ginny t. Jameson

The “Crocodile Hunter” died today. He was filming an underwater documentary when he was fatally struck in the chest by a sting ray barb. Tragic? Yes. Newsworthy? Sure. Breaking news worthy (as per CNN.com this morning around 1:30?) Not so much. But in “a world transformed into sheer images of itself...for pseudo-events and ‘spectacles'..." that’s exactly the kind of story that should get top billing (for at least 15 minutes, or until the next “breaking news” story comes down the pike.)

Jameson notes that “depth is replaced by surface, or by multiple surfaces (what is often called intertextuallity is in that sense no longer a matter of depth.)” and I can’t help but agree with him. Our culture is obsessed with image (myself included.) Flip through the cable channels at an given time and you’ll be assaulted by shows like “The Biggest Loser,” “Extreme Home Makeover,” “Bridezillas,” and “My Super Sweet 16” (two of my personal favorites.) These “reality shows” are all about appealing to our thirst for image over substance in the form of 30 minute make-over’s and lavish parties thrown for truly despicable people. The fact that there seems to be plenty of people clamoring to get on these programs shows just how superficial we’ve become. They will gladly surrender their privacy in order to make a spectacle of themselves on national television. This over sharing of information, life-as-spectacle-as-reality has become the norm for how we relate to people. Because we operate on the surface, nothing is sacred. Babies are born, couples are married, funerals are attended; all of life’s most intimate and meaningful moments are recorded, packaged and marketed for our viewing pleasure.

I find it fascinating that the world is smaller and more accessible than ever, and yet people are more disconnected from each other as we’ve ever been. We have every possible means to communicate (email, cell phone, text message, etc) and (world-wide) travel has never been easier, and yet many of us are content to stay parked in front of our televisions, experiencing other people’s reality. Well, not me! I’m going to go right out and really connect with people, I’m going to really live...as soon as this “Bridezillas” marathon is over.