't use 'either' nor 'and/or' in this sentence; 'variously' is used in conjunction with 'or' to mean they're regarded as one, two or three of these things-->. Among the organisations set up to advocate for the rights of animals are some whose concerns include the use of animals for entertainment.<ref>Examples include: [http://www.league.org.uk/ The League against Cruel Sports, UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208154852/http://www.league.org.uk/ |date=8 February 2011 }}; [http://www.peta.org/ People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), multinational] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609035342/http://www.peta.org/ |date=9 June 2015 }}; and [http://www.sharkonline.org/ Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), US] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102032707/http://sharkonline.org/ |date=2 January 2014 }}.</ref> However, "in many cases of animal advocacy groups versus organisations accused of animal abuse, both sides have cultural claims."{{sfn|Bronner|2008}}

<gallery class="center" widths="180" heights="150" caption="Animals used for entertainment">
File:Ala-uddin and Mahima hunting.JPG|'[[Alauddin Khalji|Ala'ud-Din]] and Mahima Dharma [[Tiger hunting|hunting]] a tiger while in an intimate relationship, [[Punjab Hills]], India, 1790
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Arabische man met twee gedresseerde aapjes aan de ketting TMnr 60020423.jpg|Trained monkey performing for an audience of children (1900–20)
File:Pharlap1930melbournecup.jpg|Crowd watches [[Pharlap]] win the [[Melbourne Cup]] in Australia, 1930.
File:San marcos bullfight 04.jpg|Crowd watches a [[Bullfighting|bullfight]] in Mexico, 2010.
</gallery>

==== Circus ====
{{Main|Circus}}
[[File:Cirque Soleil Stilt 1.jpg|thumb|Children entertained by a [[stilts|stilt]] walker performing in a circus act]]

A [[circus]], described as "one of the most brazen of entertainment forms",<ref name=Stoddart>{{cite book|last=Stoddart|first=Helen|title=Rings of Desire: Circus History and Representation|year=2000|publisher=Manchester University Press|location=Manchester, UK & New York|page=13|isbn=978-0-7190-5233-0}}</ref> is a special type of theatrical performance, involving a variety of physical skills such as [[acrobatics]] and [[juggling]] and sometimes performing animals. Usually thought of as a travelling show performed in a [[wikt:big top|big top]], circus was first performed in permanent venues. [[Philip Astley]] is regarded as the founder of the modern circus in the second half of the 18th century and [[Jules Léotard]] is the French performer credited with developing the art of the [[trapeze]], considered synonymous with circuses.<ref>{{cite book|last=Diamond|first=Michael|title=Victorian sensation, or, The spectacular, the shocking, and the scandalous in nineteenth-century Britain|year=2003|publisher=Anthem Press|location=London|isbn=978-1-84331-076-1}}</ref> Astley brought together performances that were generally familiar in traditional British fairs "at least since the beginning of the 17th century": "tumbling, rope-dancing, juggling, animal tricks and so on".<ref name=Stoddart /> It has been claimed that "there is no direct link between the Roman circus and the circus of modern times.&nbsp;... Between the demise of the Roman 'circus' and the foundation of Astley's Amphitheatre in London some 1300 years later, the nearest thing to a circus ring was the rough circle formed by the curious onlookers who gathered around the itinerant tumbler or juggler on a [[village green]]."{{sfnp|St Leon|2011}}

==== Magic ====
{{Main|Magic (illusion)}}
The form of entertainment known as [[Magic (illusion)|stage magic]] or conjuring and recognisable as performance, is based on traditions and texts of magical rites and dogmas that have been a part of most cultural traditions since ancient times. (References to magic, for example, can be found in the Bible, in [[Hermeticism]], in [[Zoroastrianism]], in the [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] tradition, in [[mysticism]] and in the sources of [[Freemasonry]].)<ref>{{cite book|last=Lévi|first=Éliphas|title=The History of Magic ''(originally published in 1860 as'' Histoire de la Magie ''English edition, translated by A.E. Waite in 1913)''|year=2001|publisher=Red Wheel/Weiser|location=Boston, MA|isbn=978-0-87728-929-6}}</ref>

Stage magic is performed for an audience in a variety of media and locations: on stage, on television, in the street, and live at parties or events. It is often combined with other forms of entertainment, such as comedy or music and [[showmanship (performing)|showmanship]] is often an essential part of magic performances. Performance magic relies on deception, [[psychological manipulation]], sleight of hand and other forms of trickery to give an audience the illusion that a performer can achieve the impossible. Audiences amazed at the [[stunt performer|stunt performances]] and [[Escapology|escape acts]] of [[Harry Houdini]], for example, regarded him as a [[Magic (illusion)|magician]].<ref>{{Citation | title=Houdini: the man who walked through walls | author1=Gresham, William Lindsay | year=1959 | publisher=Holt}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=The Great Houdini: magician extraordinary | author1=Epstein, Beryl| author2=Epstein, Sam | year=1971 | location = Folkestone| publisher=Bailey Brothers and Swinfen (Reprint. Originally published: New York : Dutton, c. 1920)|isbn=978-0-561-00094-7 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=Miracle mongers and their methods: a complete exposé | author1=Houdini, Harry | year=1981 | location = Buffalo, NY|publisher=Prometheus Books|isbn = 978-0-87975-143-2 }} (Reprint. Originally published: New York: Dutton, c1920)</ref>

