Turned Off TV

I know I've blogged about 'But does it float' before, but today's offering is hitting my Z spot if I can use that expression for the zeitgeist demonisation of the end of the TV era I'm noticing. 

Here's a couple of turned off TV's below. Something I almost feel affectionate for from a bygone age when screens played out a unique signature of light-drama at the electric curtain call. 

I've rejected a TV screen in my home for years now to the point that when I visit other peoples homes I'm taken aback how intrusive and badly informed the TV is. Like an ungrateful house guest. Bellicose and belligerent.

MESSENGER

It's not often I can sit through a 160 minutes of unvarnished Hollywood with a poorly rated 10 year old movie but I just did. It's called The Postman and I can't remember who suggested I should watch it but I think it's closely linked to the John Titor story I've been intrigued by recently. The post apocalyptic details are uncannily similar.

The hook that was most interesting in this otherwise pedestrian movie was the idea that it wasn't what was said or done that motivated disparate groups to rise up against the Barbarian impersonating Bethlehem character, but rather mishap, serendipity, legend and myth coalescing around a couple of peaceful ideals. By the time Costner slips on postal uniform and a tells a few fibs to cadge a free meal, he had worked his way into a dispirited people's conciousness and the idea of a great hero reuniting the former United States grows to become an epic story. This galavanised people into writing letters to long lost connections in a post-electric-grid world. One threatened by marauding armies extracting taxes and punishment.

I admit I also watched it as a sort of compromise movie as I felt my girlfriend would enjoy the ease of comprehension and the romantic scenes which Costner delivers on with admirable fortitude. I could barely stifle a giggle from the idea of a pseudo postman getting laid in city to city from women yearning for pregnancy from post-nuclear sterile husbands. Hot bath and free meals too. What's not to like about that?

But the odd synchronicities encouraged me to sit through the movie because it occurred to me that I'm also reading Bukowski's Post Office, and then there's the success of the first satellite called MESSENGER to orbit Mercury only days ago and for some reason I feel that Mercury is the definitive under rated planet to be given sufficient analysis compared to the two that NASA is obsessed by. Mars (God of War) and Saturn from the Greek Chronus which means time and who was also the father of Zeus.

Mercury is of course the obvious choice if one wanted to play the Vatican and assign a patron saint to advertising. The messenger. Hermes. Closest planet to the Sun. You heard it here first.

Does Advertising Numb Basic Human Compassion?

China's capital has banned outdoor advertising that promotes hedonistic or high-end lifestyles as the government seeks to ease public concerns about the country's widening wealth gap. This seems quite timely on the heels of my, is advertising immoral or unethical post. How long can pimping luxury products blatantly in the face of people who cannot afford them but create the wealth that purchases them continue? Something is shifting in the world with respect to conspicuous consumption. Full story over here and hat tip to David for finding the story.