A number of years ago the genius that is Chris Morris spawned a ghastly creation known as Nathan Barley. Nathan was a "self-facilitating media node" or Hoxton twat as they were known at the time. One of the less subtle sequences in the show featured a series of "idiots" like Nathan moving along the street whilst a narrative from a feature about them was lovingly read to us.
Whilst the whole basis of Nathan Barley was to satirise the media, which I was working for at the time, the whole thing could be taken to more frightening depths. The dumbing down and trivialisation of news media into nothing more than PR, and arts of all types similarly becoming nothing more than the modern equivalent of the Roman circus, we have really come as far it is healthy to go.
The current X-factor vs Rage Against the Machine is an interresting case here. Whilst Simon, David Cameron and various others whose moral compasses are non-existant are complaining about 'bullying' by the facebook campaign for RATM, the more cerebral trolls are pointing out the fact that RATM and Joe are both lining the coffers of Sony. But that's not the point. The point is that there is a concerted grass roots movement to have something anti-athoritarian and organic as the xmas number one. RATM like most politically 'radical' musicians are not going to be leading a much overdue charge on the Whitehouse, Whitehall or Copenghagen, however they might spark a few people to think for themselves about how the world is run. And the moment that process starts, then one more person is set on the path to intellectual freedom. And as limited as that might be, it's a start.
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