Chrisonomicon

Wednesday, April 11, 2001

Watching Family Feud this morning, I suddenly grew very angry. It occurred to me that this and other shows appearing during the same time of day -- Judge Judy, Divorce Court, The Price is Right -- are simply feeding a desire to conform and think correctly, safely, collectively. Family Feud pays people to think like everyone else, and we all know what happens if they don?t ("Survey says..."): they get an obnoxious, painful buzzer in their ear along with a sorrowful swell from the audience and studio orchestra. They don?t get paid, either. These shows claim to know what decisions should be made, how we compare to the rest of the world, or how much we "know." In truth, however, they are simply reinforcing our need to be accepted, agreeable, and ultimately loved, by telling us what to think and do.

Although television alone isn?t a great source to base conjectures like this on, it reflects certain aspects of our culture, mindset, and nature. Humans seem to be so driven to conform and be accepted into the masses. Based on religious and philosophical teachings that suggest we suppress base desires, it would be only logical to assume that we suppress this urge as well. Thoughout the ages, many have recognized this and strived for original and creative thought (which, ironically, suggests that these people are conformists as well but I?ll get to that in a minute).

Despite our greatest attempts at creativity and original thought, everything results in rehashed or recombinant versions of past ideas and creation. Take our manner and style of dress for example. Even though many take pride in their wardrobe and believe it demonstrates a level of individualism, aren?t they still conforming in one way or another? Those who claim to be unique individuals are still part of a growing category of even more people claiming to be unique individuals. Resisting conformity is conforming in itself. It seems impossible to to break free of this cycle.

Another example would be writing. It?s simply a matter of combining pre-existing words and fabricating ideas. For all you know, that exact combination of words could have been used somewhere else, at another point in time, for exactly the same purpose. If the combination of words isn?t replicated exactly, most likely the idea has been expressed by someone, somewhere. Hell, this entry may be repeating a thousand other writers, right now. In its purest, physical sense, nothing in this existence is original because a million years ago, it was something else, yet everything is original as nothing has been created nor destroyed since the beginning of time. The word can have several meanings, all dependent on the context.

Before I talk myself into a downward spiral, let me just say that I do believe in the ability to be and create that which is truly unique. I think the only way to acknowledge this is to ignore the meaning of "originality," altogether. It?s impossible to be truly original in the purest sense of the word.

Like nature which creates new species and genetic traits through recombinant DNA and sexual reproduction, humans are able to concoct new ideas and new stories though the similar technique of recombination. Eventually, through building on past constructions and ideas, we can reach a state that can be considered relatively new. This is the core of human progress, after all. It?s funny, because through all this typing, I?ve suddenly realized that the act of creation is not discrete, but rather a continuum, building upon previous versions of itself. It is existence refining existence.

So, in the end, I?m left facing a television broadcast of Family Feud. I turn it off. Instead of airing shows that feed our desire to think like everyone else, we should be promoting game shows that reward the original thinker, the new idea, the unconventional approach. Changing TV programming isn?t a cureall approach, but it?s a start. By encouraging this type of thinking, perhaps someday, people will accept and love those that aren?t a variant of the norm. Perhaps we can destroy stereotypes that plague us today. Perhaps I?m being overlyzealous and idealistic. That?s a topic for another entry.