Celebrity culture

Greetings all. I am here to entertain you once again, with a little question to get you thinking.

Why the hell are human beings, as a whole, at all interested in celebrity culture? Why do we care whom our favourite actress sleeps with but not the hobo in the street? Or even just any given person? I have a long list of friends that are constantly getting in and out of relationships, do you care about any of them? Surely only the ones you know, you couldn't be bothered by the ones you don't know?

Perhaps you feel you know the celebrities since you choose to follow their progress. But I disagree. I don't think you know them at all. All you know about them is what the media choose to report. Which, if you have one iota of intelligence, you should know is geared towards their (media companies') own profit. They will never tell you anything you don't want to hear - that would just cause you to buy another magazine, listen to another radio station or surf another website. No, what you need to claim you know someone is interaction. You talk to them, and they talk to you. Simple. 

But there is another level of consciousness going on here. I reckon the reason that these celebrities are of interest is because they are portrayed, quite simply, as gods.

In Western individualist culture, we are taught to look up to the rich, as they are assumed to be successful people (or else why would they be rich? No mention, naturally, of the capitalist system supporting the already rich. That would be too honest). And we see the riches of these celebrities on television. We are taught that they are beautiful and these are the standards of beauty we must aspire to. As soon as one of these people fails at something, the media are then uncharacteristically harsh to them. For failure is not tolerable to someone whose business is to thrust images of success, success, success at you. Celebrity culture is a religion unto its own right, a polytheistic religion if you will. Politicians are included in this game. Barack Obama did not buy that suit with a few one-dollar contributions, and remember that no matter how much change he promises you, he doesn't need any change himself.  The reason I mention him at all is that in a celebrity culture of gods, his image is their leader, their Zeus or Jupiter. 

You must remember their names. They certainly don't know yours. But you must remember theirs.  The many names they won't remember are the opposite of the single names you must. And that is why they are rich and you are (probably) not.

Over your head

When I was a kid, I had no reference point to determine how much of the world I was naturally cognisant of. This being quite young, naturally. As i grew up, I had friends who would point things out or know things that they considered it 'normal' to be aware of, and I mean trivial things, like knowing that rugby happens on Saturdays, and perceiving that surfers were cool and knowing to wear clothes similar to them. This stuff took a while to filter through to me, the fact that I did not naturally follow it was an indication that I was not cool, at least to them.

Over the years I did eventually figure it out, though. And then I turned the game against everyone. I went the step further, went to university, and found things about the world that would make the 'average' person's head spin. I do that not to lord anything over people (for what benefit would that bring?) but rather to showcase the potential of humankind, for those that love themselves and others enough to realise that there is a better way to live - not to judge others, but to learn from them. Not to stand by old limitations of society. And this way, you notice a lot more about the world. So I might not seem typically observant to others, but that is because I listen where many do not. I think we could all do this if we tried.

As a result of all of these changes, I've noticed that I'm becoming a lot more relaxed in this world. I've been telling people I know lately just to chill out and deal with what's coming when it comes, for worrying incessantly is not going to bring the same results that calm preparedness will. Higher plane of existence? Maybe not quite. But definitely an alternative perception. One that, in some form or another, deserves at least experimentation.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. You may go back to perusing the Internet for porn now. :P

Solipsism considered

I was talking to some friends about solipsism, for some reason. I'm not exactly sure why, but it was borne out of an experience of walking streets on a Sunday night. Fairly quiet streets, located in Newlands, which for those who don't know is a leafy, quiet suburban zone in the Southern Suburbs.

It came from thinking about the concept of objective reality. A concept I've never quiet bought, actually. I've previously argued that perception = reality. Now i further that with the sound realisation that there is no objective reality, at all. For there cannot be, in this case. From whence are we to form reality, if not objective? I propound that we are being experienced by a single organism (a singular conscoiousness), experiments, as it were, and that by achieving progress we are facilitating evolution, which is our purpose, we subjectively define its reality. This is our gift, to define 'reality' by experiencing it SUBJECTIVELY. Our weakness is that we can lose control of our abilities to warp it by failing to cope with demands of life, or supporting the energy required to power a simulation of this sort. Our consciousness is its energy source. To enjoy consciousness, to reach nirvana, as it were (or your cultural equivalent, mine of which is hedonism in anarchy) would be giving surplus power and allowing the simulacrum to flourish. The suffering in the world is draining it. Therefore, as a team of subjective entities, we must use our shared consciousness (communication) in order to allow said simulacrum to flourish.

Bascially, counsciousness is one fucking science experiment.

Now go watch a film based on a story written by Phillip K. Dick. Go on, pick any one.

P.S. Thanks to my friend Monkey, with whom I have had many philosophical discussions while on missions ambulating the Southern Suburbs or the upper levels, that I could develop such interesting cognitions and able me to make sense of two rather new, good friends with whom I have recently been engaging.

Yes, I'm a fucking pedant.

Good night