A fine term; I'll add it to my lexicon next to "malicious obedience".
Jerry Springer, Victimization Cult (Oprah, etc), America's Most Wanted, Unsolved Mysteries, COPS, Gameshows that have a 'screw your opponent' clause: Big Brother, Survivor, Weakest Link; Divorce Court, Peoples Court, Court TV, Soap Operas, Rap Music, Rage music, WWF. Vigilante themes: Bronson etc. Fatal Attraction.
We not only legislate to an illusion we are fed, we become it.
The only TV I have watched in the last 5 years has been CSPAN or the news. Only a scant handful of TV shows or movies in all that time.
When I watch a TV show now, it is very different in its impact, in its transparency. I find it hard to believe people dont realize the absolute crap that is being thrown at them. Im talking about propaganda and psychological manipulation. To me it is absolutely blatent, but normal people dont see it.
If you get the chance, watch an old epesode of LA Law, you can see the politics oozing out of it, especially now since it is no longer contemporary.
Before you write me off as a kook, let me give you a taste of one of my theories that explains how things like this happen -- how the conspiracy works.
Im serious.
Im a programmer, so maybe I have a bit more insight as to how intelligence can be simulated, where, in fact there is none.
I call this phenomena an 'unconcious conspiracy'. Here is an example of how one works:
Lets take the premise that Hollywood 'wants to' desensitize us to police brutality or the encroaching police state. Using the priciples of an unconcious conspiracy, Hollywood doesnt even have to be aware of what they are doing.
It just happens.
Let me explain.
We live in a big bad world. Murder, rape, the government, the UN, our schools.... Our situation is more dire than people are capable of experiencing properly. We want escape.
So what do we do? We flip on the TV.
Do we watch peaceful, tranquil things? NO!
We watch things that are EVEN WORSE than the world we live in!!!
We watch shows like survivor, with its backstabbing marxism. We watch shows with high social drama and victimization. We watch shows about evil men doing evil deeds.
And what is the latest craze? REALITY TV. With all its personal politics and strife.
Are we mad? Is this escape???
Smile.
Of course it isnt. Its desensitization.
When we are done, our world doesnt look so bad. We can live with it. Cope.
Now, does this require a big government and media plot? Absolutely not. Of course some of Hollywood is going to 'understand' why you need to watch those shows. A few, not many, realize whats going on. They dont care.
All Hollywood needs to know is WHAT you like, NOT WHY YOU LIKE IT. Or need it.
So, in our unconcious conspiracy, as the world gets worse, the more you need to desensitize yourself, the more the TV is willing to oblige you.
No man behind the curtain required.
Look at TV. It is a direct reflection on how bad reality is. Try not watching any TV for about six months and you will see the actual level of psychological potency its content has.
What you are seeing in Survivor is simple iconiclism -- the destruction of symbols. Any symbol will work. The idea is to break taboo. To get one last shock out of your pitifully numbed mind. One more controversy to preoccupy your feeble grey matter.
To distract you from your reality like a kitty toy distracts a cat.
Watching bad things happen to people on TV does one other thing that helps you get through life. It makes it easy to be uncaring when bad things happen to others...
Who cares about this new law, or the weekly atrocity -- as long as it doesnt effect you.
As long as you can sit there, warm and safe, with all the evils of the world held captive within that little box.
As long as nothing is really real anymore.