Where's the "Me" in "Media" Hiding?
Well, it’s been a while (is that expression ever going to be able to be used again without immediately calling to mind that blasted Staind song?).
I just spent fifteen minutes-washing up, cleaning contact lenses, brushing teeth, et al-in the bathroom getting ready for bed; upon awakening, I will be expected to brush my teeth, put my contact lenses back in, take a shower, fix my hair (well, maybe not that), and various other grooming rituals, before I am in “acceptable” condition for venturing outside. During my stay outside, under the ever-vigilant eye of society (simply a euphemism for “circus tent”), I must follow another set of rituals-hygienic as well, yet not individualistic in nature: a “social hygiene”, if you will-which will only last until the next day, in which case I’m expected to rinse and repeat.
The point to me stating the obvious is not just to complain, although that’s part of it, but to preface this question: what if no one cared? To elaborate, I mean to say that if all the people of the world stopped being concerned about surface, how would things be different? And that not only extends to the physical aspects of the word; I also mean the metaphorical visages each of us wear, in order to protect ourselves and others from our “dangerous”, un-PC views. In other words, if we were all a bunch of obese, completely natural-looking, smelly, loud, opinionated people who had to roll ourselves down the stairs everyday, how would the media/government react?
Firstly, the “health and beauty” magazines and talk shows that had gained an audience in the past by systematically seeking weaknesses would unquestionably fail (those aboard the S.S. Cosmopolitan would have to bail out). If people stopped caring about looking great and feeling great (EBTV joke…anyone?), if they couldn’t care less about attracting that “special someone” with a brand new eyeliner; or achieving that six-and-a-half-pack; or touching that hard-to-reach, super-secret spot to the left of the vertebrate that’s guaranteed to please anyone’s lover, then shows and cheap literature like that would be quaint, eventually becoming relics of antiquity.
Most commercials would have to be tossed as well. This new soda is only one calorie. So what? This body spray would make even your belly button lint smell sexy. Yeah, a smell for others to enjoy, but what’s in it for me? This lotion kills cellulite. But which part of me will feel alive?
In fact, most products would become obsolete: articles of clothing (other than those worn for protection against inclement weather), whitening strips, leg wax, deodorant, hair gel, sixty-second ab videos, toupees, and other absurd things would be of as much use as a million dollars to a three-toed sloth.
I guess advertisers would be stuck selling only the things that actually served a purpose, like pillows, foot massagers, paint, cameras, vibrators, baseballs-and that purpose would be to give you pleasure and satisfaction, instead of selling items that might please (no promise of “will please” can realistically be made) everyone else, but are simply taking your time, money, and energy.
People will say, “I like looking my best. It’s for me and only me!” But is that really true, or are you trying to find pleasure in something you feel you have to do? Saying pretty words like that makes you feel better, I’m sure, because no one wants to admit they do something for everyone except themselves. You know that if everyone else was over 200 pounds and didn’t care, you wouldn’t be lifting those weights in your underwear-you’d be eating a whipped cream, triple chocolate, hot fudged sundae.
Yet I know that I’m the same way (not really by choice, but who is?) and feel I have to be in order to survive. I’m under pressure to look a certain way and only spew inoffensive sentences. And, try as I might, I’m under the influence of media-it’s my drug of choice.
So the argument I tried, and probably failed, to make is that we’d all be much happier if we were able to say, look, and act the way we wanted. It’s a simple, obvious truth. The real question, I suppose, that needs to be answered is, “Why do we let them stop us?”
I just spent fifteen minutes-washing up, cleaning contact lenses, brushing teeth, et al-in the bathroom getting ready for bed; upon awakening, I will be expected to brush my teeth, put my contact lenses back in, take a shower, fix my hair (well, maybe not that), and various other grooming rituals, before I am in “acceptable” condition for venturing outside. During my stay outside, under the ever-vigilant eye of society (simply a euphemism for “circus tent”), I must follow another set of rituals-hygienic as well, yet not individualistic in nature: a “social hygiene”, if you will-which will only last until the next day, in which case I’m expected to rinse and repeat.
The point to me stating the obvious is not just to complain, although that’s part of it, but to preface this question: what if no one cared? To elaborate, I mean to say that if all the people of the world stopped being concerned about surface, how would things be different? And that not only extends to the physical aspects of the word; I also mean the metaphorical visages each of us wear, in order to protect ourselves and others from our “dangerous”, un-PC views. In other words, if we were all a bunch of obese, completely natural-looking, smelly, loud, opinionated people who had to roll ourselves down the stairs everyday, how would the media/government react?
Firstly, the “health and beauty” magazines and talk shows that had gained an audience in the past by systematically seeking weaknesses would unquestionably fail (those aboard the S.S. Cosmopolitan would have to bail out). If people stopped caring about looking great and feeling great (EBTV joke…anyone?), if they couldn’t care less about attracting that “special someone” with a brand new eyeliner; or achieving that six-and-a-half-pack; or touching that hard-to-reach, super-secret spot to the left of the vertebrate that’s guaranteed to please anyone’s lover, then shows and cheap literature like that would be quaint, eventually becoming relics of antiquity.
Most commercials would have to be tossed as well. This new soda is only one calorie. So what? This body spray would make even your belly button lint smell sexy. Yeah, a smell for others to enjoy, but what’s in it for me? This lotion kills cellulite. But which part of me will feel alive?
In fact, most products would become obsolete: articles of clothing (other than those worn for protection against inclement weather), whitening strips, leg wax, deodorant, hair gel, sixty-second ab videos, toupees, and other absurd things would be of as much use as a million dollars to a three-toed sloth.
I guess advertisers would be stuck selling only the things that actually served a purpose, like pillows, foot massagers, paint, cameras, vibrators, baseballs-and that purpose would be to give you pleasure and satisfaction, instead of selling items that might please (no promise of “will please” can realistically be made) everyone else, but are simply taking your time, money, and energy.
People will say, “I like looking my best. It’s for me and only me!” But is that really true, or are you trying to find pleasure in something you feel you have to do? Saying pretty words like that makes you feel better, I’m sure, because no one wants to admit they do something for everyone except themselves. You know that if everyone else was over 200 pounds and didn’t care, you wouldn’t be lifting those weights in your underwear-you’d be eating a whipped cream, triple chocolate, hot fudged sundae.
Yet I know that I’m the same way (not really by choice, but who is?) and feel I have to be in order to survive. I’m under pressure to look a certain way and only spew inoffensive sentences. And, try as I might, I’m under the influence of media-it’s my drug of choice.
So the argument I tried, and probably failed, to make is that we’d all be much happier if we were able to say, look, and act the way we wanted. It’s a simple, obvious truth. The real question, I suppose, that needs to be answered is, “Why do we let them stop us?”