Thursday, August 19, 2004
Nothing's Shocking

In an age dominated by shocking images and sounds,our senses have been flooded to their threshold to the point of numbness where images of carnage and gore can no longer shock or surprise to the degree they once could.I was reminded of this during a talk held yesterday by our department when the traffic police came down to educate us about road safety and other matters.The organiser,somehow,saw it fit to begin the presentation by showing various grisly images of crushed bodies,severed limps,spilled internals and crushed skulls.Sure,there were warnings that the contents that were to be shown were of a graphic nature and viewers should watch according to their own discretion.I was alright with the viewing,but I felt a little queasy.I don't know about the others but sitting besides Colossus and Jubilee,I knew at least one of them was uncomfortable with it.I still feel that it was done in bad taste but who am I to say?The government has been employing this tactic for eons now,bad taste or not.The anti-smoking adverts and the pictures they now post on cigarette packs.The anti-drugs adverts.They all try to use shock value to "educate"(I use " " because I don't believe in its educational value,if any.It has about as much educational value as a $500 fine) and deter.What they don't seem to reckon is that today's youths have seen far worse.Nothing's shocking.In an age where we see Muslim extremists behead people on video,what's there that we have not seen?

I think what we see on TV,videos and movies these days are as gruesome as what real life has to offer and that has desensitised us not to feel about such violent images.When I saw the crushed head picture with the brains flowing out and the skull sliced in half so you could no longer see the face(words don't do it justice,it just doesn't sound grisly enough),the first thing I thought was actually how much it resembled the "fire extinguisher crushing the skull" scene in "Irreversible".Only that in the movie,you are watching the entire process of a face caving in and you are aware that it IS special effects.But it prepares one for the horrors real life situations can mirror.I think,likewise,anybody insane enough(I have never watched it and don't intend to) to want to watch the "Faces of Death" series would be prepared for anything gruesome.I would think a number of teens or young people would fall into this category.

Likewise,the beheading videos we see in news reports,the videos of the mobs multilating corpses during the insurgency in Iraq.All these are things we see too often in our daily lifes.We have seen enough of this to feel nothing can shock us anymore so please,well-meaning people,don't try to shock us with images and sounds.I think when people look away,like I did,it is may not be because we are shocked or unsetlled by it.We are just turning away from somethign we already see too much of.Education can be done in a more meaningful and pleasant manner.And it can be done tastefully.But obviously this point can be lost on certain people,such as the organisers of the seminar yesterday who elected to show THREE separate portions of such graphic images.How thoughful of them to think that it takes three screenings before we realise the horrific consequences of reckless/drunk driving?

Have some sensitivity about the feelings of others.Sure,it is a good way to get your message across but is it the ONLY way or even the most effective way?Shock-mongers are people who have found no other way to capture the attention of their audience...whether it's through a lack of imagination,creativity or substance.Marilyn Manson was shocking three years back with his pseudo-devil worship and shocking sleeve designs.Now,he's yesterday's news.What are you going to come up with tomorrow to capture our attention?Be more and more warped.At this rate,I already can't wait for the next talk that will be held next month...on paedophilia.Although I've said that nothing is shocking,there is still some capacity for me to be shocked by things I haven't seen.Especially bad taste.