I notice how vapid television is used as "middle ground" topics in conversations with people "across the aisle" because differences in opinion about whose a fuck boy is less uncomfortable than real topics where they come out as supporting concentration camps. So folks are changing the conversation from healthcare to milf manor because, somehow, that's less offensive.
I wanna leave an intelligent and smart piece of insight but I haven’t got it, I just feel bad, despaired, and scared because it seems that with each passing year, the bread gets to be fewer but the circuses get louder and louder so, why think about the bread?
Reading these always leaves me feeling informed but powerless. I feel lost and unable to move the needle even slightly toward something better than where we’re headed, and it feels like there’s no unity in preventing the atrocities the US inflicts constantly. Even the more progressive organizing bodies that exist feel too small to make a change. I’m not sure what the next step is
i don't want to feel the need to make everything i write prescriptive. in my interviews with people like tracey rosenthal or calla walsh or marc botenga there are paths and alternatives to despair. you should check those out
I do remember the Calla Walsh interview and I walked away from that one feeling hopeful.
I shouldn’t have said “always,” because that’s not the truth; I think I’m just contextualizing your work through my own pessimism about the state of the world (which I’m working on overcoming).
I don’t mean to say you only write doom and gloom — your work is really insightful and fills me with more hope than hopelessness 💞
u gotta accept that small changes r still changes. like. revolutions gotta start somewhere small. talk 2 ur neighbors and local officials. (by local i mean town/city mayor/council/select board.) plant more trees, volunteer @ the soup kitchen, attend community events. world is massive so u gotta ignore the bisness that u cant touch. focus on where ur actions have the most meaning: in ur local community. genuinely man email ur local political candidates or attend a local city council type meeting. throw a potluck 4 ur neighborhood. u have a ton of agency the issue is that being on the screen makes u see the entire world instead of whats in front of u. look at whats in front of u. u can change whats in front of u. and 100 pennies makes a dollar. u can b one of those pennies. better 2 make a small but meaningful change than no change @ all!!!
hope this makes sense lol. respect man. u seem like a cool guy. go out and meet ppl. board of selectmen meetings, soup kitchen, church, rationalist meetups, idfk what ur vibe is but once u start meeting ppl in ur area it gets so much easier. like my buddy ann lantini runs all the affordable housing shit in my area and once i got her contact info i was better able 2 help lobby 4 more housing in my area. know those in ur area! bc thats where u can make the most impact! <333
They’ve told me they watched two episodes of “Temptation Island,” then got turned off. Incidentally, I went to NYU and lived on Washington Square Park for two years!
i appreciate that you didn't tie this up in a neat bow. critiques without solutions or suggestions are valid and valuable.
focusing on what should happen next is a bit at odds with what i took away from this piece: the cycle of brutality and indifference will continue as long as we do not observe, do not engage, do not reflect on the significance what came before and experience the gravity of what is now.
I actually noticed myself doing this. My family watched LI last season and this year I joined them in week 3 and got super invested. I noticed recently how it’s taken up the space and time in my brain that’s usually spent feeling infuriated, depressed, and powerless catching up on the latest ongoings of US imperialism. I feel better mentally. Lighter. 6 nights a week there’s new drama to read about on twitter. New cancellable posts internet sleuths have dug up from contestants’ pasts. New votes to place in the LI app.
A Palestinian family friend who we’re watching with nightly told me she’s surprised the IOF hasn’t timed a big attack with the release of an episode the way they did with the Super Bowl. She’s also told me several times how she’s dreading the end of this season this Sunday when she has to go back to the real world. The distraction machine works on everyone, even some of those directly affected. It’s scary.
dawg. u can have both. u can watch love island AND be involved in ur community + local movements. u can relax after the protest by watching a love island episode. "oogly boogly entertainment bad" its like alcohol: an excellent way to relax in moderation. u can dfw quote @ tiktok but not at love island, the only tv show im watching rn. (ace is my favorite and i so love the energy he brings 2 the villa.)
"i hate popular thing support my cause instead" witness urself using whatevers trending online 2 boost ur own messaging. profiting off the beautiful scottish accent of ian stirling. have some fun. enjoy love island in moderation. i agree tho austin needs 2 get tf out of the villa like nobody wants the man. kick him ouuuuut!
i don't think that the point of the piece was that you're a bad person if you watch LI lol...it's more to point out that these kinds of glossy high production reality shows are just one of MANY ways in which our attention is being purposefully redirected. i think this response is lacking in nuance
Great writing, but the analyses of our foreign affairs is short-sighted.
We have become a beacon for democracy and economic prosperity across the world since the Second World War. Our rule of law and balance of powers are the envy of real victims of dictatorship and authoritarianism.
To compare the Trump Administration’s immigration policy to the Holocaust — the scientific, calculated extermination of an entire people from the European continent — insults the memory of those who perished and minimizes their suffering.
