Sunday
I do not have a link, but David Brooks was speaking on Meet the Press this morning about the Don Imus affair in the USA.
He says shock-jock popularity is not about racism. It is about cruelty. Institutionalized culturally based cruelty. Indiscriminate cruelty for its own sake.
On hearing the case (allegedly put forth by Snoop Dog in defense of his own misogynistic lyrics) that these particular women, the basketball players should not have been spoken about that way, Brooks said with sad derision, "We can only step on the down trodden."
Brooks also points out that Imus was very heavily watched and listened to by the power elite. After an appearance on Imus' show he, Brooks, received a remarkable amount of feedback from the power elite that make made up a disproportionate part of Imus' audience. So now I ask, what does this say about the souls of those who demand the power and authority to be our masters? What does it mean that the powerful should be so enamoured of deliberate and systematic cruelty that they listen to it for entertainment? Somehow, I am not as surprised as I would like to be.
I think this path to cruelty is one that has been travelled farther in the UK than here, but we appear to be following closely behind you. My personal opinion is that cruelty is a/the clear marker for both the decadence and impotence of a society. Celebrated cruelty is the symptom of a society that has reoriented from protecting its weakest members to baiting them for entertainment. It is historically clear that cruelty, a cultural coldness in the extremities of society, is one of the final signs of its imminent death.
On a positive note, watching this exposure of the internal tensions in the power cabal has provided some interesting moments. For me, the most interesting of all was hearing the market place being praised from the left for having removed Imus from the air. I will take all such statements/concessions as a sign of our strength.
Alan Davies (for overseas readers, a well-loved British comedian whose own demeanour is as threatening as an exceedingly well house-trained Labrador puppy) has an interesting take here. Though he might not be happy with the less subtle headline the subs have given him.
Posted by guy herbert at April 15, 2007 06:47 PM
It's about time that misogynist old fossil was finally booted off the air. The nit wit Imus is but a symptom of the larger problem. That is cowardly, hypocritical left wing power elite waxing poetic on multiculturalism while they fawn over a Don Imus to speak their true thoughts. It is gratifying to see that they couldn't save their favorite mouth piece.
Posted by Uain at April 15, 2007 07:21 PM
In America the cruelty is delivered with almost open abusiveness.
Here it's done with kind eyes and a genuine belief that it is for our own good.
At least in America you still have some social 'traffic-lights'.
Posted by Pietr at April 15, 2007 08:29 PM
I think this path to cruelty is one that has been travelled farther in the UK than here, but we appear to be following closely behind you.
To be fair, I think Guantanamo has put the US well in the lead, and that isn't 'entertainment'- it's real.
Posted by James at April 15, 2007 08:55 PM
Am I missing something or are Alan Davies and Alan Davieson the same person?
Posted by mandrill at April 15, 2007 10:06 PM
James,
... and that isn't 'entertainment'- it's real.
Are you suggesting that cruelty doesn't count if it is part of an entertainer's act? I think your missing my point (or demonstrating it) that it is when sadistic behavior comes out of hiding and is openly celebrated that it means the society has undergone a fundamental change. The very outcry against Guantanamo belies the case you are making that it is acceptable to us. The great majority of us here are still holding out against this new and further debasement of our already faltering standards.
Monty Python was my introduction to comedians making fun of the mentally retarded for the benefit of an 'enlightened' audience. As much as I enjoyed things like The Ministry of Silly Walks, the treatments in sketches like the village idiot genre were something that I had never seen before. Prior to that, all mean humor I had seen was aimed at powerful people and their institutions. Even someone like Don Rickles started out by insulting hecklers who interrupted his shows and he generally shows a genuine concern for people who are not in situations of their own making.
I may be wrong about cruelty humor entering the acceptable mainstream first in the UK. If so, I apologize.
I have, and will continue to use dark humor against people who have chosen their fates. I have and will sometimes energetically use dark humor against our tormentors (especially the UN, the left and politicians in general). But you need to reread my post and see that it is how cruelty* is accepted (or not) by a society that is the tell.
*Did you catch the reference to Nietzsche in the wiki link?
Posted by Midwesterner at April 15, 2007 10:42 PM
Brooks also points out that Imus was very heavily watched and listened to by the power elite.
Ahhh, I wondered who listened to him. Saw the show once, thought it was one of the most boring five minutes of my life. I still can't figure out how he was considered part of "shock radio". To me he seemed to be the antidote to morning coffee.
Free Numia
Posted by Charles at April 15, 2007 11:16 PM