[[Magician (fantasy)|Fantasy magicians]] have held an important place in literature for centuries, offering entertainment to millions of readers. Famous wizards such as [[Merlin]] in the [[Arthurian legends]] have been written about since the 5th and 6th centuries, while in the 21st century, the young wizard [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]] became a global entertainment phenomenon when the book series about him sold about 450 million copies (as at June 2011), making it the [[List of book series|best-selling book series in history]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Rowling 'makes £5 every second'|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7649962.stm|publisher=BBC News|access-date=27 February 2013|date=3 October 2008|archive-date=11 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311003331/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7649962.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Harry Potter series to be sold as e-books|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13889578|publisher=BBC News|access-date=27 February 2013|date=23 June 2011|archive-date=19 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719004955/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13889578|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Street performance ====
[[File:Didgeridoo street player.jpg|thumb|[[Didgeridoo]] player entertaining passers by in the street]]

Street entertainment, [[street performance]], or "busking" are forms of performance that have been meeting the public's need for entertainment for centuries.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cohen|first=David|title=The buskers: a history of street entertainment|year= 1981|publisher=David & Charles|location=Newton Abbot; North Pomfret, Vermont|isbn=978-0-7153-8026-0|author2=Greenwood, Ben}}</ref> It was "an integral aspect of London's life", for example, when the city in the early 19th century was "filled with spectacle and diversion".{{sfnp|Ackroyd|2000|p=346 (caption to plate following text pages)}} [[Minstrel]]s or [[troubadour]]s are part of the tradition. The art and practice of busking is still celebrated at annual busking festivals.<ref>For example, [http://www.coffsharbourbuskers.com/ 2012 Coffs Harbour International Buskers and Comedy Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207225200/http://www.coffsharbourbuskers.com/ |date=7 February 2007 }}.</ref>

There are three basic forms of contemporary street performance. The first form is the "circle show". It tends to gather a crowd, usually has a distinct beginning and end, and is done in conjunction with [[street theatre]], [[puppeteer]]ing, [[magic (illusion)|magicians]], comedians, acrobats, [[juggling|jugglers]] and sometimes musicians. This type has the potential to be the most lucrative for the performer because there are likely to be more donations from larger audiences if they are entertained by the act. Good buskers control the crowd so patrons do not obstruct foot traffic. The second form, the ''walk-by act'', has no distinct beginning or end. Typically, the busker provides an entertaining ambience, often with an unusual instrument, and the audience may not stop to watch or form a crowd. Sometimes a walk-by act spontaneously turns into a circle show. The third form, ''café busking'', is performed mostly in restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés. This type of act occasionally uses public transport as a venue.

==== Parades ====
{{Main|Parade}}
[[Parade]]s are held for a range of purposes, often more than one. Whether their mood is sombre or festive, being public events that are designed to attract attention and activities that necessarily divert normal traffic, parades have a clear entertainment value to their audiences. [[Cavalcade]]s and the modern variant, the [[motorcade]], are examples of public processions. Some people watching the parade or procession may have made a special effort to attend, while others become part of the audience by happenstance. Whatever their mood or primary purpose, parades attract and entertain people who watch them pass by. Occasionally, a parade takes place in an improvised theatre space (such as the [[Trooping the Colour]] in ) and tickets are sold to the physical audience while the global audience participates via broadcast.

One of the earliest forms of parade were "[[Roman triumph|triumphs]]"{{snd}} grand and sensational displays of foreign treasures and spoils, given by triumphant Roman generals to celebrate their victories. They presented conquered peoples and nations that exalted the prestige of the victor. "In the summer of 46&nbsp;[[Before common era|BCE]] [[Julius Caesar]] chose to celebrate four triumphs held on different days extending for about one month."<ref>{{cite book|last=Gurval|first=Robert Alan|title=Actium and Augustus: The Politics and Emotions of Civil War|year=1995|publisher=University of Michigan|isbn=978-0-472-10590-8|page=20}}</ref> In Europe from the Middle Ages to the [[Baroque]] the [[Royal Entry]] celebrated the formal visit of the monarch to the city with a parade through elaborately decorated streets, passing various shows and displays. The annual [[Lord Mayor's Show]] in London is an example of a civic parade that has survived since medieval times.

Many religious festivals (especially those that incorporate [[processions]], such as [[Holy Week procession]]s or the Indian festival of [[Holi]]) have some entertainment appeal in addition to their serious purpose. Sometimes, religious rituals have been adapted or evolved into secular entertainments, or like the [[Festa del Redentore]] in Venice, have managed to grow in popularity while holding both secular and sacred purposes in balance. However, [[pilgrimage]]s, such as the Roman Catholic pilgrimage of the [[Way of St. James]], the Muslim [[Hajj]] and the Hindu [[Kumbh Mela]], which may appear to the outsider as an entertaining parade or procession, are not intended as entertainment: they are instead about an individual's spiritual journey. Hence, the relationship between spectator and participant, unlike entertainments proper, is different. The manner in which the Kumbh Mela, for example, "is divorced from its cultural context and repackaged for Western consumption{{snd}} renders the presence of [[Voyeurism|voyeurs]] deeply problematic."<ref>{{cite book|last=Maclean|first=Kama|title=Pilgrimage and Power: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 1765–1954|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-19-533894-2|page=52}}</ref>

