Common sense suggests that entertainment is a way to escape work. But Adorno and Horkheimer understood entertainment differently – they described it as a ‘prolongation of work under late capitalism'. The following excerpt explains their understanding of the notion of entertainment:

“Entertainment is the prolongation of work under late capitalism. It is sought by those who want to escape the mechanized labor process so that they can cope with it again. At the same time, however, mechanization has such power over leisure and its happiness, determines so thoroughly the fabrication of entertainment commodities, that the off-duty worker can experience nothing but after images of the work process itself.”

The mechanization of labour has a powerful impact on leisure. In fact, technological rationality of entertainment and mechanization of labour are not different. Both are aimed at perpetuating domination. Thus, entertainment which should have been a source of healthy distraction and food for thought becomes an ‘adaptation of mechanized work' for leisure. And thus, the off duty worker experiences entertainment as an ‘after image of work process'. That makes entertainment boring as it demands no mental work or creative thinking. Our reactions, then, are predetermined not through adherence but through signs.