A few days ago, some friends and I were shooting the breeze over
drinks, discussing the latest political developments brewing in the
Middle East, because apparently
there is a lot going on there, such as a belligerent leader seeking
nuclear weapons; a country invaded, destroyed and entrenched in the
turbulence of a civil war; and another nation whose existence since
1948 has made it the target of non-recognition, geopolitical strife and
a virtual stalemate over territory which has contributed to worldwide
complications today. Add to this unsettling mixture some rising
animosity, frustration and disillusionment, and the powder keg seems
seconds away from exploding. In the midst of our discussion, we were
rudely interrupted by another member of our party who hurriedly asked
with angst and glee if we had heard about Britney Spears and her recent
escapade involving the shaving off of all her hair, an event I have
since dubbed “Who Gives a Crapgate.”
Because really, who gives a crap?
Unfortunately, I am wrong. There are many who
do, as the buzz over this latest controversy from Tinseltown
clearly shows. The media and the tabloids have seized this opportunity
to reach conclusions or provide hypotheses which defy reason. To make
matters worse, her brief stints in rehab only further fuel this
conflagration of speculation and intrigue. As if things could not get
bad enough, Britney has been kind enough to provide us with a history
of past debacles, such as a 55 hour drunken Vegas wedding, teaching
driving to toddlers and displaying the wonders of panty-less outings.
Honestly, I kinda liked the last one almost
as much as lesbian kisses with aging eighties pop icons. Her
recently-ended marriage to a no-talent dancer-turned-musician (shudder)
was the final nail in the coffin. The result, as we now know, was a Yul Brynner look and
outbursts that make Tom Cruise seem remarkably docile. For those of you
who think I’m going to speculate next over Britney’s mental
condition or to what lengths she’ll be forced to resort in an
attempt to salvage a dwindling music career are probably in for a
surprise. I am not.
The truth is, I don’t give a crap and I
don’t think you should either. Let’s face facts; she has
more money than you or I could hope to have. She has been at the top of
the music world more than once and has even (unfortunately) tried her
hand at acting. In fact, she has probably achieved a lot more than we
give her credit for. But now, tucked away with her millions of dollars
worth of ivory backscratchers, life seems to hand her
a lemon and she loses it. Are we supposed to feel sorry?
Sympathetic? Sorry, but my hard stone heart is inclined to sympathize
with real problems. So now at the end of it all, after getting tattoos,
shaving her head and proclaiming herself the anti-Christ before
checking herself into/out of/into rehab, she’s back in the news. Yay!!!
This clearly illustrates one of the very
problems endemic in our society where celebrities and their escapades
warrant more attention than serious life-threatening issues plaguing
those who are not fortunate enough to be born in the Northwestern
hemisphere. So Britney went nuts. Big deal. Get a life!!! People have
been dying since 2004 in Darfur, but nothing concrete has
been done to stop the problem. Israel has conducted yet another
war on Arab soil and destroyed a large section of southern Lebanon, but it’s alright,
we’re used to that, I wonder who Lindsay
Lohan is dating now? Iran continues to
threaten the already tenuous balance in the Middle East by acquiring
nukes (Dr. Strangelove, anyone?); Hamas and Fatah continue to quarrel; while hundreds of
thousands of Palestinian refugees are deprived of access to water,
food, electricity and healthcare. Terrorists can continue their mendacious
activities around the world, be it in places like Spain or Turkey, so long as they dare not
venture upon North American soil. The United States can send more troops to Iraq in a futile attempt to curb
the violence while Iraqis continually send them back in body bags. Our
climate is changing, our fuel reserves are running out, people continue
to starve and die from myriad diseases yet all we hear is talk:
“something must be done!” The list of problems in our
society is endless but like everyone else, I’m scrambling for my
remote because it’s time to watch Entertainment Tonight so that
the next time I am out with my friends, I can be a part of the
conversation. Screw the world! What’s J-Lo wearing to the Oscars?