Parades generally impress and delight often by including unusual, colourful costumes. Sometimes they also commemorate or celebrate. Sometimes they have a serious purpose, such as when the context is military, when the intention is sometimes to intimidate; or religious, when the audience might participate or have a role to play. Even if a parade uses new technology and is some distance away, it is likely to have a strong appeal, draw the attention of onlookers and entertain them.
<gallery class="center" widths="180" heights="150" caption="Parades across cultures">
File:Triunphus Caesaris plate 6 - Andreani.jpg| Triumph of Caesar, Andreani (1588/9)
File:Alfred Jacob Miller - Cavalcade - Walters 371940199.jpg| [[Alfred Jacob Miller]] ''Cavalcade'' by the [[Snake Indians]] (1858–60)
File:Edmund Blair Leighton - 1816.jpg| Parade from the onlooker perspective (1816)
File:President William McKinley Taking The Oath (1901) by Thomas A. Edison.webm| [[United States presidential inauguration|Inauguration]] parade of US President [[William McKinley|McKinley]] (1897)
File:1945 Eelde Canadezen.jpg| Respectful crowd at [[motorcade]] in Canada (1945)
File:Anant Chaturdashi.jpg| [[Ganesh Visarjan]], Mumbai (2007)
File:West Indian Day Parade 2008-09-01 man in costume.jpg| Costumes in West Indian Day parade (2008)
File:Trooping the Colour March on.JPG| Celebratory parade in London before seated audience (2008)
File:Red Arrows over the Mall.JPG| [[Flypast]] (2012)
File:Desfile Portela 2014 (906185).jpg| [[Rio Carnival|Festive parade in Brazil]] (2014)
</gallery>

==== Fireworks ====
{{Main|Fireworks}}
[[File:Medellín-Juegos pirotécnicos bicentenario-11.jpg|thumb|Spectators at Bicentennial [[fireworks]] in Colombia]]

[[Fireworks]] are a part of many public entertainments and have retained an enduring popularity since they became a "crowning feature of elaborate celebrations" in the 17th century. First used in China, classical antiquity and Europe for military purposes, fireworks were most popular in the 18th century and high prices were paid for [[Pyrotechnics|pyrotechnists]], especially the skilled Italian ones, who were summoned to other countries to organise displays.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Giacomo Casanova|last=Casanova|first=Giacomo Chevalier de Seingalt|title=History of My Life, Volumes 9–10 Vol 10|year=1997|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore, MD; London|isbn=978-0-8018-5666-2|page=333|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kelly|first=Jack|title=Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics: The History of the Explosive that Changed the World|year=2005|publisher=Basic Books|isbn=978-0-465-03722-3}}</ref> Fire and water were important aspects of court spectacles because the displays "inspired by means of fire, sudden noise, smoke and general magnificence the sentiments thought fitting for the subject to entertain of his sovereign: awe fear and a vicarious sense of glory in his might. Birthdays, name-days, weddings and anniversaries provided the occasion for celebration."<ref>{{cite book|last=Sagarra|first=Eda|title=A Social History of Germany 1648–1914|year=2003|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-0-7658-0982-7|page=31}}</ref> One of the most famous courtly uses of fireworks was one used to celebrate the end of the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] and while the fireworks themselves caused a fire,<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Christopher Hogwood|last=Hogwood|first=Christopher|title=Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks|year=2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-83636-4|page=80}}</ref> the accompanying [[Music for the Royal Fireworks]] written by [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]] has been popular ever since. Aside from their contribution to entertainments related to military successes, courtly displays and personal celebrations, fireworks are also used as part of religious ceremony. For example, during the Indian [[Dashavatar]]a Kala of Gomantaka "the temple deity is taken around in a procession with a lot of singing, dancing and display of fireworks".<ref>{{cite book|last=Varadpande|first=Manohar Laxman|title=History of Indian Theatre (vol. 2)|year=1992|publisher=Shakti Malik Abhinav Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-7017-278-9|page=286}}</ref>

The "fire, sudden noise and smoke" of fireworks is still a significant part of public celebration and entertainment. For example, fireworks were one of the primary forms of display chosen to celebrate the turn of the [[millennium]] around the world. As the clock struck midnight and 1999 became 2000, firework displays and open-air parties greeted the New Year as the [[time zone]]s changed over to the next century. Fireworks, carefully planned and choreographed, were let off against the backdrop of many of the world's most famous buildings, including the [[Sydney Harbour Bridge]], the [[Giza Necropolis|Pyramids of Giza]] in Egypt, the [[Acropolis]] in Athens, [[Red Square (disambiguation)|Red Square]] in Moscow, [[Vatican City]] in Rome, the [[Brandenburg Gate]] in Berlin, the [[Eiffel Tower]] in Paris, and [[Elizabeth Tower]] in London.

