Hmmm

[darren_stranger]

Just saw a tv news story that featured, with appropriate 'viewers may find some scenes disturbing' warnings, footage of a burning house from which dogs (which didn't make it out) could be heard howling and yelping. While i suppose we don't need to be molly-coddled and protected from disturbing images from the real world, i couldn't help feeling there was something uncomfortably cynical and voyeuristic in airing that footage, that it was shown solely for ratings and 'entertainment' purposes, not as information we need to know, and as such it's a bit sick.

*shrug*

In other tv musing, i wonder if, given the convictions that were given to Melbourne Uni student newspaper editors over a satirical story promoting shoplifting some years ago, the people behind the latest Just Jeans ad with lobsters rescued from a restaurant will be similarly charged with inciting crime. Or does that not apply if you're trying to sell product instead of making a political point?

Gah, too much cynicism. That's what i get for having time to actually watch television.

Comments

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Cynical?

I'm waiting for the parents of the three boys killed Darwined at Goodna over the weekend (they were stunningly the losers in a headbutting contest with a train) to start threatening Queensland Rail for inadequate fencing, or the police for not being firmer with the boys earlier in the day.

Because apparently kids today don't know that it's dangerous to play on the train tracks. And trains are too silent or something.


/Feels sorry for the driver.

[ultraviolencia.livejournal.com]

When I heard that, aside from sickened disbelief, the first thought that came to mind was "so, what were their parents doing at the time?" - the second thought was, yeah, they're probably going to sue Queensland's rail company for the fact that they (the parents) never properly explained to their children that if you play on train tracks... YOU MIGHT GET HIT!

[severina-242.livejournal.com]

No one actually got convicted over the Rabelais thing (the shop lifting article). It was eventually dropped (after a couple of years that is). But they were being charged with things like sedition. And the only reason they got in trouble is because the issue was whipped up but John Laws.

[txxxpxx.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad I didn't see that. I feel emotional just reading your snippet. Funny, I can handle images of people being shot, or blown up or whatever but if there is an animal involved, most particularly a dog, I find it infinately more difficult.

This was made very clear to me when a number of years ago there was a murder in St Kilda. I was at the reiki flat & the police came looking for witnesses. They also asked if we'd seen a tomahawk lying around. It seems this woman was bashed to death with such a weapon. Awful, terrible, I got on with my life.

A few weeks later there was an article in the news about a boxer who had been clubbed to death with a hammer. I cried for about an hour. It upset me so much more.

Don't really know what it is. It certainly isn't rational. I wonder if it has something to do with the helplessness of an animal where as I see a human as being able to get themselves out of more situations. *shrug* Don't really know.