*Hank Hill voice* “mmm…yep.” Thank you for this piece. I’ve had similar thoughts recently. To all those who are despairing—plug into activist networks. Volunteer in your community, join a political project, do SOMETHING! I promise you’ll feel better. Thanks again, Lolo/Alex. 🫰🏼
I thought I was reading a commentary about how our superficial lives are related to a popular reality show. But no, it was yet another complaint over the big beautiful bill. As if it was a uniquely devistating piece of legislation. What it is in irl: more of the same from Washington - except the red team's version this time. Thousands of pages written by lobbyists just like every other bill created in of that slimy town for the last 30 years.
Only to the heavily vaccinated. People with their original DNA would immediately know that what you just said is utterly incomprehensible and they would never agree with you. This is exactly the sort of thing a heavily vaccinated person would say. You think that’s like some vicious slam “you sound blind.” Ooooh, boy! You told me! But here’s the thing. I don’t “sound blind,” whatever that could be. Running into shit? Screaming “I am blind”? Seek help.
Everyone's DNA changes constantly through genetic mutation, and unless you have literally avoided ALL ultraviolet radiation (you haven't), ALL viruses (you haven't), never had ANY STRESS when you were a child (you clearly did), never got an X-ray (this one's actually possible) and have never interacted with ANY arsenic, benzene or nickel (you have), then sure, I guess you have your "original DNA" 🫠
Like what in the actual q-anon conspiracy theory are you crusty anti-vax maga bros EVER talking about y'all make my pussy D R Y.
Liked the first part about distraction but too much focus on current US politics. This article lacks substance and uses the concept of distraction as a vehicle to convey and justify the author’s own political views, without delving deep into the actual concept that the title suggests. Sure your political points may be valid, but the point on distraction being used specifically to distract the common people is very poorly justified, if not at all. You’ve simply stated ‘we’re distracted by screens from the real stuff of the world! (Proof or justification? You’ve only made a theory without anything else). Now let’s talk about my political views on the Big Beautiful Bill!’
If this was an article on the Big Beautiful Bill, then fair enough it’s well written. But the title and first part of the article misleads the reader into reading
such a brutal articulation of the world we are living, eating, sleeping, consuming, regurgitating in. everyone needs to read this.
Couldn’t agree more. This should be taught in schools — if the schools weren’t part of the sedation.
Truly the ultimate manifestation of bread and circuses. Only now they’re also taking the bread away.
Thought And posted the same thing, only you were a day ahead of me. Brutal situation.
I notice how vapid television is used as "middle ground" topics in conversations with people "across the aisle" because differences in opinion about whose a fuck boy is less uncomfortable than real topics where they come out as supporting concentration camps. So folks are changing the conversation from healthcare to milf manor because, somehow, that's less offensive.
I wanna leave an intelligent and smart piece of insight but I haven’t got it, I just feel bad, despaired, and scared because it seems that with each passing year, the bread gets to be fewer but the circuses get louder and louder so, why think about the bread?
Reading these always leaves me feeling informed but powerless. I feel lost and unable to move the needle even slightly toward something better than where we’re headed, and it feels like there’s no unity in preventing the atrocities the US inflicts constantly. Even the more progressive organizing bodies that exist feel too small to make a change. I’m not sure what the next step is
i don't want to feel the need to make everything i write prescriptive. in my interviews with people like tracey rosenthal or calla walsh or marc botenga there are paths and alternatives to despair. you should check those out
I do remember the Calla Walsh interview and I walked away from that one feeling hopeful.
I shouldn’t have said “always,” because that’s not the truth; I think I’m just contextualizing your work through my own pessimism about the state of the world (which I’m working on overcoming).
I don’t mean to say you only write doom and gloom — your work is really insightful and fills me with more hope than hopelessness 💞
u gotta accept that small changes r still changes. like. revolutions gotta start somewhere small. talk 2 ur neighbors and local officials. (by local i mean town/city mayor/council/select board.) plant more trees, volunteer @ the soup kitchen, attend community events. world is massive so u gotta ignore the bisness that u cant touch. focus on where ur actions have the most meaning: in ur local community. genuinely man email ur local political candidates or attend a local city council type meeting. throw a potluck 4 ur neighborhood. u have a ton of agency the issue is that being on the screen makes u see the entire world instead of whats in front of u. look at whats in front of u. u can change whats in front of u. and 100 pennies makes a dollar. u can b one of those pennies. better 2 make a small but meaningful change than no change @ all!!!
hope this makes sense lol. respect man. u seem like a cool guy. go out and meet ppl. board of selectmen meetings, soup kitchen, church, rationalist meetups, idfk what ur vibe is but once u start meeting ppl in ur area it gets so much easier. like my buddy ann lantini runs all the affordable housing shit in my area and once i got her contact info i was better able 2 help lobby 4 more housing in my area. know those in ur area! bc thats where u can make the most impact! <333
Right on, matt. This perspective is so important.
I have to say, this is an excellent cautionary tale. I think my teens are watching Love Island. Should I put the kibosh on it?
