Have You Ever Thought This ?

[Shyam]

When watching the news about conflicts, like the Libyan one for example, you of course feel sorry for the victims. But for me, in the back of my mind I think these thoughts.

When war happens I think well world news is exciting again. The Budget ? Boring ? bring on the explosions and the gunfire.

When the london riots happened, I thought it was terrible, the loss of life. But then I felt exhilirted by the Anarchy and looting.

So do any of you get similar reaction when watching the news/current affairs ?

 

[AtomicSpark]

I don't watch the news. I avoid it entirely.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Not really. I'm not gonna claim any moral high ground since I usually regard these kinds of things with steadfast apathy, but the more I see/read about them, the more depressed I get. That goes for mundane shit like the economy, too.

**** politics, basically.

 

[Raziaar]

I don't really find entertainment in those sorts of things, no, at least not on a direct level.

I am fascinated by the news around the world, but I don't welcome it and actively wish it was all boring trivial stuff with no wars or anything else dramatic going on.

 

[Stigmata]

We live vicariously through those who connect with the facets of human experience stolen by desk work and passive entertainment :V

 

[Shyam]

We live vicariously through those who connect with the facets of human experience stolen by desk work and passive entertainment :V

Office workers want to go on a killing rampage ?

 

[DEATHMASTER]

I mostly find it sad, and I would prefer to hear good news rather than bad. I can't say I find it exhilarating in the slightest.

 

[Robbo]

I know exactly what you mean, but I don't think I would exactly call it exhilarating because that seems to suggest that you view the content itself as good thing. Rather it's like you're thinking wow this is something that would be really cool in a movie, but unlike in a movie where you're always aware that it's fake when you watch it on the news you know it's real which makes it even more interesting. I remember watching the coverage after the WTC attacks and thinking how cool it was then they had the cameras wondering around the streets that were full of clouds of dust filming people being pulled out of cars and buildings etc, not because what has happening was good but maybe because you know that it was real and that those people were actually there doing that stuff which usually we only see as a part of fiction.

Anyway not sure if that really gets my point across and hopefully it doesn't make me sound like a dick, interested to see if it's what you meant though.

 

[JUL3]

Since I've been studying Media I'm incredibly mistrustful of News; silence of representation, sensationalism, etc.

Reinforcement theory would suggest you feel exhilarated when you hear about wars and buildings burning to the ground because you've found such things exhilarating before, any number of Hollywood films jump to mind... just my opinion. I think that's the case for me though, when I read about the events in Libya I got excited, Rebels breaking down the gates to Gaddafi's compound, shit is crazy cool. The loss of life is terrible, but that isn't the focus of the news media, the focus is to make you feel excited about news. It's important to remember that [in the eyes of News Corp. and the rest] News = Entertainment, Entertainment = Money.

 

[The Monkey]

Yeah, I do get a small thrill when I see war and riots in the media, and I feel really awful for it. I guess it's part of a small personal romanticisation of the "apocalypse".

 

[DEATHMASTER]

For certain instances I can understand like the plight of the Egyptian people, it's reasonable to feel sympathetic for those longing for freedom.

 

[Unfocused]

I know what you mean, I also get some seemingly contradictory feelings.

When something like this happens I find it sad, sometimes to the point where tears are almost rolling into my eyes (surprisingly I didn't get this up until a few years ago).

But at the same time, it's exciting, it's something to watch and something to talk about - something's going on and it evokes emotion and people are attracted to things that evoke emotion. I don't think it's something to feel bad about, it's not like I want people to suffer so that I can watch some exciting news, but I don't control those events.

It's natural for humans to draw excitement from viewing death - of course other factors come in to play such as compassion, morality etc. so we generally don't want to see innocent people dying in front of our eyes, but it seems we still get some of those "positive" feelings when that happens. Fortunately we can get our fix from action movies nowadays instead of watching public executions, but that's just deceiving the brain and we will still get more excitement out of people dying in the real world, even when we don't want them to die.

 

[Sulkdodds]

We live vicariously through those who connect with the facets of human experience stolen by desk work and passive entertainment :V

This. I absolutely feel it - of course I do - if any of you have ever read Joe Sacco's story War Junkie, it's basically that.

I apologise for this post being one of the least penetrating and interesting in the thread.

 

[Shyam]

But in a way, aren't natural disasters, war and other calamities in general that makes Human life a bit unpredictable and exciting to live ?

Is it really because we sympathise with the plight of others or is it the fact that we are made aware of our insignificance and mortality.

 

[Tyguy]

Everything about what is happening is terrible must I must say that the videos coming out of africa are getting more and more fantastic. It's like poor people's HBO.

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kx38voH3WO1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

No, because the budget is more exciting than conflict to be honest. Conflict is always going on and if you really want to see it there are plenty of sites that have video footage from the constant strife around the globe. Your economy only goes into emergency mode once a generation

For certain instances I can understand like the plight of the Egyptian people, it's reasonable to feel sympathetic for those longing for freedom.

The Muslim Brotherhood and factions that actually led the Egyptian revolution don't particularly exemplify 'freedom.' The same thing goes for the Libyan rebels, who have announced their constitution will be based on Sharia law. Simply opposing the current dictator doesn't mean their ideas or methods are really all that better.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Or maybe he was talking about individuals rather than organisations.

 

[Raziaar]

But in a way, aren't natural disasters, war and other calamities in general that makes Human life a bit unpredictable and exciting to live ?

Is it really because we sympathise with the plight of others or is it the fact that we are made aware of our insignificance and mortality.

Bad things aren't what makes life exciting to live. Not in my opinion. Bad things like war/famine/genocide make life terrible to live.

 

[Stylo]

IMO, these things are nothing but a media led distraction from the fact that the universe is f*cking epic and beautiful in so many ways. Positive stuff just doesn't make the news as often.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

When watching the news about conflicts, like the Libyan one for example, you of course feel sorry for the victims. But for me, in the back of my mind I think these thoughts.

When war happens I think well world news is exciting again. The Budget ? Boring ? bring on the explosions and the gunfire.

When the london riots happened, I thought it was terrible, the loss of life. But then I felt exhilirted by the Anarchy and looting.

So do any of you get similar reaction when watching the news/current affairs ?

Well after ten years of hearing people losing their lives in conflict, I have to say I've gotten bored of it. I think the only time in the last year I have been glued to the news has been the London Riots and the Fukushima Meltdown because at the back of my mind I was praying for a miracle, nobody should have to live through that shit.