=== Sport ===
{{Main|Sport}}
[[File:Tifosi fiorentina.jpg|thumb|Audience engagement from a crowd of Italian sport fans]]
[[File:2010 FIFA World Cup Fans.jpg|thumb|Audience engagement by individual South African fans at the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] ]]

[[Sports|Sporting]] competitions have always provided entertainment for crowds. To distinguish the players from the audience, the latter are often known as spectators. Developments in stadium and [[auditorium]] design, as well as in recording and broadcast technology, have allowed off-site spectators to watch sport, with the result that the size of the audience has grown ever larger and [[spectator sport]] has become increasingly popular. Two of the most popular sports with global appeal are association football and [[cricket]]. Their ultimate international competitions, the [[FIFA World Cup]] and the [[Cricket World Cup]], are broadcast around the world. Beyond the very large numbers involved in playing these sports, they are notable for being a major source of entertainment for many millions of non-players worldwide.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sport Marketing|year=2007|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=978-0-7360-6052-3|author1=Hardy, Stephen|author2=Sutton, William Anthony|editor=Mullin, Bernard James|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sportmarketing0000mull_n0q5}}</ref> A comparable multi-stage, long-form sport with global appeal is the [[Tour de France]], unusual in that it takes place outside of special stadia, being run instead in the countryside.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Christopher S.|title=The Tour de France: A Cultural History|year=2008|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley & Los Angeles; London|isbn=978-0-520-25630-9}}</ref>

Aside from sports that have worldwide appeal and competitions, such as the [[Olympic Games]], the entertainment value of a sport depends on the culture and country where people play it. For example, in the United States, baseball and basketball games are popular forms of entertainment; in Bhutan, the national sport is archery; in New Zealand, it is [[rugby union]]; in Iran, it is [[freestyle wrestling]]. Japan's unique [[sumo]] wrestling contains ritual elements that derive from its long history.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kubota|first=Makoto|title=Sumo|year=1999|publisher=Chronicle Books Llc|isbn=978-0-8118-2548-1}}</ref> In some cases, such as the international running group [[Hash House Harriers]], participants create a blend of sport and entertainment for themselves, largely independent of spectator involvement, where the social component is more important than the competitive.

The evolution of an activity into a sport and then an entertainment is also affected by the local climate and conditions. For example, the modern sport of [[History of surfing|surfing]] is associated with Hawaii and that of [[History of skiing|snow skiing]] probably evolved in Scandinavia. While these sports and the entertainment they offer to spectators have spread around the world, people in the two originating countries remain well known for their prowess. Sometimes the climate offers a chance to adapt another sport such as in the case of [[ice hockey]]{{snd}}an important entertainment in Canada.

=== Fairs, expositions, shopping ===
{{Main|Fair|World's fair}}
[[Fair]]s and exhibitions have existed since ancient and medieval times, displaying wealth, innovations and objects for trade and offering specific entertainments as well as being places of entertainment in themselves.<ref name=Wilson>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Robert|title=Great Exhibitions: The World Fairs 1851–1937|year=2007|publisher=National Gallery of Victoria|isbn=978-0-7241-0284-6|pages=10–11}}</ref> Whether in a medieval market or a small shop, "shopping always offered forms of exhilaration that took one away from the everyday".<ref name=Moss>{{cite book|last=Moss|first=Mark Howard|title=Shopping as an Entertainment Experience|year=2007|publisher=Lexington Books|location=Lanham, Maryland; Plymouth, UK|page=3|isbn=978-0-7391-1680-7}}</ref> However, in the modern world, "merchandising has become entertainment: spinning signs, flashing signs, thumping music&nbsp;... video screens, interactive computer kiosks, day care .. cafés".<ref name=Moss />

By the 19th century, "expos" that encouraged arts, manufactures and commerce had become international. They were not only hugely popular but affected international ideas. For example, the [[Exposition Universelle (1878)|1878 Paris Exposition]] facilitated international cooperation about ideas, innovations and standards. From London 1851 to Paris 1900, "in excess of 200 million visitors had entered the turnstiles in London, Paris, Vienna, Philadelphia, Chicago and a myriad of smaller shows around the world."<ref name=Wilson /><ref>{{cite web|title=World's Colombian Exposition of 1893|url=http://columbus.gl.iit.edu/|publisher=Chicago Illinois Institute of Technology|access-date=15 November 2012|archive-date=10 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110033144/http://columbus.gl.iit.edu/|url-status=live}}</ref> Since [[World War II]] "well over 500&nbsp;million visits have been recorded through world expo turnstiles".<ref name=Boisseau>{{cite book|title=Gendering the Fair: Histories of Women and Gender at World's Fairs|year=2010|publisher=University of Illinois|location=Chicago|isbn=978-0-252-03558-6|author1=Rydell, Robert |author2=Boisseau, T.J. |author3=Markwyn, Abigail M. |author4=Rydell, Robert W. |editor=Boisseau, T.J.|page=viii}}</ref> As a form of spectacle and entertainment, expositions influenced "everything from architecture, to patterns of globalisation, to fundamental matters of human identity"<ref name=Boisseau /> and in the process established the close relationship between "fairs, the rise of department stores and art museums",<ref>{{cite book|last=Rydell|first=Robert W.|title=World of Fairs: The Century-of-Progress Expositions|year=1993|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago|isbn=978-0-226-73236-7|page=15}}</ref> the modern world of mass consumption and the entertainment industry.

