Today’s
society is awful. Some of the most serious aspects of life are glorified
through the media for our enjoyment: mental disorders, morality, crime, and
social hierarchy. There is true evil in this world.
Brain
function is something we all do a little differently. TV today has you
believing that disorders are cool and excuse you for being a dick. Sociopathy
and Asperger’s are at the top of this list. It’s alright that you’re socially
inept because you’re brilliant. Your cognitive skills are something to be held
in awe. So what if you ostracize your friends, you have a creative soul. Man,
that’s deep. Chances are, you’re a douchebag. People with these disorders don’t
just up and tell people about it. NO one wants to brag about their
malfunctions. If someone is acting like they’re House and claiming it’s a
disorder, fucking slap them. Not only are they assholes, but they’re also
making the actual illnesses seem less serious.
TV has
made quite the impact on other social norms as well. Most sitcoms have proven
to us time and again that it’s not only okay, but highly encouraged to be a
promiscuous drunk. Smoking is bad, but going to the bar every night is fabulous! If you then decide to go home
with someone, it can be justified with to the drinking. You can pick a fight
with random people and use the same excuse. How is this okay? Reality shows
have us that being pregnant is “in” as well. We as a nation love knocked-up teens.
We love trailer trash moms, especially if they can’t educate their children. We
truly enjoy watching their struggles. It’s really no wonder that we delight in
a zombie future, it’s basically already here.
I swear
I’m not trying to rag on TV; I love vegging out as much as the next person, but
here I go again. Being poor sucks. Our favorite characters show us that it’s
somehow better to live with your parents or couch surf with your friends than
to work in fast food. You only see the lowliest scumbags working at McDonalds
or the fictional equivalent. If someone is waiting tables, it’s only because
they’re paying their way through school or waiting to make it big. Something
better is always on the way. Why do you need an excuse to pay your bills?
Sometimes I hear people talking about how bad they had growing up. They compare
situations almost like it’s a contest. The worst is always about all the drug
dens they were subject to. Is it cool to be from a lower class now? I
understand rooting for the underdog, but where is the line drawn. Drug dealing
to pay the bills is dangerous and never a good idea. Somehow, that’s become a
popular notion. Drug dealers shouldn’t be our heroes.
Maybe I
was a little harsh with the “true evil” bit. Maybe I’m too cynical about today’s
society and their ability to separate life from the fantasy realm of
entertainment. I will say that the idea we portray on network television is
disturbing. The pictures we paint are ugly, and we don’t care. I’m sure there’s
an illness we can blame, right?
