The above song comes from the end of the eighties, and is basically a comment on the Thatcher era in Britain.
Since then, things have got much worse.
When Momus gets it right, he really gets it right. This blog entry, The Sneer of the Face of a Judge is one of my favourites from his soon-to-end blog, Click Opera.
Witness an aspiring model being scolded by a "disappointed" Tyra Banks:
It actually concerns me that young people are being fed on a diet that is so poisonous.
The rationale behind such shows is that the contestants get what's coming to them, since they agree to take part in the game. But the game being played, and the fact that this game has become the main focus of our society is never questioned. Why do so many people submit themselves to be judged in such a way? Why do so many people consent to give away their own independence, their own power, their own authority to the likes of Tyra Banks? Is there really nowhere else for them to go?
Of course, there are other places to go, but the entire function of such shows is to convince us that there are none, that we must submit ourselves to the judgement of Tyra Banks or Simon Cowell or some other ghoul, if we're "serious" about making it. We mustn't treat the whole thing as a joke. We must bow our heads and become puppets – that is the way to "take control" of our destinies and to be successful.
I wonder how long it has been since a generation grew up with less of a social and spiritual compass.
That last video is a real eye opener. I bet, however, there’s plenty people “admiring” Tyra after her advice for life.It makes one wonder indeed.And there’s way too many of such shows on TV.Thanks for the link to imomus.com.And I did enjoy to hear The the again.
I think that Simon Cowell is the British version and Tyra Banks the American version of the same judgementalism. Tyra is calling on some kind of bullshit sense of duty, in a very American kind of conformism, whereas Simon Cowell is more as described in the Momus link – “I’m the one you have to impress, like it or not.” But they’re both basically the same, both social Darwinism, both morally bankrupt. I was wondering what sort of morality these programmes represent on Kohlberg’s scale of moral development, but I’m not sure I can even find them there:http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htmThey most resemble the stage 1 infantile morality of blind conformism, but I’m not sure even about that. Basically, if there is a moral dimension to these shows then what it does is convert morality to a popularity contest. Whoever is most popular, is, by definition, most moral. Then again, even when something resembling morality comes into it, as with Tyra Banks’ talk of duty, there’s a sense that this is some kind of hollow parody, a number of times removed from any real ideas of duty, just as Tyra’s anger has a sentimental quality that is a number of times removed from any real compassion. Precisely what the reference points are in this world are hard to say. The same words are used as might be used by someone actually concerned with questions of morality, but what they refer to now is anybody’s guess. They seem to be nothing but tokens, variables used by whomever happens to have the upper hand, in the mindless struggle to keep that upper hand.
I see your point and agree that it mostly resembles stage 1.It’s not surprising though, considering we ar eliving in a repressive system, and those judges have are “thriving” in this system.No need to question the hands that feeds you, right?As for Tyra, what struck me most was that though she is supposed to be well aware of media, she didn’t even try to control this outburst.And even more, being an “expert”, she should realise her appearance can be quite intimidating to some, though I don’t get the impression the poor girl was totally upset. I think Tyra just lost one more fan.Interesting to see how this people revel in the them appointed positions as experts, as well as the freedom to appropriate spraying judgement they eagerly applied.Apparently, the popularity of such shows confirms their believe they are doing right. The lack of open mindedness is a turn off for me.