<gallery class="center" caption="Entertainment in expositions and shops" widths="180" heights="150">
File:Paris 1889 plakat.jpg|Advertisement for 1889 Paris Universal Exposition
File:Qatar's Pavillion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.jpg|Audience queuing for Qatar's World Exposition Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo
File:Ballpit.jpg|[[Ball pit]] of the type provided for children's entertainment in shopping malls
</gallery>

== Safety ==
Some entertainments, such as at large festivals (whether religious or secular), concerts, clubs, parties and celebrations, involve big crowds. From earliest times, crowds at an entertainment have associated hazards and dangers, especially when combined with the recreational consumption of [[Recreational drug use|intoxicants]] such as alcohol. The Ancient Greeks had [[Dionysian Mysteries]], for example, and the Romans had [[Saturnalia]]. The consequence of excess and crowds can produce breaches of [[Norm (social)|social norms]] of behaviour, sometimes causing injury or even death, such as for example, at the [[Altamont Free Concert]], an outdoor [[rock festival]]. The list of [[Nightclub#Serious incidents|serious incidents at nightclubs]] includes those caused by [[crowd crush]]; terrorism, such as the [[2002 Bali bombings]] that targeted a nightclub; and especially fire. Investigations, such as that carried out in the US after [[The Station nightclub fire]] often demonstrate that lessons learned "regarding fire safety in nightclubs" from earlier events such as the [[Cocoanut Grove fire]] do "not necessarily result in lasting effective change".<ref>{{cite book|last=Tubbs|first=Jeffrey|title=Egress Design Solutions: A Guide to Evacuation and Crowd Management Planning|year=2007|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=Hoboken, NJ|isbn=978-0-471-71956-4|page=83|author2=Meacham, Brian}}</ref> Efforts to prevent such incidents include appointing special officers, such as the medieval [[Lord of Misrule]] or, in modern times, [[security officers]] who control access; and also ongoing improvement of relevant [[International Organization for Standardization|standards]] such as those for building safety. The tourism industry now regards safety and security at entertainment venues as an important management task.<ref>{{Citation | title=Tourism, security and safety: from theory to practice | author1=Mansfeld, Yoel | author2=Pizam, Abraham | date = 2006 |location = Burlington, MA|publisher=Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann | isbn=978-0-7506-7898-8 }}</ref>

== {{Anchor|Industry}} Industry <!--[[Entertainment company]] redirects here--> ==
{{Further|Film industry|Media market|Music industry|Show business|Sport industry|Video game industry}}

Entertainment is [[big business]], especially in the United States,<ref name="Stein2009">{{cite book | last1=Stein | first1=Andi | last2=Evans|first2=Beth Bingham|title=An introduction to the entertainment industry | publisher=Peter Lang | publication-place=New York | year=2009 | isbn=978-1-4331-0340-7 | oclc=244177225 }}</ref> but ubiquitous in all cultures.
Although kings, rulers and powerful people have always been able to pay for entertainment to be provided for them and in many cases have paid for public entertainment, people generally have made their own entertainment or when possible, attended a live performance. Technological developments in the 20th century, especially in the area of mass media, meant that entertainment could be produced independently of the audience, packaged and sold on a commercial basis by an entertainment industry.<ref name=Stein2009 /><ref>{{cite book|title=Key issues in the arts and entertainment industry|publisher=Goodfellow Publishers |location=Woodeaton, Oxford|isbn=978-1-906884-20-8|editor=Walmsley, Ben|year=2011 }}</ref> Sometimes referred to as show business, the industry relies on [[business model]]s to produce, market, broadcast or otherwise distribute many of its traditional forms, including performances of all types.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sickels|first=Robert C|title=The Business of Entertainment|publisher=Greenwood Publishing (Three Volumes)}}</ref> The industry became so sophisticated that its economics became a separate area of academic study.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vogel|first=Harold L.|title=Entertainment industry economics: a guide for financial analysis|year=2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge; New York|isbn=978-0-521-87485-4|edition=7th}}</ref>

The [[film industry]] is a part of the entertainment industry. Components of it include the [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Hollywood News|url=http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/hollywood|access-date=28 April 2014|newspaper=Mid Day|archive-date=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429001539/http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/hollywood|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Bollywood]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Bollywood News|url=http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood|newspaper=Mid Day|access-date=28 April 2014|archive-date=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429001524/http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood|url-status=live}}</ref> film industries, as well as the [[cinema of the United Kingdom]] and all the [[Cinema of Europe|cinemas of Europe]], including [[cinema of France|France]], [[cinema of Germany|Germany]], [[cinema of Spain|Spain]], [[Cinema of Italy|Italy]] and others.<ref>{{cite book|last=Casper|first=Drew|title=Postwar Hollywood, 1946–1962|year=2007|publisher=Blackwell|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1-4051-5074-3}}</ref> The [[sex industry]] is another component of the entertainment industry, applying the same forms and media (for example, film, books, dance and other performances) to the development, marketing and sale of sex products on a commercial basis.

[[Amusement park]]s entertain paying guests with [[Amusement ride|rides]], such as [[roller coasters]], [[ridable miniature railway]]s, [[water rides]], and [[dark rides]], as well as other events and associated attractions. The parks are built on a large area subdivided into themed areas named "lands". Sometimes the whole amusement park is based on one theme, such as the various [[SeaWorld]] parks that focus on the theme of sea life.

