I’m imagining the pitch now…’this is a real groundbreaking show, picture this…. people watching people watching television’.
‘Gogglebox’. What seems like endless hours of watching strangers, who I have no interest in, comment on television programmes that I never watch.
Let’s not forget those other televisual gems: ‘a day in a hospital’, ‘exciting car crashes, dead or just badly maimed?’ and of course ‘screaming women in labour’.
Then we have the staged versions such as ‘Creosoted toffs of Chelsea’ and ‘tangoed teens of Tyneside’ etc. (you get the idea!)
The news stands have also drip fed us bullshit for years so now its the norm. ‘womens magazines’ are merely catalogues of sensationalist hate, charging you money so you can read how you could be hotter and thinner and ‘omg look at the state of her!’
What do we gain from all this? There’s no stimulation of imagination or learning, no enhancement of wellbeing.
Why are we being fed voyeurism television and trash reading?
We’re consuming junk.
Junk food, drink, television and magazines.
Junk makes you distracted, vegetative and compliant.
Now who benefits from that?