It is part of the human condition that we are fascinated by the unusual, the grotesque and the bizarre. As you peer across the landscape of human history, our culture is filled with examples where the normal gaup at the abnormal, the beautiful stare at the ugly and the average are bewildered by the extreme. In modern times, however, the carnivals and the good ol' fashioned freak-show have been tossed atop the funeral pyre along with chauvinism, snuff, the days when you could leave your doors unlocked and all the other anachronistic talismans of days gone by. The name "Freak-show" may have been lost as it was added to the nomenclature of poor taste, but thankfully the concept is alive and well. Sat on our sofas we are free from the stigmatism of ill mannered ogling as we sensitively and graciously share in the televised dissection of the odd, the disfigured and the overweight. I'm not here to make a value judgement about this kind of TV. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, or good or bad: it is what it is, and what it is, is incredulous, addictive and flipping awesome!
As a deeply shallow and solipsistic gent, I find a no bigger ego-boost than to sit down on my well-proportioned behind and watch the obese, the rotund and the generally unfit roll around on national TV for my amusement. Oh, how easy it is to point and laugh at the modern day freak while they shed those pesky pounds. It's vapid, it's superficial, and by-gum I love it!
What irritates me is the endless praise that these people get for losing this excessive weight. It's a very simple formula. On a long term scale, if you consume more calories than you burn off, you gain weight. If you burn more than you consume, you'll lose weight. It's something which all of us contend with, with varying degrees of success. While watching my "ego-boost" shows, a lot of praise gets dished around for getting closer to an ideal mass: "You've lost 4lbs, well done! Now you're a mere 3 tons from reaching your ideal weight, congratulations!" Um, excuse me. I'm already my ideal weight. Where's my f**king ticker-tape parade?! If I dug a 15ft deep hole, jumped in it, then had someone film me as I struggle to claw my way out, I'd be berated not celebrated. I'd be lucky not to be committed. "Why did you jump down there in the first place, you f**king moron?!" It's like those kids we all went to school with who got endless glorification every time they went a week without punching another kid. "I've gone 13 years without punching anyone. That gold star is mine. MINE!"
I'm obviously over-simplifying here. Nothing is ever as black and white as I've just tried to demonstrate. The overall point I want to make is that praise should be given for overcoming an adversity, for conquering a foe, or for surmounting an obstacle. Not, however, if those adversities, foes and obstacles are of your own making.
It's just unfortunate that documentaries serialising philanthropy, do-gooders and real-life heroes aren't as compelling as ones about semi-spastic human-hippos who can't live their own lives without someone holding their hand and constantly being told how super-awesome they are.
'semi spastic human hippos.'
ReplyDeletebrilliant.