Entertainment as a tool of passivity.
The program title of the TV series Big Brother was taken from a book by George Orwell called Nineteen Eighty Four, (19 84) published in 1949. A fact probably unknown to most of the programs viewers.
In Winston Smith’s world, the main character in the book (1984). He like every one else is controlled in his movements and even thoughts, by the impending terror of Big Brother.
In this world, people disappear in the night, are shot through the back of the head, all traces of their existence are wiped out. As if infract, they never existed.
People are constantly monitored at home and in the street, (the only part the TV series crudely attempts to deals with.) and are constantly in fear of, the tap on the shoulder, or the jackboot on the door from the henchmen of Big Brother. A world to quote Winston, “where nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull.” A totalitarian state constantly at war, and in annihilating all opposition.
In Brave New World another book by Aldus Huxley. The populous are created by artificial insemination in hatcheries and conditioning centre’s, where babies are trained to hate books, bright colours, and nature and where families no longer exist. A society, where reading and the teaching of history is banned. Where people take their breaks in theme parks, and exist and are controlled on nullifying drugs and whimsical entertainment. Neil Postman, in Amusing Ourselves to Death, quotes the author of Brave New World.
” The civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny failed to take in mans almost infinite appetite for distractions”.
“In 1984, people are controlled by inflicting pain.
In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure”.
Traces of Winston’s 1984 world can be found in South American countries enforced by drug barons or in East Timor, where over the last thirty years one third of the population were murdered by British and American sponsored Indonesian troops. (East Timor has untapped oil reserves off its shoreline)
In countries such as East Timor, and Pinocheys Chile, control of the non-consenting population is met through the barrel of a gun. Violent oppression is part of people’s day to day life, in order to suppress the poor and to ensure that western powers have access to cheap labour, or the countries oil and mineral resources.
In western industrial countries, such as Britain, America, Australia, such tactics of control like murder and torture would not be put up with. There for a different form of domination and persuasion is called for in order to stimulate consensus to the will of big business and corporations.What methods could they be?
19 84 and Brave New World can usually be purchased in a second hand book shop for a few pounds.
Links
Your TV is Watching You
Amusing ourselves to Death
Aldous Huxley
George Orwell
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