The Pageless Book

Above Image by Reed. Photo Below Provided by Anniina Mäkelä. Final Image Nip/Tuck 5th Season Promotional.

Talk show host Montel Williams recently appeared on the Fox News Network to discuss the life and death of star Heath Ledger. However, Montel took this opportunity to discuss something completely different - the war in Iraq. He asked the hosts of the Fox morning show the name of the most recent death in the war, and nobody knew the answer. Montel then proceeded to talk about how the flawed values and self-serving priorities of television distorts reality. You can watch the video here.

Popular culture, gossip columns, and our voyeuristic obsession with the rich and famous do distort our perception of reality. Our inner clarity and innate wisdom, which makes up our spirituality, becomes clouded and distant because we are mired in all the negativity our society calls entertainment. You might argue that I’m exaggerating, but it’s not too far of a stretch to claim that a pop star/tabloid queen is swallowing your soul.

How does media distort your perception of reality? It creates unrealistic expectations, makes improbable fears plausible, and encourages a mentality of judgement.

Unrealistic Expectations

Have you ever taken the time to look through a woman’s magazine, such as Cosmopolitan or Glamour? About five to ten pages are dedicated to serious women’s issues, such as health, spirituality, family, and women’s rights. Those five to ten pages are usually fairly well written, intelligent and well thought out. The rest of the magazine is filled with advice on what to wear, how to look, losing weight, makeup tips, and advertisements of beautiful young girls with little clothing. On more than one occasion, I’ve seen an article about how to be comfortable with your own body right next to advertisements for weight loss pills and programs.

It isn’t just women who suffer the constant barrage of an unrealistic expectation of perfection; pornography does quite a number on the expectations of male physical endowment as well. If you or your guy ever worried whether they were small, you can thank porn. Please don’t think this is limited to “guilty pleasures” such as soap operas, pornography, and trashy magazines. These unrealistic expectations are echoed in our news broadcasts, Academy Award winning films, and even in best selling novels. Pop culture is constantly tell you that you are not good enough. How can you expect to have faith in yourself if you are being told this every day of your life?

Improbable Fears Plausible

Since the World Trade Center terrorist attacks in 2001, most decisions that the United States government has made has been based upon fear. While our immediate reactions to that event are very justifiable, living in constant fear of an unnameable, undefined foe for over seven years have made these terrorists successful beyond their wildest dreams. Why are we so damn afraid? Well, because we are used to living in fear… It sells newspapers, news broadcasts, hand guns, locks, and security systems. It is why parents provide their preteen children with cell phones and demand rating systems for video games, music, and movies - which, ironically enough, makes those materials even more desirable to young teens.

However, fear doesn’t just sell media - if that is all that fear did, it wouldn’t be so bad. Fear also oppresses. It is why when you hear the words “crack addict” most people immediately picture an inner-city black man, even tough the majority of drug users are suburban caucasians. Because of fear, we oppress each other simply because we are different. Worse yet, because of fear it is hard to feel hopeful for the future. Why fight back against those things you fear when lurking just beyond that is another thing to fear? It is disheartening and spiritually draining to actually fear all the things that the news media tells us we should fear. It is so much easier to simply turn off the television.

A Mentality Of Judgment

The headlines of the celebrity gossip news rags when I pass them in check out lane at my local supermarket make me ill. It could be “Guess Who Is Sporting Cellulite To The Beach?” paired with a bathing suit clad picture of someone’s rear. Alternatively, the front page might show a before and after picture of an actresses face under the headline “Plastic Surgery Horror Story!” They always seem to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel for the most sensational dirt on some over hyped actress, singer, or performer. But we all know that these so-called news papers aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on… that’s why we put the gossip on TV, too.

The media is constantly finding something negative to say about one star or another. When we indulge in this gossip about the rich and famous, we are also making ourselves feel superior. It feels good to be superior, so good in fact that judging others can become a habit, which then turns our gossiping on each other. There is a good reason why so many religions warn against rumormongering and gossip - it turns neighbors against one another. Human beings need each other to survive; without that social stability, it becomes more difficult to be spiritual.

Exorcise The Demon

My wife and I used to watch the television show, “Nip/Tuck.” We were first drawn into the show because of its constantly shocking nature, plot twists, and adult themes. However, time constraints kept us from keeping up with the fourth season, and slowly we have both realized that we don’t miss the show that much. This so-called guilty pleasure was really more of a downer for me and my wife. The only thing it did for us is make our lives seem less screwed up in comparison to that of the characters’… which didn’t take much, but that is besides the point.

Once I began to cut mass media from my life, I’ve realized that I don’t miss it much. We hardly ever watch television, and when we do, we watch home improvement, documentary, or stand-up comedy. I really don’t miss watching the news, keeping up reality television, or watching the latest and greatest drama; we have so much more time for each other now that our obsession with television has ended. While I wouldn’t assume to tell any of my readers what to do, I strongly suggest trying a week without television, trashy magazines, and celebrity watching. Just by giving it a try, you might find that you are better off without it.