The beauty of the world has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder. - Virginia Woolf
mOnDaY, sEpTeMbEr 15, 2008 // post #76
According to National Geographic News,
Like everyone else out there in TV-land, I can’t help but get drawn into the shadow box. I watch.
As the old saying goes, “The medium is the message.”, which, loosely translated, means – TV is owned by the winners.
Hurricane season is upon us.
I’ve noticed something else about TV. It focuses on things in a way designed to inspire widespread use of a few other old sayings - “God, help us!“, and “What an idiot!“, not to mention, “Kill ‘em all!“.
Oh, yes, hurricane season is always upon us, somewhere in the world.
I lived without TV for years. Although it has long since wormed it’s way back into my hearth, I notice that my reception of it has been permanently altered by prolonged abstinence from it.
Consider this slice above as an example; the subtler headline, in black text on a white ground, reads, Pakistan Violence. Appearing slightly beneath it, in white text on a black ground and twice the size, we read, “U.S. strikes have drawn protest from Pakistanis.”
The copy editors who compose these labels for the image-feed choose their words very carefully. Notice how the word violence is glued to the word Pakistan. There can be no doubt that the author chose a more abstract noun to describe U.S. actions for a reason. Notice the bottom line, “protest from Pakistanis“.
A person might just absorb the idea that the people of Pakistan are violent and U.S. strikes refers to some noble American effort that has been met with violence, especially if this image is regurgitated often enough.
Of course, warmongers have always lied. This is not new. The high-def cable version of controlling populations is, nevertheless, cold and raw. The shadow box liars are amazingly seductive. Their powers of suggestion trample millions, while millions more roll-over and play dead.
America sells Coca Cola and guns and democracy, and the world burns. We can watch it happen over and over again on CNN. Welcome to North America.
New old sayings and idioms are born every minute. Storm surge and troop surge are two examples of this, now spreading like wildfire.
7 Comments so far
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Hello Robin! Again, you gave us meaningful post. This is pretty interesting. Sometimes I feel like they – the media – impinge upon our mind.. that’s the reason why I don’t like it. Sad to say, still it’s the easy way to know world..
Oops, the world.. hahahaha. ARTICLES~~~~~!!! ioi
hello there hows the weekend?:D
thst’s intersting and meaningfull….
the media>>>>most of the wrong ideas about any country in the world is from the media…
a lot of mistakes that people have about other countries and relegions are from the media…
if they show something true…its a bad thing…they choose the bad things and the bad people from any country and show them to people so they have this bad idea…
thank you Robin….keep it up..
Sam
Hurricane Season
Realy the human play with fire,but who play wiht who.
Opinio 1 They are lovers? Good, but they can live in Guantanamo Cuba part of The US.
Opinion 2 Tell me in wich Zoo I can fine this species(to the rest of animals ,Sorry for compare).
Guys,Guys do samethink differente,If no this word is any time the same.
Thanks,we can beliebe in humans yet,Tanya Davis is a Great artist and you can go to yuotube and look
Toquino and the song Aquarela and teel meI try to translate same parts of the song