Our society devotes more attention to starlets
and divas and less to more pressing issues, and this infuriates me. As
future leaders of the world, as students from a reputable institution,
as the architects of tomorrow, one would expect that we would show
greater awareness and involvement in these issues. But sadly, it seems
the media and the entertainment industry work hand in hand in only
making our population dumber and less active. The corporate portfolio
has silenced and distracted the masses into accepting things at face
value and disregarding anything that may detract from sales, profits
and ratings. Americans by now are notorious for their apathy, if not
blatant ignorance, about the most relevant issues in the world today.
And this, from the most powerful nation on Earth! I for one have too much
faith in Canadians, yet I see these sinister claws of ignorance
silencing the smart ones who potentially have enough brain cells to
say, “Get a life.” Unfortunately, our numbers are
diminishing rapidly.
The fact that the American public could be
duped into supporting a war in another foreign country only
substantiates the dangers imminent in a population that has lost its
ability to make its own decisions and relies on broadcasts from the
idiot-box to formulate some semblance of opinion or information.
Unfortunately, when reason, rationality and thought are curtailed and
held in abeyance, repercussions like these are the only possible
outcomes. In a precarious age where informed involvement is probably at
its nadir while the dangers around us multiply, there is a correlation
between the media’s lacklustre
reporting and the fact that there are Americans who could probably use
a basic geography lesson, but I’m waiting for the television to
corroborate that.
The media’s constant
over-sensationalizing of celebrities, their lives and their escapades
has taken the place of what is actually ‘news’ and has
turned reputable news agencies and newspapers into mere updates of what
the latest celebrity gossip is. I need only point to the fact that the
Anna Nicole custody trial warranted hours of vigilant reporting via CNN
yet other events taking place around the globe were ignored. And the
more television I watch, the more alienated I become. Why am I being
forced to swallow this BS when it is apparent that there are other more
newsworthy events being ignored out there? Why is it that the next time
I’m with friends discussing world events, they haven’t a
clue what I’m talking about and the conversation switches to
whether Scarlett is really dating Justin?
Yes, I’m sure that’s more important.
Television has made great changes to our
lives no doubt, and perhaps its most deleterious aspect lies in its
ability to enslave and distract a population into accepting and even
aspiring to emulate an artificial reality. In a speech made in 1958,
Edward R. Murrow recognized that television
could teach, illuminate and inspire but added the caveat that it could,
“do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to
those ends.” He also cautioned that television was frequently
becoming an agent that was used to, “distract, delude, amuse and
insulate.” Never before were those words more prophetic or more
applicable than today. Yes, television has the ability to change our
perspectives, but as long as we are compelled to turn to the news more
for entertainment than for information, we dig our own graves and
regress, if not stagnate. We have the potential to change our mindsets
and perhaps, make a difference or two by picking up a book or a
newspaper but unfortunately, the one-eyed boob-tube bestrides our
narrow world like a colossus and we petty men struggle to survive under
her huge legs to find ourselves dishonourable
graves.
Television is great; just ask Homer Simpson.
Documentaries, the news and other items of great value are priceless
with the wealth and variety of information they possess and powerful in
their potential to “teach, illuminate and inspire.”
However, the laws of supply and demand and the wealthy pocketbooks of corporate
sponsors ultimately run the show. And where does the average man stand
in this picture? Quite frankly, as a fool, an imbecile if you will, a
puppet at the whims of the marketers, financers and other malicious
characters who laugh all the way to the bank. And where has this bought
us? Sadly, into believing that events like “Who Gives a Crapgate” are of great importance and
significance. Enough said.
If you have made it to the end of this
article and have resisted the temptation to turn to the Arts Section,
then perhaps you are one of the few with their heads screwed on right
and have the ability to spread awareness and make a difference in this
world. On a more realistic scale, perhaps you have the capacity to see
through the glitter and glamour of the evils television propagates and
can be more active in ensuring that the gullible, misinformed or plain
stupid can realize what really matters. They are unwittingly counting
on you. They: the millions, the shackled, the slave-like masses,
imprisoned in their own myopia, lacking the ability to change the
course of their stars, which depend on the proactive and informed to
engender positive change. Their fate lies in your hands. I understand
it’s difficult but I’m sure if you see past all the Paris
Hiltons and Britneys, you’ll realize
that there is more to this world than a bunch of rich, spoiled
celebrities doing what they’re paid to do: entertain us. The
fault, dear readers, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.
