I mean us, of course. Not the original audience.

If even half of the orality-aurality which lies behind Mark’s Gospel is true, then the illiterate, steeped in mythology, backwards 1st century audience which we think first heard/read Mark is by far among the most intelligent and learned audience in history.

I’m not biased or anything, but in watching TV, where the audience is often thought to be extremely dumb so much so that it is rare that intelligent shows last, I’m convinced that we are slowly getting worse as a species.