"With distraction gone, reality rushed to fill the void"
We need distraction. ...Yes, it is important to know reality, and to be realistic. But David Blaine's "bubble boy" experiment was not an act of a martyr - he is a form of entertainment. ...he is a bit crazy, and his attempts to defy his humanism make my body quiver in disgust, but if he is able to entertain thousands of people and allow them to escape the bitter reality of everyday life for only a few moments, then let him! ...and thank him for it!
As i watched him attempt to hold his breath on TV to break the world record, i couldnt take my eyes away from the screen, no matter how ill i was feeling watching his pruned skin being locked up in chains. what added to the dusturbtion was the preview for a new TV movie about the bird-flu hitting america. ...suddenly, back to "reality"...but, not really because that hasnt happened! yet another thing to stir-up fear in americans. and while i was thinking about the "distraction of reality" called David Blaine.
Why such a harsh reaction???
After reading an article in the NYtimes about how Mr. Blaine manipulated our world to forgetting that thousands of other people around the world were dying, i thought - why don't they apply the same argument to every other form of entertainment??? and secondly, most of us hear about - even see - people dying every day, and face the bitterness of our world. We KNOW it is happening. We are TRYING to do something about it. We ARE overwhelmed and deserve a few minutes to escape and feel like the only thing worth worrying about right now is if this guy comes out of the water bubble alive; if he will break the world record of holding his breath for over 8min58sec; if the chains will make his skin fall off.
While I agree that some people ignore what is really happening in our world, I think the ones who do pay attention can spend these moments away from the "real" worries. I need a break from reality sometimes. And if that means watching a grown man attempt to live underwater for 7 days, then so be it!
posted by stephanie at
8:47 PM
1 Comments:
Yeah, i remember watching that thing and thinking it was really a pretty interesting way to approach entertainment. I don't know if the world needs distractions so much as the world needs creative minds who bring something new to the table when it comes to entertaining the masses.
I was dissapointed though, i mean, he didn't set the world record. i'm surprised people still called it a half-victory. i can't wait to see what he's doing next
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