Battling with The Stars – Rome’s top rated show – ca. 120 AD
The Romans called it Panem et Circenses.
Bread and Circus. It was the way that they both amused and placated the crowds.
As opposed to solid public policy.
And for a long time it worked.
The crowds of Rome preferred being entertained to grappling with the serious issues of running an Empire, and Roman politicians found it easier to entertain than to rule. Also, entertainment was big business in Rome. The Colosseum rang up big profits and everyone loved it.
Everyone was so amused, in fact, that they did not notice, or did not care, that the very fabric of their society was rotting away beneath them.
Now, TV producer Mark Burnett has begun pitching a reality TV show with Sarah Palin and her family to the networks.
Burnett, who made his fame and fortune with Survivor, will no doubt get a deal. Sarah Palin and her family will no doubt star in White Fang, or whatever they will call it, and all America will no doubt to come love or hate but surely watch the antics of that wacky Sarah Palin and her clan as they claw their way to the White House.
This is how great nations come to an end.
Not in a war, not with a battle or a heroic moment, but rather in a farce and a tragedy.
This is rot.
This is the kind of rot that eats away at great nations and leaves them as nothing.
It comes slowly but surely. It’s a creeping rot.
And because it makes so much money and everyone loves it so much and it’s so popular and so entertaining and so amusing, it is almost impossible to stop.
The Emperor Caligula appointed his horse, Incititus, to the Senate.
It was not, is popularly believed, because he was insane. Much to the contrary, he appointed his horse to the Senate to show his utter contempt for the Senate – to demonstrate to the masses that the Senate no longer meant anything.
It worked.
It was very well received. Very funny. Very amusing. Very popular.
It would have made a great reality show too.
The upshot of turning our most important institutions into objects of public amusement are, however, not so funny.
Even if they do rate – and make a bundle for the producers and the networks.
8 Comments
pencilgod March 07, 2010
So its ok for Actors to voice political opinions but not for Politicians to voice Doco’s????
Boy that would be an inconvenient truth.
Michael Rosenblum March 06, 2010
When politics and entertainment become interchangeable,I think its match set and point.
pencilgod March 06, 2010
Then again if you actually look a little closer at the story you find it’s not a reality show that is being pitched. The idea is to make a Discovery style Nature doco with Sarah voicing it… not saying it’s a good idea, just pointing out it’s not the end of life as we know it.
You can put away that Gladiator costume now Michael.
steve March 06, 2010
all one can do is vote with their remote.
Michael Rosenblum March 05, 2010
Avery
I would not argue for a minute that this country has been rotting since we debased the educational system in the 1950s. But I would not put my faith in Sarah Palin (any more than I would put it in Barack Obama). That would be a big mistake. If I put my faith in anything it is in the Constitution.
Avery March 05, 2010
I’m glad we agree for the most part.
Avery March 05, 2010
Oh brother!
Mark Burnett and Sarah Palin are going to be the death of America as we know it!!
Hahaha, Michael, your little snipes in your posts over the past couple of years aimed at all things “conservative†crack me up.
You are just now noticing the “ creeping rot†our Country is and has been struggling in?
Just now?
Wow, I though you would have noticed that we are more worried who will get kicked off American idol more than what is going on in Washington.
I don’t know how you could have missed that most folks think “Americas Next Top Model†is more important than understanding the truth about global warming. (Hint: its a massive fraud perpetrated by liberal socialists)
I’m stunned you just now noticed the systematic degradation of our society. Well, I guess it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. When people feel their ox is about to get gored they tend to do and say funny things.
Perhaps Michael, you can sense the awaking that is happening in America. You see people rejecting Mr. Obama’s message of “hope†in clear and uncompromising terms. You watch as independent voters in arguably the most liberal State of the Union reject the lefts “enlightened message†and you are getting uncomfortable.
People are yearning to get back what has been stolen from them, namely freedom and personal responsibility that the Constitution originally guaranteed.
American and Roman history have many similarities but that doesn’t mean America will suffer the same fate as Rome. It doesn’t have to happen, its not necessarily Americas fate.
There is still a chance we will not fall victim to the rot that we have let ourselves be lulled into embracing, but that we will wake up and reject the ideals and philosophies that have thus far almost killed us.
Sarah is just doing her part in jolting us awake and making us aware that there is more to life than who’s label you wear or what your television says is important.
Vanessa March 05, 2010
Hmmm, Michael, do you truly believe people will love it? That it’s really so popular that it won’t stop? Sure, you may be right but I feel like it’s more of a curiosity thing ( or at least I hope). Let’s see – if you ask people at an airshow why they are there, you will definitely get people who are waiting for the big crash. How about singers who were has beens trying to come back?? People want to see if they are going to fail? Or at least this is what I think.
Remember back when you were talking about the 3 stations and whether or not people made TV idiots or TV made people idiots? Well, how about people want to see conflict, failure, disasters? You are right, it can’t be stopped – people will watch it, even if it is the worse thing on tv (like Lara – the so-called news reporter).
That’s what seems to be making money. So how do you trump that? How do you make it so people watch REAL shows, REAL views, or even just REAL editing? Any suggestions?
Oh and just for shits and giggles, who would you rather watch – Lara or Sarah?