35949¥281 The Humanist Focus On Feelings Ànd ~~~~~

EXPERIENCES,
RATHER THAN DEEDS,
TRANSFORMED ART! Wordsworth,
Dostoyevsky, Dickens and Zola cared little
for brave Knights & Derring-do; instead théy described
how ordinary labourers & housewives felt! Some people believe
that James Joyce's ULYSSES represents the apogee of this modern focus on the inner life
rather than external actions?! In 260,000 words Joyce describes a single day in the life of the Dubliners
Stephen Daedalus & Leopold Bloom, who over the course of that day do ... well, nothing much at all.
Few people have actually read Ulysses cover to cover, but the same change of focus now underpins
much of our popular culture too?!! In the United States of A., the TV series Survivor is often credited
(or blamed) for turning reality shows into a craze!?SURVIVOR was the first reality show to make it to
the tòp of the Nielsen ratings, and in 2007 TIME magazine listed it among the hundred greatest TV shows
of àll tíme! In each season 20 contenders in minimal swimsuits are isolated on some tropical island? They have to
face various kinds of challenges, and during each episode they vote to oust one of their members! The last one lèft
takes home $1 million! Audiences in Homeric Greece, in the Roman Empire or in medieval Europe would have found
the idea familiar & highly attractive! Twenty challengers go on - only one hero comes out? 'Wonderful!' a Honeric, a Roman
patrician or a crusader knight would have thought to himself as he sat down to watch! 'Surely we are about to see amazing adventures,
life-and-death battles & incomparable acts of heroism & betrayal! The Warriors will probably Stab each other in the back, or spill their entrails for all to see!' What a disappointment! The back-stabbing & entrails-spilling remain a mere metaphor! Each episode lasts
about one hour... Out of that, 15 minutes are taken up by commercials for toothpaste, shampoo, cereals & suchlike fucking shit:
5 minutes are dedicated to incredible childish challenges, such as who can throw the most coconuts into a hoop, or who can eat
the largest number of bugs in a minute? The rest of the time these common 'heroes' just talk about their 'feelings'! He said she
said, & I felt this & I felt that? If a crusader knight hàd actually béén able to sit down to watch Survivor, he would probably
have grabbed his battleaxe & smashed the tv out of utter boredom & total frustration? Today 'real men' talk about football & they
play video games? Fans of absolutely anything at all gaan uit hun boreale bol, extreem gewelddadige politie- & maffiafilmpjes zijn
dé tòp of The Bill! Kortom: één & AL Verlubbering, Veragting, Verrutting & vertrutting verpakt in advertenties, reclames & bijbehorende
'koopkrachtplaatjes' die geen gaatjes vullen maar wèl totaal gefrustreerde mocroturco- & araboslungels aanzetten tot messentrekkerij & Pistolenpaultjes gezwets tussen voetbal, handbal, golfbal, quizzen, kwatsen & zwetsen door over niks & NIEMANDAL!? Flodderfamilies &
goede tijden slechte tijden, flauwekulgelul, kutsmoesjes voor de vaak, lawaaierige mallotigheden, openbare agressie
& leeghoofdigheid. En dan vragen de dames & heren boven modaal zich hardop af waaròm er bloed vloeit
overal in 't openbaar, via alomtegenwoordige drones, 'demonstraties', gepensioneerde voetballers,
geile humorbrallers als Freekjes, Hansjes, Youpjes, Wimmen Kan & Sonneveld?
Ome Mark doet de dagsluiting, de pastoor zwaait met z'n kwast,
dominees verdoemen, medici mankeren & psychologen zijn
goedbetaald voor 't uitleggen & duiden samen met
psychiaters, bouwvakkers, ambtenaren
& blote dámes
met 'niks
an'!