One of the consequences of the development of the entertainment industry has been the creation of new types of employment. While jobs such as writer, musician and composer exist as they always have, people doing this work are likely to be employed by a company rather than a patron as they once would have been. New jobs have appeared, such as [[Gaffer (filmmaking)|gaffer]] or [[special effect]]s supervisor in the film industry, and attendants in an amusement park.

Prestigious awards are given by the industry for excellence in the various types of entertainment. For example, there are awards for music, games (including video games), comics, theatre, television, film, dance and magical arts. Sporting awards are made for the results and skill, rather than for the entertainment value.

<gallery class="center" widths="180" heights="150" caption="The entertainment industry">
File:Film reel.jpg|Packaged entertainment<br />35mm [[film reel]]s in boxes
File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F079073-0006, Bonn, Sternstraße, Schallplattengeschäft.jpg|Choosing music from a record store (West Germany, 1988)
File:LOceanogràfic, Ciudad de las artes y las ciencias, 2005, Valencia.jpg|Ticket showing electronic [[barcode]] (Valencia, 2005)
</gallery>

== Architecture ==

=== Architecture for entertainment ===
Purpose-built structures as venues for entertainment that accommodate audiences have produced many famous and innovative buildings, among the most recognisable of which are [[Theatre (structure)|theatre structures]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Newhouse|first=Victoria|title=Site and sound: the architecture and acoustics of new opera houses and concert halls|year=2012|publisher=Monacelli Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1-58093-281-3}}</ref> For the ancient Greeks, "the architectural importance of the theatre is a reflection of their importance to the community, made apparent in their monumentality, in the effort put into their design, and in the care put into their detail."<ref>Green, J.R. "The Theatre of Paphos and the Theatre of Alexandria: Some First Thoughts" in {{cite book |title=The Library of Alexandria |year=2002 |publisher=The American University in Cairo Press |location=Cairo |isbn=978-977-424-710-1 |editor=MacLeod, Roy}} p. 115.</ref> The Romans subsequently developed the stadium in an oval form known as a [[Circus (building)|circus]]. In modern times, some of the grandest buildings for entertainment have brought fame to their cities as well as their designers. The [[Sydney Opera House]], for example, is a [[World Heritage Site]] and [[The O2 (London)|The O<sub>2</sub>]] in London is an entertainment precinct that contains an indoor arena, a music club, a cinema and exhibition space. The [[Bayreuth Festspielhaus]] in Germany is a theatre designed and built for performances of one specific musical composition.

Two of the chief architectural concerns for the design of venues for mass audiences are speed of egress and safety. The speed at which the venue empty is important both for amenity and safety, because large crowds take a long time to disperse from a badly designed venue, which creates a safety risk. The [[Hillsborough disaster]] is an example of how poor aspects of building design can contribute to audience deaths. [[Sightline]]s and [[acoustics]] are also important design considerations in most theatrical venues.

In the 21st century, entertainment venues, especially stadia, are "likely to figure among the leading architectural genres".<ref>{{cite book|last=Sheard|first=Rod|title=Sports Architecture|year=2001|publisher=Spon Press|location=London|isbn=978-0-419-21220-1}} p. xvi.</ref> However, they require "a whole new approach" to design, because they need to be "sophisticated entertainment centres, multi-experience venues, capable of being enjoyed in many diverse ways".{{sfnp|Sheard|2001|p=xvi}} Hence, architects now have to design "with two distinct functions in mind, as sports and entertainment centres playing host to live audiences, and as sports and entertainment studios serving the viewing and listening requirements of the remote audience".{{sfnp|Sheard|2001|p=xvi}}

<gallery class="center" widths="180" heights="150" caption="Architecture for entertainment">
File:Colosseum in Rome, Italy - April 2007.jpg|[[Colosseum]], Rome (70–80&nbsp;AD), Roman venue for mass entertainment
File:Palais Garnier's grand salon, 12 February 2008.jpg|The Grand Foyer in the [[Palais Garnier]], Paris (1875), influenced architecture around the world.
File:Maracana-predefinicao.jpg|[[Estádio do Maracanã|Maracanã]], Rio de Janeiro, at inauguration (1950) the world's largest stadium by capacity
File:Flamingo Spa Vesipuisto.jpg|[[Flamingo, Finland|Flamingo Entertainment Centre]], [[Vantaa]] (2008), includes a variety of entertainment activities (e.g. a cinema, [[spa]], [[bowling]], [[laser game]]s, virtual experiences), 40 different stores and a hotel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kauppakeskusyhdistys.fi/attachements/2013-02-12T08-24-17189.pdf |title=Kauppakeskukset: Finnish Shopping Centers 2013 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=12 February 2013 |website=Kauppakeskusyhdistys |publisher=Suomen Kauppakeskusyhdistys ry |access-date=15 June 2020 |archive-date=16 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016075214/http://www.kauppakeskusyhdistys.fi/attachements/2013-02-12T08-24-17189.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
</gallery>

=== Architecture as entertainment ===
[[File:Sleepingbeautycastle50.jpg|thumb|left|Inauthentic castle in [[Disneyland]] amusement park]]
Architects who push the boundaries of design or construction sometimes create buildings that are entertaining because they exceed the expectations of the public and the client and are aesthetically outstanding. Buildings such as [[Guggenheim Museum Bilbao]], designed by [[Frank Gehry]], are of this type, becoming a tourist attraction as well as a significant international museum. Other apparently usable buildings are really [[folly|follies]], deliberately constructed for a decorative purpose and never intended to be practical.

