There are little things that appear to go unnoticed by many people that jump off the page to me. Perhaps it is just my age or my "grass roots" conservative upbringing. It could be my lack of formal education, after all, you can't get educated on your own anymore than you can build a business on your own. Without the proper indoctrination you will not fit into the society and become some kind of radical, possibly even a communist or a Republican. Whatever the reason I do notice these little messages, these shifts in the message.
The latest one of this little shifts is in an advertisement for that tv show, Big Brother. Admittedly I have never watched a single episode of that nonsense. A show that is centered around what; exactly? I'm not certain about that but in this advertisement there is a man wearing a clerical collar, a priest I would assume, and he saying how is up for some backstabbing. Yes, that's the hook for that ad, a man portraying himself as some sort of religious leader in full support of backstabbing to win a contest. Just what is that message? You can't trust anyone is what I hear. Well, unless you want to do some therapy online, then that is promoted fully, you can certainly trust your online therapist.
How many advertisements do you see for Viagra and Cialis? These drugs can be shipped to your door for as low as 78 cents per tablet. No need to consult a physician, you can do that on the phone. The message is always that these drugs will improve the quality of life. Without these medications what is the point in living! Not too long ago that stuff wasn't mentioned on television, only in the backs of certain magazines. And that is just one of the hundreds of drugs promoted on television to improve your quality of life. Many of these drugs advertised include a simple warning, this stuff works unless it kills you, but that doesn't happen all that often, you're good.
As I said little things just jump off the page sometimes. A priest, a minister, or whatever he is supposed to be is on television laughing, smiling, and saying, backstabbing, I'm up for that! He is anxious to actively engage in something every major religion in the world would agree is not a very good practice. Being dishonest to further yourself? That's what is being promoted as a game. Yeah, it's just a game so that makes it alright, very entertaining. It's fine as long as it isn't happening to you, it is even endorsed by the church. I have to wonder what our current Pope would have to say about that or any religious leader as far as that goes. That's an acceptable form of entertainment?
I don't know, but I was taught to not take enjoyment in the misfortune of others. Even talking about that was considered in bad taste, gossip wasn't a good thing. The first time I heard about that show survivor I had this reaction as well. The premise of that show is to lie, cheat, steal and do whatever is necessary to win the game. No morality, no ethics, no sense of fair play whatsoever, just wins by all means and be hailed as the hero, you're the winner! You even get a million dollars for being such a great player. A great player of what? Being deceitful and dishonest. That's the deal. And we put all of that under one blanket: reality tv. Well, because that is how we act in real life. That is what you are teaching the children.
Yes, it is indirect but the message gets through. When I was growing up the television programs were simply entertaining in many cases. Just stories about everyday life in America. Leave it to beaver, my three sons and the like. In most cases it wasn't the way real life was either but it was what life could be. And that was the difference. The good guys always won in the end and the bad guys were defeated. You heard moral lessons from Ward and Uncle Charlie. Even the cowboys lived by a code, never killing anyone that didn't need killing. Now the message has shifted to, it's all me and whatever I want, by any means. It's all good as long as I don't get caught at it.
Listen to the language used in these advertisements. It wasn't long ago one ad promoted the response , hell yeah, when out drinking at the sports bar. I remember thinking then, how long before someone's child, after having seen that ad, responded to their mother, hell yeah. How many child are now asking about erectile dysfunction and venereal diseases? Why do you need Viagra daddy? And just how do you explain all of that? What of all the ads that promote abortion as a method of birth control? Is this what we really want to indoctrinate our child to believe?
It's a choice? Shouldn't it be taught as the last resort, a desperate measure only undertaken in extreme circumstances? It's a shift for certain. And unfortunately it is the reality! It's the reality because we have allowed that to become so. But I'm just an old man and what would I know about reality? I was never properly indoctrinated, I just learned on my own, on the job you might say. I'm lacking empathy is an accusation I hear quite often, usually right after I point out the reality of a situation. It is because I have gained empathy that I present that reality. I'm just willing to share what I have learned, doing so free of charge to anyone that will listen. You're welcome. No need to go into debt, no loan to repay, but you will most likely get your feelings hurt, and that, that is the reality of life.
It was also widely known and accepted that that show dealt with adult themes and was somewhat "wicked" to watch it. Children were shielded from that as much as possible. Then Peyton Place came on during Primetime and the decline started picking up speed. Now we have a minister promoting backstabbing as entertaining. Think about that.
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