I don’t think extremity drove any of this guy’s actions. He isn’t desperate. He’s living in a dream world. It’s fun to see.
Distraction from living.
Use the 1930’s example instead. Think of all the flag pole sitting, barrels over niagara, wire walking. Very much in the news reels at the time by the media.
One of my primary school teachers was ancient, could recall the turn of the century (not the last one, but the one before). She told us so much stuff about WWI and WWII - I was mean to her, but now I think about her almost every day.
She could recite bits of poems from the old days, sing songs - she was a total gas. We kids didn’t know how to appreciate her. She would get teary reciting “In Flanders Fields.” I was embarrassed but I’ll never forget it now.
She said a lot of stuff about the Niagara Falls barrel guys and the dancing-on-the-wings-of-aeroplanes.
Newsreels were a new thing when this old gal was a teen.
There’s going to be a culling. But the world is a place of wonder and delight at all times, even at this time.
How did jousting get to be a sport? (Do you ever wonder how the horses felt about it?)