IS MEDIA GIVING US A ‘SOCIAL DISEASE’?

How do we discern fiction from fact?  We are living in a time in history were information is filtered to us from numerous media sources – what should we believe?  Which broadcasts are real and which are made up?  There have been conspiracy theories that media is being manipulated so that the general public can stand behind politicians so that they can pass legislation that will remove civil liberties and freedoms from those same people who support them.  Think about all the new surveillance laws that were passed after 9/11 in the name of terrorism.

There was a time were I enjoyed television, gossip magazines, celebrity blog websites, news and printed news – until I realized that much of it was negative and filled me with anxiety.  Why did I need to get so involved in the lives of celebrities, they are only actors?  Why must the news inundate us with reports of gun violence, weather disasters, political scandals and war?  I decided that I no longer needed to concern myself with gossip magazines and news.  I removed cable television from my home.  This doesn’t mean I am ignorant to what is happening around the world – I have just removed the unreliable media sources the spew garbage and gossip.

I understand that news media has lost much credibility – newspapers sensationalize stories so that they can sell their newspapers, networks want to increase viewership and advertisements so they sensationalize their reporting and many entertainment blogs don’t even report entertainment news but what celebrities are wearing, who is sleeping with who, which celebrities have released sex-tapes and which celebrity is having a nervous breakdown.  What happened to legitimate reporting. 

And how about “reality television” – We are bombarded with reality shows that are meaningless, such as;  Jersey Shore, Housewives of (fill in the blank),  Honey Boo-Boo, Kate Plus 8, 16 and Pregnant, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, A Shot of Love, Big Brother, etc….are peoples lives not fulfilling enough that they allow themselves to be brainwashed and distracted from the important things in life?  Or is it that they enjoy being puppets from the food they eat, the drugs they take and the information that is being fed to them?

I really hope that we ‘wake-up’ from the darkness that media, government and Big Business is feeding us to reveal the true ‘man behind the curtain’.  I hope that people begin to clear their minds and lift the veil of manipulation and begin to advocate for truth, justice and the healing of the planet and its people.

All this manipulation reminds me of a song Madonna has written, called “Nobody Knows Me” – from her much under-rated album American Life (2003).  This song and album resonated with me because it was released at a time in my life where my darkness began to fade.  Here are the lyrics to the song, followed by audio, live performance (Re-Invention Tour) and backdrop for the current MDNA tour:

NOBODY KNOWS ME 

I’ve had so many lives
Since I was a child
And I realise
How many times I’ve died

I’m not that kind of guy
Sometimes I feel shy
I think I can fly
Closer to the sky

No one’s telling you how to live your life
But it’s a setup until you’re fed up

This world is not so kind
People trap your mind
It’s so hard to find
Someone to admire

I, I sleep much better at night
I feel closer to the light
Now I’m gonna try
To improve my life

No one’s telling you how to live your life
But it’s a setup until you’re fed up
It’s no good when you’re misunderstood
But why should I care
What the world thinks of me
Won’t let a stranger
Give me a social disease

Nobody, nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Like you know me

Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Like you know me

No one’s telling you how to live my life
But it’s a setup, and I’m just fed up
It’s no good when you’re misunderstood
But why should I care
What the world thinks of me
Won’t let a stranger
Give me a social disease

I don’t want no lies
I don’t watch TV
I don’t waste my time
Won’t read a magazine

I don’t want no lies
I don’t watch TV
I don’t waste my time
Won’t read a magazine

I, I sleep much better at night
I feel closer to the light
Now I’m gonna try
To improve my life

Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Like you know me

Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Like, like you know me
Like you know me
Like you know me
Like you know me
Like you know me

(It’s no fun but the damage is done
Don’t want your social disease
Don’t want your social disease)

Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Like you know me

Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me
Don’t want your social disease

(I don’t want no lies
I don’t watch TV
I don’t waste my time
Won’t read a magazine
I don’t want no lies
I don’t watch TV
Won’t read a magazine)

Let’s all ‘fly closer to the sky’ with our eyes opened, our hearts opened and are minds lifted from the shroud of manipulation.  Remove your blinders and live the authentic life you were supposed to live.  Find your passion and make a positive change in the world.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!