On the other hand, sometimes architecture is entertainment, while pretending to be functional. The tourism industry, for example, creates or renovates buildings as "attractions" that have either never been used or can never be used for their ostensible purpose. They are instead re-purposed to entertain visitors often by simulating cultural experiences. Buildings, history and sacred spaces are thus made into commodities for purchase. Such intentional tourist attractions divorce buildings from the past so that "the difference between historical authenticity and contemporary entertainment venues/theme parks becomes hard to define".<ref>{{cite book|ref=CITEREFLasansky2004|last=Lasansky|first=D. Medina|title=Architecture and Tourism: Perception, Performance and Place|year=2004|edition=English|publisher=Berg Publishers|isbn=978-1-85973-709-5|author2=McLaren, Brian}} p. xvii.</ref> Examples include "the preservation of the [[Alcázar of Toledo]], with its grim Civil War History, the conversion of slave dungeons into tourist attractions in Ghana, [such as, for example, [[Cape Coast Castle]]] and the presentation of indigenous culture in Libya".{{sfnp|Lasansky|2004|p=xvii, Part II, Ch. 4, 5, 6}} The specially constructed buildings in amusement parks represent the park's theme and are usually neither authentic nor completely functional.

== Effects of developments in electronic media ==

{{Listen|align=right
|filename = Arthur Sullivan - wax cylinder recording.ogg
|title = Arthur Sullivan on recording music
|description = 1888 wax cylinder recording of composer [[Arthur Sullivan]] speaking about his reaction to [[Thomas Edison]]'s invention of the [[phonograph]].

''...&nbsp;I am astonished and somewhat terrified at the results of this evening's experiment{{snd}} astonished at the wonderful power you have developed, and terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music may be put on record forever. But all the same, I think it is the most wonderful thing that I have ever experienced, and I congratulate you with all my heart on this wonderful discovery.''
|format = [[Ogg]]
}}

=== Globalisation ===
By the second half of the 20th century, developments in electronic media made possible the delivery of entertainment products to mass audiences across the globe. The technology enabled people to see, hear and participate in all the familiar forms{{snd}} stories, theatre, music, dance{{snd}} wherever they live. The rapid development of entertainment technology was assisted by improvements in [[data storage device]]s such as [[cassette tape]]s or compact discs, along with increasing [[miniaturisation]]. Computerisation and the development of [[barcodes]] also made ticketing easier, faster and global.

