As I am presently dieting (see blog) and exercising to get fitter, healthier – whilst writing about how to escape the pressures of our society (and make the world a better place), I need to write down this observation, for all to share:
In earlier posts I have suggested the first step (and most significant) one can take to feel better about yourself, escape societal pressures and find your perfect life is to mute television adverts, always, and make fun of them. This is obviously a very first step and for many very easy (you may not even have a television, so are much further down the road) but for the general populous, tv advertising is bad for you, and bad for your community life and the planet.
The point I want to make now is that the pressures of society are on you all the time you watch television, every time you read a magazine – those are the two biggest purveyors of “image”, third and related is watching films, in particular the mainstream Hollywood industry. ‘Hollywood’ is mentally sickObsession with body type and the use of sex to sell (products or films or whatever), whilst at the same time censoring film so strictly has had a powerful and profound impact upon the lives of all who see it and as it is so far reaching, virtually the entire global population (and via global systems of atmosphere and carbon etc, it is now certainly effecting everyone!). and there is a strong argument to say that the root cause of much of “our” problems now have been caused by the American film industry.
Every actor and actress who takes their clothes of for the obligatory ‘love’ scene (gratuitous sex scene) needs to look “good” or the film will bomb. We want smooth flesh, unblemished. We want 6-pack abs, large, pneumatic breasts, broad shoulders and slim waists, tight buttocks (butts) and chiseled bone structure. That is what we most want to see and that is what we do most see, along with the grotesque exagerations of plastic surgery and cosmetics. The obsession with the removal of body hair is an example. On film, TV and in magazines you will only see smooth, tanned skins. Hair is now considered disgusting. Men are now waxing, even removing armpit hair. Beards are out!
I could go on but you get the point!
The reason I am writing all this down is the conflict I feel between what I see in the mirror – my body self image – and what I have to compare it with – the artificial bodies of the mass media!!! I am feeling it too – as are you!!! I bet you are, or else you would not be reading this!
This is one big reason why are lives are becoming so miserable!!! And it is fueled by advertising and an obsession with persuading us to buy more stuff, be good consumers and to always want more, and more and more – on a planet that cannot take any more or our pullution!!! We are killing our environment and life as we know it because we are all consuming more and more and more and thus creating more and more bi-products (waste) in the forms of waste energy, carbon, methane, toxic chemicals, hormones and so on. The bit we have become addicted to wanting is just a small part of the production – the rest is forgotten about as “waste” and we pretend that the planet will absorb it all, as it has done up until now – but the old way cannot be sustained and we are fast approaching catastrophe – history in the making – a possible extinction of the human species (the last remaining humanoid – the others have already become extinct, like the Neanderthal people). We will not survive the global changes that are about to happen – are just starting to become apparent. And truth be told, as things are now, we will rather die in an alcoholic or pot daze, watching TV or masturbating as we stare at a virtual world on the internet … unless … unless, you and I and our neighbour and our friend and the other people in your street and the next one do something about it – now!
What do we need to do – stop! Why can we not stop? Mass media and consumerist economics. How can we overcome that problem to allow us to act, and reject the lifestyles we are now living? Stop ourselves being the victims of a barrage of false images, advertising, propaganda and selfish short term thinking (ie shareholder profit, paying the mortgage, “it’s a job” etc) … and we got to stop thinking the problem is too big … “what is the point?” and we are all done for. No, we are not yet done for – and more importantly – it will be a horrible decline into war and disease and suffering if we do nothing – so even if things do get a lot worse it is still in everyones own self interest to stop consuming – because … it will make you happier! You will be healthier! You will have your friends and family around you and time to spend with them! Isn’t that what you really want, deep down? Time to play with your children and grandchildren? TIme to make love? So do it!
And what is stopping you? I suggest – Turn off the adverts – stop buying the magazines – stop looking at the adverts in friends magazines or at the dentist surgery – ignore billboards – censor films yourself and stop watching the shit films that purvey a false body image – stop looking at porn (unless it is real people with realistic bodies!), reject all the cosmetic changes to your body – and start to love yourself! You may not be perfect, you may be overweight, hairy, spotty and pale … but so are most of us … we are all like you … so many of us drugged up on anti-depressents, or self medicating on alcohol, nicotine, THC, painkillers, cocaine, or prescribed drugs.
My wife loves my body but I don’t love my own body – I am ashamed of it – it does not match up to the bodies I compare myself with. What a waste of time!!!! What a waste of love and happiness!!!
So, I am going to and I suggest you do too – reject these images we are being fed all the time!!!
I am going to treat my body like it is special – I am going to feed it only good food – healthy and nutritious stuff that it craves (once addictions are overcome – things like sugar, caffeine, salt – see the ingredients list on what you buy!!!) … I am going to give it fresh oxygen and good rest, and I am going to let every muscle do what it wants to do, stretch and move!!! I am going to pamper myself, for free, by being me!!! That is perfect and feels great … just being me … warts and all. That is happiness!!!
Start a revolution – inside you!
