Escapism? Entertainment? Edification?
We're fascinated with one another. We must be, otherwise how to account for peoples' preoccupation with television programmes, termed "reality" shows like Survivor, American Idol, its Canadian counterpart, and others which appear to qualify such as Oprah, and Dr. Phil. So what is it exactly, or even vaguely, that would explain our penchant to become such avid watchers of these programmes? It seems to me, (as someone who hasn't really watched any of these, other than by sheer accident, but rather has come across many references to them in the various news media) that they must make up for something lacking in our lives that they've become such an integral form of entertainment.Somewhat like, come to think of it, people, mostly women I would venture to say, who become fascinated with the cult of celebrity (and, increasingly men as well). People who are firmly interested, fascinated and somehow fulfilled by knowing about the dreary little details of film actors' personal lives. Why, why, why? Are their own lives so devoid of interest to them that they must seek out these other avenues to find some meaning in their own lives? What gives?
I suppose it's something like the large readership of escape novels, romance novels, trashy melodramas, where women are swept off their feet, literally, figuratively, by take-charge men. Harlequin romances. Are our own lives so dull, so predictable, so devoid of joy, pleasure, kindness, adventure that we must find satisfaction in letting ourselves pretend however briefly that we're involved in a romantic adventure of a type that will never intrude on our own prosaic lifestyles? Don't we know how to go about living our lives? Will we ever learn if we continue to give credence to these silly alternatives?
I find it stunningly peurile that entertainment pages of our newspapers contain columns whose purpose it is to document the personalities, trials and tribulations, triumphs and ersatz happiness of "real" people who enter various competitions, placing themselves and their aspirations and disappointments on full public view - but for what real purpose? Is this real in the sense of reality? Artificial constructs they certainly are, so why confuse them with reality? People, this is not life! Life is what you make of it. There is such great potential. Why waste is on such irrationally silly garbage?
When viewers tune in to television shows which demonstrate "real" police hard at work tracking down and apprehending low-lifes, the dregs of society, and we view the darker side of slums, why is this in any way instructive, let alone so fascinating that people hate to miss these favourites? Why such fascination with "real" justice in action, watching plaintiffs stand before a judge, contesting civil matters? Who really wants to be confronted time and again with such evidence of human frailty? What do we really learn from this repetitive evidence of peoples' inability to behave in civil, ethical society?
Why such huge audiences for shows that deliberately set out to illustrate to their viewers peoples' inability to cope with their lives, their pedestrian, miserable and ongoing efforts to place their interests above those of other family members, neighbours, society at large? Will viewing these pathetic attempts at self-glorification, self-aggrandizement, self-flagellation help make one a better human being, or are we just so delighted to watch peoples' self-abasement to help us feel somehow superior?
I cannot really quite come to a conclusion on this: whether the human fodder, objects of interest or the voyeurs are the more lacking in judgement, personal dignity and self-respect. Let alone lack of imagination, of personal values. Grow up!
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, February 16, 2006
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