=== Obsolescence ===
[[File:Crystal radio advertisement.png|thumb|Magazine advertisement for [[crystal radio]] (1922)]]
[[File:TV-Turm Almaty - 3.jpg|thumb|[[Almaty Tower|Television tower]] in [[Almaty]], Kazakhstan (constructed 1983)]]In the 1940s, radio was the electronic medium for family entertainment and information.<ref>{{cite book|last=Garratt|first=G.R.M.|title=The early history of radio: from Faraday to Marconi|year=1994|publisher=Institution of Electrical Engineers, in association with the Science Museum|location=London|isbn=978-0-85296-845-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Radio reader: essays in the cultural history of radio|year=2002|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-415-92820-5|editor1=Hilmes, Michele |editor2=Loviglio, Jason }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Cox|first=Jim|title=The great radio sitcoms|year=2007|publisher=McFarland & Co|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-0-7864-3146-5}}</ref> In the 1950s, it was television that was the new medium and it rapidly became global, bringing visual entertainment, first in black and white, then in colour, to the world.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spigel|first=Lynn|title=Make room for TV: television and the family ideal in postwar America|url=https://archive.org/details/makeroomfortv00lynn|url-access=registration|year=1992|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago|isbn=978-0-226-76966-0}}</ref> By the 1970s, [[history of video games|games]] could be played electronically, then [[Handheld video game|hand-held]] devices provided mobile entertainment, and by the last decade of the 20th century, via [[online game|networked play]]. In combination with products from the entertainment industry, all the traditional forms of entertainment became available personally. People could not only select an entertainment product such as a piece of music, film or game, they could choose the time and place to use it. The "proliferation of portable media players and the emphasis on the computer as a site for film consumption" together have significantly changed how audiences encounter films.<ref name=Tryon>{{cite book|last=Tryon|first=Chuck|title=Reinventing Cinema: Movies in the Age of Media Convergence|year=2009|publisher=Rutgers University Press|pages=6, 9|isbn=978-0-8135-4546-2}}</ref> One of the most notable consequences of the rise of electronic entertainment has been the rapid [[obsolescence]] of the various recording and storage methods. As an example of speed of change driven by electronic media, over the course of one generation, television as a medium for receiving standardised entertainment products went from unknown, to novel, to ubiquitous and finally to superseded.<ref>{{cite book|title=Television after TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition|year=2004|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-3383-8|editor1=Spigel, Lynn |editor2=Olsson, Jan }}</ref> One estimate was that by 2011 over 30 per cent of households in the US would own a [[Wii]] console, "about the same percentage that owned a television in 1953".<ref>{{cite book|last=Cogburn|first=Jon|title=Philosophy Through Video Games|year=2002|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-415-98857-5|page=i|author2=Silcox, Mark}}</ref> Some expected that halfway through the second decade of the 21st century, online entertainment would have completely replaced television{{snd}}which did not happen. The so-called "[[digital revolution]]" has produced an increasingly transnational marketplace that has caused difficulties for governments, business, industries, and individuals, as they all try to keep up.<ref>{{cite book|last=Doyle|first=Gillian|title=Media Ownership: The Economics and Politics of Convergence and Concentration in the UK and European Media|year=2002|publisher=Sage|type=Google eBook|isbn=978-0-7619-6680-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Ellis|first=John|title=Scheduling: the last creative act in television?|journal=Media, Culture & Society|date=January 2000|volume=22|series=Bournemouth University/Large Door Productions|issue=1|pages=25–38|doi=10.1177/016344300022001002|s2cid=143788028}}</ref><ref>For example, in the UK: {{cite news|last=Tryhorn|first=Chris|title=Government thinktank to tackle media convergence issues|url=http://www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/convergence_review|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=22 November 2012|date=21 December 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121121120032/http://www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/convergence_review|archive-date=21 November 2012}}</ref><ref>And for example, in Australia: {{cite web|title=Convergence Review|url=http://www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/convergence_review|date=30 April 2012|publisher=Australian Government: Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy|access-date=23 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121121120032/http://www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/convergence_review|archive-date=21 November 2012}}</ref> Even the sports stadium of the future will increasingly compete with television viewing "...in terms of comfort, safety and the constant flow of audio-visual information and entertainment available."{{sfnp|Sheard|2001|p=49}} Other flow on effects of the shift are likely to include those on public architecture such as hospitals and nursing homes, where television, regarded as an essential entertainment service for patients and residents, will need to be replaced by access to the internet. At the same time, the ongoing need for entertainers as "professional engagers" shows the continuity of traditional entertainment.<ref>{{cite news|last=Power|first=Julie|title=Laughter and music better than drugs for dementia patients|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/laughter-and-music-better-than-drugs-for-dementia-patients-20130802-2r4w9.html|access-date=3 August 2013|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=3 August 2013|archive-date=4 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804211458/http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/laughter-and-music-better-than-drugs-for-dementia-patients-20130802-2r4w9.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Convergence ===
By the second decade of the 21st century, [[analogue recording]] was being replaced by [[digital recording]] and all forms of electronic entertainment began to [[technological convergence|converge]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Dwyer|first=Tim|title=Media Convergence|year=2010|publisher=Open University Press McGraw-Hill Education|location=Maidenhead, Berkshire, England and New York|isbn=978-0-335-22873-7}}</ref> For example, convergence is challenging standard practices in the film industry: whereas "success or failure used to be determined by the first weekend of its run. Today,&nbsp;... a series of exhibition 'windows', such as DVD, pay-per-view, and fibre-optic video-on-demand are used to maximise profits."{{sfnp|Sayre|King|2010|p=156}} Part of the industry's adjustment is its release of new commercial product directly via video hosting services. Media convergence is said to be more than technological: the convergence is cultural as well.{{sfnp|Sayre|King|2010|pp=22, 30 ''ff''}} It is also "the result of a deliberate effort to protect the interests of business entities, policy institutions and other groups".<ref name=Tryon /> Globalisation and [[cultural imperialism]] are two of the cultural consequences of convergence.{{sfnp|Sayre|King|2010|p=30}} Others include [[fandom]] and interactive storytelling as well as the way that single franchises are distributed through and affect a range of delivery methods.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jenkins|first=Henry|title=Convergence culture: where old and new media collide|year=2006|publisher=New York University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8147-4281-5|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780814742815}}</ref> The "greater diversity in the ways that signals may be received and packaged for the viewer, via terrestrial, satellite or cable television, and of course, via the Internet" also affects entertainment venues, such as sports stadia, which now need to be designed so that both live and remote audiences can interact in increasingly sophisticated ways{{snd}} for example, audiences can "watch highlights, call up statistics", "order tickets and merchandise" and generally "tap into the stadium's resources at any time of the day or night".{{sfnp|Sheard|2001|p=xvi}}

The introduction of television altered the availability, cost, variety and quality of entertainment products for the public and the convergence of online entertainment is having a similar effect. For example, the possibility and popularity of user-generated content, as distinct from commercial product, creates a "networked audience model [that] makes programming obsolete".{{sfnp|Sayre|King|2010|p=536}} Individuals and corporations use [[video hosting service]]s to broadcast content that is equally accepted by the public as legitimate entertainment.

While technology increases demand for entertainment products and offers increased speed of delivery, the forms that make up the content are in themselves, relatively stable. Storytelling, music, theatre, dance and games are recognisably the same as in earlier centuries.

== See also ==
* [[Entertainment law]]
* [[Family entertainment centre]]
* [[List of entertainer occupations]]
* [[Outline of entertainment]]
* [[Performing arts]]
* [[Performing arts education]]
* [[Social entertainment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Entertainment}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
{{aesthetics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Entertainment| ]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Concepts in aesthetics]]
[[Category:Performing arts]]