Monday Mix-up - My top eco-friendly tips - Week 7

Really?!

Today's tip may not sound like much of a tip but I need to get on my soap box today! Sometimes the writing takes me in a direction I don't plan on, what can I say;) I am NOT a fan of reality TV, especially when it comes to anything on the E channel. Unfortunately, my wife loves that channel. Whenever I am not in the lounge, she switches it over and takes advantage of a chance to catch up in the latest celebrity news. 

It's kind of ironic that I would take part in a national, televised singing competition, and become a household name, all the while hating reality TV, I know;) I don't discount what it did for me as an aspiring musician and I'm grateful for that. The thing is the show taught me just how contrived "reality" TV actually is. Everything about it felt fake and "put on". It made me feel uncomfortable that absolute strangers were so wrapped up in my everyday life and that a lot of them had VERY strong feelings about how I lived that life and felt they had a right to express those feelings at any time. It bothered me that a lot of the things we did were for the benefit of the cameras, alone and not really for our benefit at all. That's reality TV for you. 

So yesterday, GLM had her favourite channel on while I was busy in the kitchen. I came to sit down and caught a few minutes of what was on. I'm guessing it was some kind of news programme and they had 2 guests on the show that were involved in a reality TV show called Rich Kids of Beverley Hills. They showed a snippet from the actual show and it involved a blonde teenager telling her friends that her mom wasn't comfortable with her moving in with her boyfriend. There was a moment of dramatic silence and then everyone expressed their horror at how her boyfriend was going to handle the news, and that's where the show ended...

Cut back to the interview and the presenter was talking to them about that snippet and the blonde was saying how they were really hoping that leaving the audience hanging after dropping that "bombshell" would hopefully bring in even more viewers because people were genuinely concerned about her... Hats off the the presenter. He managed to look interested AND excited while still sounding vaguely sarcastic and it went over both the girls heads! Or maybe that was just me HOPING it was sarcasm...

Is it only me that looks at something like that and finds it amazing that those 2 rich little girls are so wrapped up in their own little worlds that they actually buy into the show's propaganda? It really just struck me that, with all the money at their fingertips, THIS is what is important in their world. I know TV is all about escapism but, when I see how much money goes into these vacuous, mindless TV shows, it actually boggles my brain! What amazes me more is the huge viewership these shows have.

We are living in a world that edges closer and closer to the edge of an environmental armageddon. Global warming is changing our world faster than we can keep up, animals are going extinct right under our noses thanks to human negligence and violence, we have holes in the ozone layer, our water supply is diminishing rapidly, people are starving in so many countries, about a third of the world's population has cancer and that number increases at an alarming rate. The list is an endless one. 

It would be fine if, while we were obsessing over these TV shows and so-called celebrities, we were also doing our bit to help our planet and all the damage being done to it but most people aren't doing that. We've somehow managed to block off any external interference and focus only on what happens in our own, very small, worlds, and the small worlds of a few choice celebrities. 

And they ARE small worlds. We each only have an average of 70 years on this earth. That's just you. One tiny little person. Now multiply that by 7 billion. That's how many people are on planet earth. That's 7 billion lives, all with their own stuff going on. In between all of those people are millions of animals. Then we have trees, mountains, seas, oceans and rivers. Think a bit further afield. We are just ONE planet in ONE galaxy out of a 100 million galaxies. Your world really IS so small.

I find it incredibly ironic that, as small as we are, in the whole scheme of things, we have inflicted so much damage on a huge and beautiful planet that has given us so much and asks for so little in return. I find it strange that, given how small we are, in the middle of all of these galaxies, we have managed to cocoon ourselves in a cloak of denial and unaccountability. It will end up being very ironic when the rapid progress that humankind has made ends up being the demise of humankind.

Sounds morbid and depressing, doesn't it? But it's the truth. While we are busy wrapping ourselves up in our little cocoons, worshipping vacuous celebrities, buying into propaganda, milking our planet dry in our pursuit of the perfect lipstick, laundry powder or handbag, we are sucking our planet dry and it only has so much to give.

I'm not saying you need to stop watching reality TV, start wearing hessian cloth bags and start living off the grid. It's okay to enjoy the progress humankind has made while still doing your bit to preserve the planet. I'm just saying, start living more consciously. Start becoming aware that not all of the stuff you see on TV is the gospel truth. Just because Sarah Jessica Parker is carrying a certain handbag, doesn't mean you MUST have it. Channels like the E channel are designed to draw you in and try and sell you everything and anything. It promotes a culture that focuses on self-absorption, indulgence and a total lack of regard for what is happening in the real world. Watch it for entertainment, for sure. But don't emulate the people you watch.

Strive to be better, to do better. Look back on the posts of the last 6 weeks and find ways that YOU can help ease the stress being placed on your planet. It IS your planet. People seem to get very patriotic about their country but they forget that we should feel the same way about our planet. It's ours. We have the power to make or break it. Remember that next time you want to buy a conventional cleaning product or you throw a piece of paper away that could've been recycled.

So this is your tip for today: Step outside of your world and broaden your perspective. Realise that it's not always about you and your needs. It often takes a big wake up call to make us realise that. Let's hope it doesn't take too big of a one or we may not be around to start making the changes we need to.