They’ve told me they watched two episodes of “Temptation Island,” then got turned off. Incidentally, I went to NYU and lived on Washington Square Park for two years!
i appreciate that you didn't tie this up in a neat bow. critiques without solutions or suggestions are valid and valuable.
focusing on what should happen next is a bit at odds with what i took away from this piece: the cycle of brutality and indifference will continue as long as we do not observe, do not engage, do not reflect on the significance what came before and experience the gravity of what is now.
thank you for writing and existing
I actually noticed myself doing this. My family watched LI last season and this year I joined them in week 3 and got super invested. I noticed recently how it’s taken up the space and time in my brain that’s usually spent feeling infuriated, depressed, and powerless catching up on the latest ongoings of US imperialism. I feel better mentally. Lighter. 6 nights a week there’s new drama to read about on twitter. New cancellable posts internet sleuths have dug up from contestants’ pasts. New votes to place in the LI app.
A Palestinian family friend who we’re watching with nightly told me she’s surprised the IOF hasn’t timed a big attack with the release of an episode the way they did with the Super Bowl. She’s also told me several times how she’s dreading the end of this season this Sunday when she has to go back to the real world. The distraction machine works on everyone, even some of those directly affected. It’s scary.
dawg. u can have both. u can watch love island AND be involved in ur community + local movements. u can relax after the protest by watching a love island episode. "oogly boogly entertainment bad" its like alcohol: an excellent way to relax in moderation. u can dfw quote @ tiktok but not at love island, the only tv show im watching rn. (ace is my favorite and i so love the energy he brings 2 the villa.)
"i hate popular thing support my cause instead" witness urself using whatevers trending online 2 boost ur own messaging. profiting off the beautiful scottish accent of ian stirling. have some fun. enjoy love island in moderation. i agree tho austin needs 2 get tf out of the villa like nobody wants the man. kick him ouuuuut!
i don't think that the point of the piece was that you're a bad person if you watch LI lol...it's more to point out that these kinds of glossy high production reality shows are just one of MANY ways in which our attention is being purposefully redirected. i think this response is lacking in nuance
Great writing, but the analyses of our foreign affairs is short-sighted.
We have become a beacon for democracy and economic prosperity across the world since the Second World War. Our rule of law and balance of powers are the envy of real victims of dictatorship and authoritarianism.
To compare the Trump Administration’s immigration policy to the Holocaust — the scientific, calculated extermination of an entire people from the European continent — insults the memory of those who perished and minimizes their suffering.
*Hank Hill voice* “mmm…yep.” Thank you for this piece. I’ve had similar thoughts recently. To all those who are despairing—plug into activist networks. Volunteer in your community, join a political project, do SOMETHING! I promise you’ll feel better. Thanks again, Lolo/Alex. 🫰🏼
I thought I was reading a commentary about how our superficial lives are related to a popular reality show. But no, it was yet another complaint over the big beautiful bill. As if it was a uniquely devistating piece of legislation. What it is in irl: more of the same from Washington - except the red team's version this time. Thousands of pages written by lobbyists just like every other bill created in of that slimy town for the last 30 years.
The main difference is the messaging.
You sound heavily vaccinated.
You sound blind...
Only to the heavily vaccinated. People with their original DNA would immediately know that what you just said is utterly incomprehensible and they would never agree with you. This is exactly the sort of thing a heavily vaccinated person would say. You think that’s like some vicious slam “you sound blind.” Ooooh, boy! You told me! But here’s the thing. I don’t “sound blind,” whatever that could be. Running into shit? Screaming “I am blind”? Seek help.
Buddy... Champ... Sport... Chris.
Everyone's DNA changes constantly through genetic mutation, and unless you have literally avoided ALL ultraviolet radiation (you haven't), ALL viruses (you haven't), never had ANY STRESS when you were a child (you clearly did), never got an X-ray (this one's actually possible) and have never interacted with ANY arsenic, benzene or nickel (you have), then sure, I guess you have your "original DNA" 🫠
Like what in the actual q-anon conspiracy theory are you crusty anti-vax maga bros EVER talking about y'all make my pussy D R Y.
Don't drown in that kool-aid Cletus. Wow!
Nailed me.
So what is to be done
You know another person wondered this out loud over a hundred years ago
Well who was it
What did they say
Revolution 🕊
Liked the first part about distraction but too much focus on current US politics. This article lacks substance and uses the concept of distraction as a vehicle to convey and justify the author’s own political views, without delving deep into the actual concept that the title suggests. Sure your political points may be valid, but the point on distraction being used specifically to distract the common people is very poorly justified, if not at all. You’ve simply stated ‘we’re distracted by screens from the real stuff of the world! (Proof or justification? You’ve only made a theory without anything else). Now let’s talk about my political views on the Big Beautiful Bill!’
If this was an article on the Big Beautiful Bill, then fair enough it’s well written. But the title and first part of the article misleads the reader into reading
just another political commentary.
An excellent and terrifying read, thank you