Reality TV: Game Playing as Entertainment
I love the two Burnett shows: Survivor and The Apprentice. These bookends serve as perfect metaphors so, I've been meaning to analyze them, and today watching the annual post-Thanksgiving materialism pump-up....well, it's the perfect day to do it.
I love nature. I've always felt closest to God when it was just me and her amazing creations, none of those pesky people around. I've spent many, many months... just me, Misty (the car) and mountains, rivers, desert, ocean, canyons, caverns... the beauty, in this country alone, is mind boggling.
That's when you get real. As David Crosby said, "It's kind of hard to bullshit the ocean, it's not listening, if you know what I mean". You can't lie to nature and you can't lie to yourself when you're stripped down to it.
So, when I first saw Survivor, I was first pulled in by the aspect of finding sustenance in nature, which I have done. But, Survivor is different. You are not really there to make peace with God, you're there to play the same old crappy game they play back in the burbs and cities, in every boardroom and back alley....the eternal external power play.
What these shows do (and when I saw Survivor, I knew it would be only a matter of time before they put it directly in the real jungle - NY), is highlight the game, so you can see it. You are allowed to watch the game without being in it yourself, which makes it far more pleasant.
They highlight the game by making the firings more frequent. In the real world, there is more investment in keeping people around cooperatively. When there are constant eliminations and cameras and producers, the claws come out and people have a hard time keeping it all under the facade. In Survivor, without privacy, sleep, food and shelter folks get really real. And, that's why these are two of the highest rated shows on TV today... we love to see good players play it. After all, we all need to learn, we all want the best job, best paycheck, most popularity, most appeal to suck-ups. What so few people seem to notice is the price they pay for all that... that is exactly what these shows demonstrate - the price. Still though, no one seems to see it. The people in these games get completely caught up in them, completely invested. Their decisions, their actions...it's almost all about the win. And the winners are often those who want it the most, those most focused on the prize, the brass ring. When you are centered in your own life and heart, you become more attentive to the quality of the moments of your life as you live them. You want your actual life to be happy as you live it.
What you really need to understand about the game, and this is why Jesus said "It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to get into heaven", is this: the game is usually subtle. I've been pulled in many, many times and I'm sure I'm among the most wary of it. It's out there, all around, in the corporate law offices, the PTA meetings, the bands, church, book group, family, you name it.
All you can really do is just be aware of when you're buying in too much, so you can get out, or make changes, when it stops working for you. As long as you're enjoying the game, getting something out of it and not hurting anyone, play on!
For me, the problem with the corporate game is the huge amount of time involved in getting anything back out. I simply had too many other things I wanted to do in life, like have kids & peace of mind. The other problem I have with the game is that it often does involve putting other people down, and being put down by other people. I think when you feel trapped, longing, on the treadmill you can't really step off, that's when you need to step off and take the hit. Ever see someone step off a moving treadmill.... it's a jolt, you're off balance for a while. But, at least you're then on solid ground.
The first time I ever saw Vegas, in the early 80's, I thought, wow, why would these developers plough billions into these places and then give away free room & food? The games are stacked in favor of the house, to the tune of billions. Yet folks in Vegas are the happiest people on earth, look at them, much happier than Disneyites. They're playing a losing game, the evidence is all around them, but they're on cloud nine. Each one of them thinks they will beat the odds, they will be a winner. People need to believe.
I love nature. I've always felt closest to God when it was just me and her amazing creations, none of those pesky people around. I've spent many, many months... just me, Misty (the car) and mountains, rivers, desert, ocean, canyons, caverns... the beauty, in this country alone, is mind boggling.
That's when you get real. As David Crosby said, "It's kind of hard to bullshit the ocean, it's not listening, if you know what I mean". You can't lie to nature and you can't lie to yourself when you're stripped down to it.
So, when I first saw Survivor, I was first pulled in by the aspect of finding sustenance in nature, which I have done. But, Survivor is different. You are not really there to make peace with God, you're there to play the same old crappy game they play back in the burbs and cities, in every boardroom and back alley....the eternal external power play.
What these shows do (and when I saw Survivor, I knew it would be only a matter of time before they put it directly in the real jungle - NY), is highlight the game, so you can see it. You are allowed to watch the game without being in it yourself, which makes it far more pleasant.
They highlight the game by making the firings more frequent. In the real world, there is more investment in keeping people around cooperatively. When there are constant eliminations and cameras and producers, the claws come out and people have a hard time keeping it all under the facade. In Survivor, without privacy, sleep, food and shelter folks get really real. And, that's why these are two of the highest rated shows on TV today... we love to see good players play it. After all, we all need to learn, we all want the best job, best paycheck, most popularity, most appeal to suck-ups. What so few people seem to notice is the price they pay for all that... that is exactly what these shows demonstrate - the price. Still though, no one seems to see it. The people in these games get completely caught up in them, completely invested. Their decisions, their actions...it's almost all about the win. And the winners are often those who want it the most, those most focused on the prize, the brass ring. When you are centered in your own life and heart, you become more attentive to the quality of the moments of your life as you live them. You want your actual life to be happy as you live it.
What you really need to understand about the game, and this is why Jesus said "It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to get into heaven", is this: the game is usually subtle. I've been pulled in many, many times and I'm sure I'm among the most wary of it. It's out there, all around, in the corporate law offices, the PTA meetings, the bands, church, book group, family, you name it.
All you can really do is just be aware of when you're buying in too much, so you can get out, or make changes, when it stops working for you. As long as you're enjoying the game, getting something out of it and not hurting anyone, play on!
For me, the problem with the corporate game is the huge amount of time involved in getting anything back out. I simply had too many other things I wanted to do in life, like have kids & peace of mind. The other problem I have with the game is that it often does involve putting other people down, and being put down by other people. I think when you feel trapped, longing, on the treadmill you can't really step off, that's when you need to step off and take the hit. Ever see someone step off a moving treadmill.... it's a jolt, you're off balance for a while. But, at least you're then on solid ground.
The first time I ever saw Vegas, in the early 80's, I thought, wow, why would these developers plough billions into these places and then give away free room & food? The games are stacked in favor of the house, to the tune of billions. Yet folks in Vegas are the happiest people on earth, look at them, much happier than Disneyites. They're playing a losing game, the evidence is all around them, but they're on cloud nine. Each one of them thinks they will beat the odds, they will be a winner. People need to believe.
posted by Intervision at 7:09 AM
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