It is content!
Not nuclear weapons, neither inter-continental missiles, nor biological or chemical warfare; content is the most powerful weapon in the world! It is the one that can enter the veins of a society, infect minds, dictate policies, shape the future, and leave behind inter-generational impact. They say sugar is the most potent drug of them all, but content is probably much much worse!
Events of the last year confirmed like never before how content shaped minds in the last ~100 years. Now, the popular belief has been that folks from autocracies, one-party states, anocracies, etc., are the most susceptible to the clutches of content in forms of propaganda and misinformation. Turns out, people from the most progressive democracies are just as vulnerable, if not more!
The fatal damages that dishonest content can do have been laying out there for too long; about time we acknowledged the menace. If only to leave behind a slightly safer world. It is time we felt uncomfortable, offended, even insecure, so we could inquire about the roots of those emotions. Else, we have built a world of toxic political correctness, and there is no profit in it. None at all!
A popular propaganda trick in Western content has been “philanthropy for the poor world.” Now, the popular understanding of “philanthropy” is similar to me having Onion Rings instead of French Fries in my effort to eat healthy. That aside, there are mentions all over of school building in Africa, Doctors without Borders helping the sick in Asia, water/sanitation projects in South America and so on.
Dr. Richard from “Friends” went on a mission to Africa, which made Monica swoon; newly-married Dr. Leo from “Will & Grace” made a sacrifice to go to Guatemala as part of Doctors Without Borders, Alex from “Modern Family” struggled building houses for the poor abroad. Precious! Now here is a thought, if I take the example of Africa, why is it that the continent needs this relentless flow of charity? I mean, everything precious comes from Africa; Diamond, Gold, Cobalt, Lithium, Vanilla, Cocoa, Coffee. Also, how do people who cannot afford food or medication, can keep acquiring sophisticated ammunition for militias?
This is completely crazy, but are we looting resources worth billions from Africa, earning even more by feeding discord, and then sending over highly-publicized charity worth millions? Propaganda, misinformation are pushed discretely, relentlessly through content to shape our conscience and dictate the future. The kind of killing with kindness that autocracies and dictators can only dream of.
Another good example of this sanitization is Downton Abbey, one of my most favorite shows ever for it is brilliantly written! That said, it is loaded with propaganda. We see Carson talk about England freeing slaves (not about paying reparations to slavers), we hear Shrimpie describe terrorist Reginald Dyer as “a very foolish man.” And of course, the society that almost single-handedly introduced homophobia and transphobia to the world and criminalized being LGBT+, was portrayed as being understanding and accepting of gay folks. Mind you, Brits know little to nothing about Britain’s slavery and colonial crimes.
Who or what are we trying to protect with these consistent lies? We would be fools to think that such propaganda would not bounce back to hurt us as we have witnessed on several occasions already! Hence, in my capacity as a nobody, one of the ways I am helping the cause is by patronizing only honest entertainment content. In that effort, following are a few content tropes I actively avoid:
- Period stories with actors of color cast in lead while colonial history is suppressed and denied. The growing trend of color-correcting a history we would not acknowledge preserves pride, but makes the future unsafe. E.g., Persuasion (2022), Bridgerton, Wolf Hall.
- Stories of oppression where a member of the oppressor group is a savior and patron of the oppressed. Coddling sentiments that should be confronted comforts us alright, but the misinformation makes us vulnerable. E.g., The Blind Side, Green Book, The Help.
- Obsession over ONE genocide – packaging it with aliens, dinosaurs, anything – raises questions about the intent. Especially, when we will not even acknowledge genocides from outside of Europe. Proof is negligible coverage of Colonialism, Slavery, Apartheid.
- Stories celebrating bigoted historical characters, who might have been liberators of one race, but denying their crimes worldwide, portraying them as heroes, and pushing that narrative on the world helps breed bigotry! E.g., Darkest Hour, Kissinger Takes Paris.
- Stories of PTSD-affected soldiers or those who became pacifist after committing violent war crimes. Why not? How many stories do we know about the conscience and humanity of Nazis? Exactly! E.g., American Sniper, Hacksaw Ridge, Born on the Fourth of July.
- “Humorous” takes on war. Such narratives are meant to diminish war crimes, absolve Western military industrial states of their terrorism, and worst of it all, dehumanize the victims of brutality. E.g., Good Morning, Vietnam, Tropic Thunder, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
- Stories driven by stereotypes, such as certain races, faiths, and nationalities being more prone to war, violence, corruption, inefficiencies, or those who do not know any better and need to be salvaged by the mighty G.I. Joes. E.g., Extraction, Homeland, Black Hawk Down.
- Similar are stories led by the Western God Complex. Western entities with the monopoly on goodness fighting injustice and terrorism bred by the belief systems of foreign races and religions. Proof is every story with an Asian/Arabic/East European/African antagonist.
- Racist and xenophobic exploitation of foreign people and their culture under the guise of satire. Example would be the entire career of Sacha Baron Cohen. “Comedies” such as his exploit people of color and poverty, but never his own – the posh, tony, Oxbridge folks.
- Stories about works of Western charity and rescue in the poor world. Building schools, hospitals, houses in Africa, Asia, South America is a big hit in the West. So are stories of toppling cruel regimes and repeatedly freeing the natives. E.g., Out of Africa, Machine Gun Preacher.
The frequency and intensity of disruptions in our lives will continue to pick up owing to AI, climate crisis, and other evolving factors. Herein, as part of our effort to enable tomorrow’s adults, it is imperative we patronize responsible content. It is good to remember, no type of privilege can protect us from the chaos we help create, no matter how passively!
arguments & agreements 