Tuesday 18 July 2006

What is real?

There have been times when sitting in august gatherings that we have talked about TV. Such bodies as synods and meetings are interesting because it would appear at times that the conservative folk with whom I largely associate (Anglicans and the like) seem to talk as though there is only one TV station...the ABC (here). While this represents a lot of my viewing habits it is quite clearly given the lie by ratings. Reality TV continues to rate more highly than intensive current affairs, and commercial news (often characterised by focus on the flippant and the very parochial) usually outrates more comprehensive coverage as on ABC and SBS.
This was characterised on Saturday when, God bless 'em, Premier Mike and his affianced one were united in holy wedlock. Despite the fact that the Israel was blowing the guts out of Lebanon, and we looked like we might be on the edge of WW III, at least one station ("Yes, we're Local" their proud cry) the erstwhile wedding took precedence.
Now I think it was news, but not THE news.
It begs the question, doesn't it, what is reality? Perhaps the above cartoon illuminates that for us.
Watching ourselves being roasted. Unaware that it says more about us than it does about what what we watch? Desperately glad that it is them and not us whose version of reality is being exposed? Or shallowly unaware that there are any questions to be asked about anything.
All a little bit scary I think!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was going to post something about the anomaly of having a number of professing Christians sitting on the Howard front-bench while most of the public is content to accept that Howard and his front-bench tell lies.
But then I read some previous posts by you and came to the one about the whales and the resurrection symbolism. Perhaps from the Hebrew scripture story of Jonah and the whale?
And then there's the great proclamation of the Eastern Churches.
BTW, what is the correct way of pronouncing that proclamation?

Aleithos Anesti!

Stephan Clark said...

Yeah it is difficult to comment about Christians in politics on both sides. Ruddock is the one who gets to me since he seems to be one of the most committed faithwise.
There was a good documentary on ABC on Sunday evening about Jimmy Carter who is one of the few who seems to take his faith seriously and make a difference.
I guess we should all be careful about criticising others for being compromised. Aren't we all?
As for Greek, most roman alphabet is transliteration so you just say it as you read it.
Nice to hear from you again.

Anonymous said...

... and talking about questions to be asked ...???