Extra, Extra-Be All About It!

Let me share with you what I've learned in the passed year:

First, Justin Beaver and his new love interest are the new, real-life Barbie and Ken, though at a greater distance (and cost) from our children.

Second, TV/Cable expects that you will respond to its programs/ads with the same mindless enthusiasm that you see/hear from the audience/laughtrack.

Third, interactive (call, text, or tweet) viewing is programming you into a program.

In effect, like Reality TV, we are all stars in someone else's production. But doesn't that make us more like an 'extra' in a movie we may never get to see? As the expression goes, "What part of you're being used don't you understand?".

Remember, before you beat yourself up too much, that Utilitarianism was the new 20th Century religion shoved down our throats. As the world has gotten more populated, the concern for the individual has gotten less and less probable. The new religion just codifies  a new approach: The greatest good for the greatest number. Unfortunately, this usually translates as the least amount for the least empowered. After all, there's only so much to go around, right?

But wait, I thought 'goods' like kindness, love and forgiveness multiply when they are given honestly. Maybe we can learn to script these as more than just an extra consideration for our programming pleasure?