I welcome our new insect overlords
Last night I listened to this really fascinating live Radio Lab show about the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast (thanks, Dan!). I recommend downloading it if you have to commute anywhere or have time to listen at the gym. (I firmly believe that podcasts are the key to getting through 40 minutes on the elliptical).
Anyway, the program analyzed the way mass hysteria took over on that night. It was kind of a perfect storm of events. People were already paranoid about the Germans and the most popular show on the radio was featuring a musical act that wasn’t all that exciting. So people changed the channel and came across this War of the Worlds broadcast (having missed the introduction), and from there, well, old-timey hilarity ensued.
Just listen.
Toward the end of the program, the hosts got into a discussion about the role that news anchors play in communicating scary or disturbing news—how they ultimately frighten us with their words and yet assure us with their presence at the same time. And I would agree. For me, the scariest part of any apocalyptic film or movie is the moment when the news goes off the air, when the radio and TV stations go dark. Why is that? Lack of information, of course. But also the feeling of being alone to face whatever is going to happen. There’s no help or advice from any “expert,” no historical context or interpretation, no reassurance, no prediction of outcome, no spokesperson to articulate the fear or desperation for all of us.
I hate the fear-mongering that goes on, especially in local TV news, as an attempt to get ratings (and this program addresses that a little bit). But I like knowing that if something big happens I can turn on the TV and find people who know more than I do about the situation and they’ll tell me about what’s going on.
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And, completely off topic but another link. This post pretty much completely illustrates why I read blogs. She takes one personal experience, makes it universal (at least for women), and addresses major societal issues at the same time—all while being really moving and entertaining. I haven’t experienced anything close to the situation that she’s describing, and yet I was crying when I finished.
Dudes, it’s always about more than the burrito.
Anyway, the program analyzed the way mass hysteria took over on that night. It was kind of a perfect storm of events. People were already paranoid about the Germans and the most popular show on the radio was featuring a musical act that wasn’t all that exciting. So people changed the channel and came across this War of the Worlds broadcast (having missed the introduction), and from there, well, old-timey hilarity ensued.
Just listen.
Toward the end of the program, the hosts got into a discussion about the role that news anchors play in communicating scary or disturbing news—how they ultimately frighten us with their words and yet assure us with their presence at the same time. And I would agree. For me, the scariest part of any apocalyptic film or movie is the moment when the news goes off the air, when the radio and TV stations go dark. Why is that? Lack of information, of course. But also the feeling of being alone to face whatever is going to happen. There’s no help or advice from any “expert,” no historical context or interpretation, no reassurance, no prediction of outcome, no spokesperson to articulate the fear or desperation for all of us.
I hate the fear-mongering that goes on, especially in local TV news, as an attempt to get ratings (and this program addresses that a little bit). But I like knowing that if something big happens I can turn on the TV and find people who know more than I do about the situation and they’ll tell me about what’s going on.
--------------------------------------------------------
And, completely off topic but another link. This post pretty much completely illustrates why I read blogs. She takes one personal experience, makes it universal (at least for women), and addresses major societal issues at the same time—all while being really moving and entertaining. I haven’t experienced anything close to the situation that she’s describing, and yet I was crying when I finished.
Dudes, it’s always about more than the burrito.
Labels: Big Questions, Internet
posted by Melanie at 11:37 AM
