The Year of the Sex Olympics - or Reality TV!

Dear Readers,

Having some difficulty coming up with a photo idea to compliment our mid month blog theme as, arguably, the two suitable props we have are already used - last December /drupal/node/1039 and January /drupal/node/1055 -  we settled on a straightforward " Ready, willing & able anytime" pose.

Among the thousands of movies seen over the years a few have really impressed us in regard to content and insight. One of them was the 1968 play entitled "The Year of the Sex Olympics".

The play depicts a world of the future where a small elite (the hi-drives) control government and media and keep the masses docile by an endless diet of lowest common denominator TV programmes and pornography. Otherwise known as 'Apathy Control', necessary in the control of the (foreseen) overpopulated World.

The plot:    After observing the accidental death of a protestor during the 'Sex Olympics' competition gets a massive audience response, the rebellious tv coordinator decides to commission a new show.  The Live Life Show,  where a family are stranded on an Island to fend for themselves - watched by the (low-drive) TV audience and spiced up by introducing a psychopath to the Island.

Sound familiar?

While in 1968 the advent of the computer age, internet and all the facets of it was not envisaged in lieu of TV, the principle is the same, albeit that sadly the 'diet' is largely self administered.

Digressing to an Orwellian verbally reduced society with passive audience manipulation and participation through exposure to advertising slogans, mediaspeak, political correctness and visual imagery his show failed to ignite and awaken as to his horror the audience settled back to contentment when the psychopath goes on a murderous rampage on the Island.

Around 2000 the comparison of 'The Year of the Sex Olympics' and the rise of reality television programmes (soap operas without professional actors) was made. Examples such as Big Brother, Castaway, Survivor, not to mention all the Cooking (Masterchef), Travel (Amazing Race), Mating (Batchelorette), Models (Next Top Model), Dance (So you think you can Dance), Talent Quests (*** Got Talent, X-Factor) et al ad nauseum.   One may reasonably ask "Is TV - and now also our computer screens  -  a substitute for living? Especially when one considers that nothing gets contemporary reality audiences more content than an emotional train wreck on live TV / Comp screen.

The Year of the Sex Olympics was also a satire on Sensational aspect of television and the media in general.

We will leave you with two final thoughts. If there was a Sexual Olympic competition what would gold, silver and bronze medalists have done better than the rest? And ponder the words, a quote from the movie 'Shooter'.

This is a country, where the Secretary of Defense can go on T.V., and tell the American public, oh, that "This is about freedom! It's not about oil!" And nobody questions him, cuz they don't wanna hear the answer, because it's a lie! There are only so many places at the table, Gunnie. Now, are you on the INSIDE, or are you on the OUT?

hugs and kisses

dolltime

You can find a better, more comprehensive reading and analysis of 'The Year of the Sex Olympics' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Year_of_the_Sex_Olympics