Chapter 6: Man And The Master In His Living Room

Sample Chapter 6

Man and the Master in his Living Room

Very few things in the world have been able infiltrate the life of man like the TV set has in the last ninety years or so. From a basic information set, it has evolved into one great source of family entertainment and status symbol. From the North to the South Pole, this is one gadget that has to feature prominently in many a living rooms. In my rural area, some locals even go to the extent of displaying malfunctioning sets in their living rooms; never minding that “electricification” is years away in the first place. It actually, conveniently, works out for them.

But the darker side of this gadget has also reared its ugly head; like an ugly duckling, suddenly, behaving badly and not caring at all. There have been major complaints lately, targeting the entertainment industry; which of course supplies programs to TV viewers. This might be raising eyebrows in Hollywood and others of that ilk. But the most worrying thing could be the probable resentment, this negative publicity is generating among the Supreme Being and his alter ego; if they exist of course. Read on to find out what I mean.

To aid your understanding, let's start with the basics which include the fact that TV and film producers work on a simple formula. Some writer brings in quality material that they spend on and hope to recoup ten times as much. The residual effect that these productions have on the general well-being of the world, on a global scale, has never been the film producers' "primary concern."

And it's this folly that the Supreme Being and his alter ego might be riding on, knowing very well that honey catches more flies than vinegar. They definitely know that man's extremity is their opportunity. They might also be in the know that the fellow in the cave, fighting the rest of the world, has some of his anger fanned by the TV set; which on the other hand is spreading by leaps and bounds. And hence the negative publicity might be working against their grand-plans."Will Man perform "The Grand Counter Test?" could be one of the FAQs where they recide.

If that sounds implausible, then let's start simple. Some celebrity becomes larger than life and attracts thousands of adoring fans. Among them, one is driven to write some one thousand, unsolicited, love letters and even begin stalking them. Only just recently some crazy male fan rammed an eminent celebrity's gate, armed with his “rape kit.”

Make no mistake; the TV set has revolutionized how we live in many positive ways. It's even helped me know how the other half of the world lives and given me the material that has spurred the author in me. But the setbacks have come in droves too. First of all, violence on TV is believed to leave a lasting negative impression on children's minds. That has been documented by scientists and even noted by experienced parents. Then there is the glorification of sex at a time when AIDS (Acquired immune Deficiency Syndrome) is proving to be a real menace. Between 1981 and 2007, AIDS has killed more than twenty five million people worldwide. About thirty three million people are currently living with the virus inside them. And yet glorifying sexual immorality and general delinquency is at its all-time-high on TV; helped of course by the internet and the liberal lifestyles that's the norm these days.

Even programs that one would have thought fit for viewing with colleagues, or fellow adults, during social gatherings have not been spared. It is difficult to tell the extent of violence or sexual scenes one should expect using the movie rating systems due to the relativity of the concerns. I recently watched one movie with horror, as two same sex individuals got down to doing their thing on set. It might not be a big deal in the Western World anymore. And I bet these programs are never expected to excel in some areas of the international community anyway. Not with the runaway piracy and poor revenue collection systems in those areas. But this has not stopped these movies from finding their way into the living rooms of conservative societies; creating deviance and Anti-American sentiment in its wake. And therein lays our folly that the Supreme Being, perhaps, hopes to nail us with. The producers of some of these programs might be swimming in more money. But at what expense! Fueling hatred towards America, in a continuously edgy world! The kind that created 9/11!

The boomerang effect is just too sorry. I’ll tell you what! If there is one thing Ryan Cocke-the American Diplomat sent to Iraq, sometime back to help the American cause, learnt very well, it is learning to respect other people's reality. No wonder, he has such a rich career in international diplomacy and political jobs for the US. Perhaps, the guys running “showbiz” need to borrow from him and rethink their folly or face some serious competitor or repercussion. Dear economists, is this a case study of monopoly or what!

Let’s go further and talk about the demeaning of women in music which is aimed at achieving higher music sales targets! Studies have found that portraying women the way they do in those videos promotes gender violence and glorifies masculinity. If you have a chance to watch the documentary, “Hip-hop: beyond beats and rhyme,” then the darker side of this popular music becomes clearer. The effect it has on young people is just too deplorable. This includes the sexual stereotypes and how the African American man is socialized into becoming violent, aggressive, domineering and strong. We see: guns; scantily dressed women; and subdued women. We even see a form of women worshiping; where women are portrayed as mere sex objects.

The TV set has also made a big contribution to materialism; which by definition erodes away the belief systems in some religious doctrines, if not all. There's still nothing new under the sun and one still cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. The very thought of that proverb makes you think I'm speaking of your religious leader. Who comes to mind and who feels exempted when we say “serve God?”

Sometime back in 1997, I requested a family friend, living in the US, to get me a particular pair of shoes and they objected. Why? That particular pair of shoes had led to the shootings and murders of numerous youth there. And now that the rest of the world has taken up this trend like a good student, I bet authorities will not find it hard linking crime and terrorism to TV.

Now I hope you can fathom and appreciate the power of the entertainment industry and then look at it globally. You will not fail to see the possible connection somewhere along the way. We could be getting “duped” and calling it entertainment. Talk about the speck in our eyes and I will search for the parable! Your movie producers could be having “black wool” instead of shades covering their eyes.

Well, to sign off this topic, I'll leave you with an entertaining anecdote; since this is about the entertainment industry. This is about the American Bugler; who Hollywood has made us believe, has their own code-of-ethics. And this code-of-ethics is backed by a fully-fledged manufacturing industry. I am talking about that black uniform, black ski-mask and dark sunglasses.

This ethic is so engrained in my brain. It made me believe one has to shop for the right burglary equipment, if you're bent on performing a B&E (Breaking and Entry) job there; as they call it. It seems going on this job without these items might prompt your victims to stop you in your tracks and cry fowl!

One is not to worry that the cops might think of staking out the bugler outfit shop. The bugler ethic prohibits that. Otherwise they would simply ensure that they start tracking you from fingerprints on the door-knobs, glass-counters, or something else you touched in the “Burglar-outfit” shop. They will also track you using your home address on the receipt, then sit and wait for the B&E and simply call you a few minutes later.

So watch out when you mention "season finale! Some being might be getting pretty excited too!

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