Dan Conover recently said:
I read this while sitting on the beach, and it made me so furious I had to get up and jump in the water. I smashed into waves. And as I stood out there in the surf, the thought struck me: I’m sick and tired of having a government that can’t do anything right, led by people whose first inclination is routinely wrong, whose first explanation is routinely dishonest. Enabled by those people on the beach, reading People magazine and Southern Living
I googled and I dogpiled and still I cannot find a link, so we will all just have to use our imaginations for a moment, forgive any inaccuracies.
While in Minnesota, visiting family, I was strongly reminded of a specific Calvin and Hobbes comic by Bill Watterson. It was the one where Calvin was reading and asks Hobbes, “It says here that religion is the opiate of the masses. What do you suppose that means?” Hobbes shrugs.
In the background the television thinks, “It means Karl Marx hadn’t seen anything yet.”
Watterson is dead on.
It is so easy to become completely distracted (enamored?) by the entertainment options if one isn’t particular*. Dan, I share your frustration. I feel utterly powerless.
My acquaintances shake their heads in exasperation because my knowledge of pop culture is somewhat limited. Sometimes I just want to shake them and scream, “Don’t you know what’s happening? Open your eyes, pick up the paper, crack a book, something!” I bite my tongue and pretend to follow their conversations about American Idol and Desperate Housewives.
It feels so futile; I know I don’t have an answer.
**Post Shower Edit***
I feel people should have a passion that has not been spoonfed. Frankly, I don’t care where the passion lies. It certainly doesn’t matter whether I agree or not, it’s the apathy that appalls me.
*I’ll admit to enjoying the series Nip/Tuck. It’s total garbage, I know.
5 comments ↓
I have to say, the VERY first time I picked up a Southern Living magazine was when Rinnie was sick recently and I took her to Doctor’s Care here in West Ashley (NEVER again). The only reason I looked through those magazines were for new recipes. LOL And Yes I tore out the recipes I wanted. Hell the doctor patronized me the whole time I could care less about tearing pages from his mags. Ask me about it later and I’ll explain.
::: cough::::If you say Nip/tuck is garbage one more time, I swear as budha is my witness I shall never read your blog again (hairflip)., Hmph!
lol
Seriously….I got so “into ” politics during the election that I burned myself out. It kinda goes both ways. I read some blogs where they speak NOTHING except politics. I feel badly for their family and friends if that’s all that they have going on in their lives. Then you have the people who don’t even know who the vice president is. Sheesh.
Sorry…long comment.
I love long comments.
Nip / Tucks is soooo bad, but so good. I feel guilty watching it. That’s what I mean by garbage. If you see when Season 3 is out on DVD, let me know.
Now, I wasn’t referring solely to politics. Anything could be that passion, for some it’s art, others religion. Oh, and they could most definitely be annoying if that became the sole focal point for their lives, what I’m driving at is it seems television, a passive activity, has become the point for so many.
From what I read of your post, I’d say you were trying to say that people need to be involved and paying attention. The reason is because if the government believes all we (the people-their bosses) think our votes don’t count, or offer nothing more than modest apathy, tune-out to Brittany or something else on the tube, they will do anything, by whatever means to screw us or do whatever they like. Unfortunately, burn-out happens to those paying attention because if everyone else’s eyes are wide-shut, and your’s are open you will soon get tired of carrying the torch or as Sonia mentioned will tune-people out. My blog used to be solely political, but I soon burned out so hard by trying to fight the mis-information out there that I wanted to become Swiss. That’s why for the mental health of my readers and myself I write about sports, music, movies, friends, etc.
JET,
I completely understand your sentiment and I’m not trying to imply that anyone who doesn’t have a politically based blog is less worthy than anyone who does.
I only touch on politics, here. What frustrates me are the people I know and I assume they are a pretty decent representation of general America, that: A)don’t vote, B)blindly vote, or C) never look beyond a bilboard for information, for the sole reason “it’s booooring.”
I wish more people saw it as an obligation. Does that make more sense?
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