‘You can’t always get what you want, but you know sometimes you get what you need.’ Inspiring words from Mick and Keith.
I have an irrational lack of appetite for shows that purport to be Current Affairs. Not for any compelling reason other than the fact that they gnaw on my soul when I inadvertently wander into the sphere of their influence.
Not unlike the sound of long nails clawing across a windowpane or a Celine Dion record for that matter, the irritation is palpable.
Like fodder to sheep or lambs to the slaughter, to prolong the metaphor, the overt manipulation of salacious and highly edited ‘news’ into a neat advertising friendly package, is acutely self serving.
So what you may ask?
I have no particular opinion on tabloid journalism. In fact the more outrageous the headlines, the more entertaining and by extension, the less seriously we accept the message.
Current affairs shows however, masquerade as arbiters of right and wrong, providing the moral compass for society. The real agenda is of course ratings. The pity is that these ratings come at the price of escalating human misery and celebrating the victim mentality.
At the risk of this scribble dissolving into a pious rant I’d suggest that the down trodden might have more success focusing on solutions than indulging in the pop psychology of Oprah’s couch or dare I say Jerry Springer!
There are countless legitimate victims in society. Those who by no fault of their own get snared in a web of inexplicable bad luck. Illness, bereavement, and any number of tangible sufferings which conspire to create the misfortune.
The other 90% of societies’ victims are, alas the product of false belief systems. The disappointment and rage that comes from unsatiated sense of entitlement.
An infant will cry at the merest scrape, whilst in the company of attentive adults, yet barely bat an eyelid when there’s no audience. This is a self-preserving instinct.
This can perpetuate into adulthood. Woe is me can be a seductive rallying cry for the ‘wanna be’ victim. The conversation usually starts with ‘let me tell you all the cr*p in my life…’ A bigger audience compounds and feeds the suffering and ironically and ultimately a state of complete impotence.
Here’s a thought and variation perhaps on the title to this blog. ‘You only get what you put up with most of the time’.
This is completely unpalatable to the victim, and who hasn’t played the victim card occasionally? There are remarkably few things we cannot change in our lives. Therefore if something is out of sync, then we do something about it or we can indulge in the martyrdom.
When I find myself whinging about Current Affair Shows or the irritation of a Celine Dion tune, then I guess it’s a wake up call to ‘put up and shut up, or move on’
As always the message is firmly tongue in cheek and hope I’m not really turning into a grumpy old man. I welcome any equally pompous retorts!
I have an irrational lack of appetite for shows that purport to be Current Affairs. Not for any compelling reason other than the fact that they gnaw on my soul when I inadvertently wander into the sphere of their influence.
Not unlike the sound of long nails clawing across a windowpane or a Celine Dion record for that matter, the irritation is palpable.
Like fodder to sheep or lambs to the slaughter, to prolong the metaphor, the overt manipulation of salacious and highly edited ‘news’ into a neat advertising friendly package, is acutely self serving.
So what you may ask?
I have no particular opinion on tabloid journalism. In fact the more outrageous the headlines, the more entertaining and by extension, the less seriously we accept the message.
Current affairs shows however, masquerade as arbiters of right and wrong, providing the moral compass for society. The real agenda is of course ratings. The pity is that these ratings come at the price of escalating human misery and celebrating the victim mentality.
At the risk of this scribble dissolving into a pious rant I’d suggest that the down trodden might have more success focusing on solutions than indulging in the pop psychology of Oprah’s couch or dare I say Jerry Springer!
There are countless legitimate victims in society. Those who by no fault of their own get snared in a web of inexplicable bad luck. Illness, bereavement, and any number of tangible sufferings which conspire to create the misfortune.
The other 90% of societies’ victims are, alas the product of false belief systems. The disappointment and rage that comes from unsatiated sense of entitlement.
An infant will cry at the merest scrape, whilst in the company of attentive adults, yet barely bat an eyelid when there’s no audience. This is a self-preserving instinct.
This can perpetuate into adulthood. Woe is me can be a seductive rallying cry for the ‘wanna be’ victim. The conversation usually starts with ‘let me tell you all the cr*p in my life…’ A bigger audience compounds and feeds the suffering and ironically and ultimately a state of complete impotence.
Here’s a thought and variation perhaps on the title to this blog. ‘You only get what you put up with most of the time’.
This is completely unpalatable to the victim, and who hasn’t played the victim card occasionally? There are remarkably few things we cannot change in our lives. Therefore if something is out of sync, then we do something about it or we can indulge in the martyrdom.
When I find myself whinging about Current Affair Shows or the irritation of a Celine Dion tune, then I guess it’s a wake up call to ‘put up and shut up, or move on’
As always the message is firmly tongue in cheek and hope I’m not really turning into a grumpy old man. I welcome any equally pompous retorts!
Comments