We may have free speech but our thoughts are manipulated daily by what we see and hear in the media.
New Age philosophers have told eager neophytes that, “You make your own reality.” But there is nothing “new” about that mantra. Ad agencies, marketing mavens, campaign managers, pharmaceutical companies, religious institutions, and unfortunately our fourth estate-our news media as political watchdog-know this tactic all too well. “Hard” news or serious reporting, the cornerstone of journalism and the requisite approach taught in journalism schools, has now been replaced by editorializing, opinion pushing, plagiarism, and down right fabrication. Free speech, the fabric of our society, and mainstay of our fourth estate, is not really free any more because the news media are owned by corporations whose business model rests on the reporting of high, short-term earnings. Corporations also own ad agencies, marketing firms, and influence the political process. As long as John Q. Public's mind is a receptive antenna and the sheep mentality prevails, well then, “making a reality” is child's play.
We, the people have been whipped into a state of fear over terrorism and global warming but then given the lollipop of a real estate boom, low unemployment and an overall stable economy. Reality becomes polarized into “good” things and “bad” things like theatrical comedy and tragedy masks. With news stations airing 24/7, the opportunity for “deep” thinking, evidence gathering, context, are all sacrificed for sound bites and ad nauseum repetition of those sound bites. Short-term earnings, short news, same outcome-not much there. When a “news” show is headlined by a personality, it stops being news and becomes a soapbox, a Hyde Park speaker's corner for the dribble of a delusional borderline personality that turns into one more reality show, which in itself is a misnomer. The networks want you to believe that the staged and edited broadcast is reality. The only reality concerning reality shows is that they are cheap to make and the corporations rake in the money from advertisers who pay the big bucks for the opportunity to create their own versions of reality.
The corporate-fed view of reality makes “celebrity” a goal instead of an outcome of achievement. Our youth have been sabotaged into believing that keeping up with whether Brad and Angelina are having sex is important, that reshaping one's body through plastic surgery is rational, and that they have talent. Dream seekers line the blocks for miles hoping to get an audience with Simon Cowell so they can be humiliated in front of millions of viewers. They have been taught by corporations that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Get on TV and there are movie deals, recording contracts. Short-term earnings, short news, short-term fame, same outcome-not much.
Especially disturbing is the effect of our junk culture on young women. The women's movement fought for equality of women in the workplace and the legacy of that fight is passing on to a generation of young women who emulate the likes of Paris Hilton-where it's all about the body, shocking exhibitions, and the come hither promise of a pole dancer.
This fascination with celebrity is the “mind control” of corporations who use this focus to sell music, clothes, magazines, diet aides and other self-centered product lines. This tactic, this reality bender, diverts our attention away from realizing we are being poisoned by the additives in our food so the pharmaceutical companies can create drugs for the illnesses that are a by product of our FDA-approved diet.
As far as our government, the awful notion keeps cropping up in those of us that have tried to keep the “reality formation by proxy” at bay. Are we really a democracy? Who is really in charge of our government? And worse-what is the point of voting when it doesn't seem to “count.”
The New Age philosophers also said, “If you can think it, you can make it happen.” I'm calling for society to wake-up and start thinking. After all, the tragedy is that we are the most educated American populace in history. What is wrong with us? Why are we too lazy to demand clarity of thought instead of hype? Are we in a climate change or not? Is it because of increased carbon dioxide produced by humans-or not? Will an ice age follow and are we prepared? Does the hole in the ozone really hurt you? People in Santiago, Chili are not wearing bio-hazard suits-I know because I've been there. Am I safer on a plane today because I got athlete's foot from walking barefoot at the security checkpoint? Because I had to pack my face cream that promised to take away my wrinkles in my checked luggage? (Okay, I know what you're thinking but what if it really can get rid of wrinkles and make me look young, like, say Paris Hilton?)
The larger issue is did humans ever have a grasp of reality? Did we have a real view of the world when we were worshipping the powers of Zeus, smearing lamb's blood on our doors, striking down the infidel? (Oh my bad-that part about the infidel should be in the present tense.) How about when we believed in the superiority of Caucasians? (Naturally, solely a Caucasian belief and speaks to the bit about striking down infidels.) How about when the world was flat and then it became round?
Now let's add particle physics to the mix. Let's go down to that invisible-to-the-naked eye reality and view the world from that perspective. Hey-where is everything? There is nothing there. It's an enormous empty space with things whizzing by every now and then. And what about our ears-we can't hear elephants trumping at low decibels. And the sense of taste is governed by the familiar-you know all exotic meats-like snake, frog-taste like chicken. Your sense of smell chooses your mate. Who knew?
I want to say to the corporations, our government, and our brains-let's take our reality back and be the evolved species that God intended us to be. Let's manage our technology so that if we use up all the resources on our planet, we can get on an alien spaceship and leave. Or let's wait for Armageddon and dwell in heaven on Earth where no one is older than 35 and always blissful. Or better still, perhaps if we get on American Idol we can become a big star, gets lots of money, get a makeover, and not worry about all this crap.
