Distorted view of the world

[Bugsy2]

We had a discussion about kids running around nude and perverts not so long back and there was some difference of ideas about how bad the perv situation really is & the role of the media.
Anyhow, bit of a magazine addict I read Cosmo a couple of days back and Real today.
No wonder we are all paranoid. In Real they have features on the following:
Delivery Room Despair
Playground Predators
Missing People
Sham Marriages
Domestic Violence
Tomboy Women - the difficulties they encounter
There is not one feature about positive upbeat things.
In Cosmo, I can't remember off the top of my head but there was a big article about the male stalker in St Neots and a few other features about negative events/stories.
I felt a bit depressed and thought how all those stories fuelled my fear and sadness about society, rather than encouraging me to think about all the good things going on!

[Marina]

Meaning no disrespect to the many great journalists on here, but I think the huge number of shock horror stories (based on a small sample of cases/one unfortunate experience, usually) in the press has a LOT to do with how we perceive society today.
I recommend The London Review of Books, The Bookseller and Word Magazine Bugsy! (Says a fellow the-schlockier-the-better mag addict )

[mamadadawahwah]

Fear mongering is the order of the day today. If we are scared, we become obedient. Case is point, George Bush. Scare the hell out of em, and they will do what you want.

[mogwai]

exactly - the basis of that Michael Moore film - whassit called?

[mamadadawahwah]

Bowling for Columbine, where he goes on about the "black bees" from Africa etc., coming to sting us.

Do you watch CNN or Fox?? Its constant fear mongering. Every day on the bottom of the screen, you see a danger zone colour for terrorist threats. Americans buy into this junk and so do we. Its natural to start believing all the bullshit after its fed to you day and night, unless you keep your wits about you.

[NomDePlume]

I think you mean Farenheit 9/11.

[mogwai]

I do mean farenheight 9/11 yes. A very powerful (if flawed) film

Yes, I watch Fox from interest point of view.

After September 11th I was quite freaked out. We live under the flightpath for two large airports - the sound of planes used to really make me jump. I watched the news constantly.

Then I saw Farenheight 9/11 and thought "WTF?????" After that I saw Fox News in a very different light

[mamadadawahwah]

Could be. Cant remember which one it was. Moore pointed out the fear mongering in a cartoon type format.

[WideWebWitch]

This is why I don't bother with all the magazines I used to tbh, I want upbeat and positive so I buy Eve and a couple of others. A recent issue of She left me feeling quite down too so I don't always buy it now.

[mogwai]

he was talking about the culture of keeping the nation scared about potential threats and using this as a carte blanche to restrict civil liberties and pass laws

[mogwai]

magazines? don't get me started!!

[mogwai]

I mean, thi whole rash of celebrity magazines. I can kind of see the reasoning behind interviewing a footballer and his breast-enhanced wife at their "tasteful mansion". Somebody might find that interesting. He's overpaid, but he has a talent and he's worked hard for it.

But Abi Titmuss? Rebecca Loos? Fran Cosgrave? All famous for shagging somebody. all earning more than most of us. Why are people interested in this stuff? How does Max CLifford sleep at night??

[mamadadawahwah]

Max sleeps on a £10,000 gold laminated down filled mattress no doubt.

[mogwai]

did you see "Louis Meets Max Clifford"? with Louis Theroux?

He made him squirm by the end. Loved it

[mamadadawahwah]

I love Louis. He really is an artist. I wonder what he is like in real life.

[mogwai]

I think I'd like to marry him. I especially liked his programme about Jimmy Saville and some of the "Weird Weekend" stuff.

But - in more recent programmes, I thought he was picking on vunerable people and it upset me a bit. The programme abbout Keith Harris went a bit far...did you see it? He's clearly an emotional man and has some issues about his "rise and decline" - I felt Louis was taking the piss out of someone who was down at heel a bit.

[mogwai]

.....and it took me ages to click that he is Paul Theroux's son. And I've read that man's books!

[lunavix]

bugsy - I'd recommend marie claire tbh. It usually has more uplifting reads (well, one or two!)

IIRC, from reading it at the hairdressers ( ) there was a nice interview with angelina jolie, a feature on cool lesbians, ... okay I'm sure there were more. The sad thing being the scary downbeat one is the one that stuck in my head. About mormons, and weird mormons, and incest and dead babies...

Don't know if that says anything about society (more fascination in depressing/upseting/depraved subjects) or just me...

[mogwai]

but marie claire means parting with about three quid for 200 pages of adverts for clothes that I can't afford.

Different if the hairdresser has paid for it

[Bugsy2]

Lol, for those of you who don't read anything more cerebral than Real & Cosmo!!! Its a struggle but I've been known to plough through the FT most days.
However, Real and Cosmo just happened to be my last two mags (I read pretty much every woman's monthly - awful addiction) and it just struck me that there was a lot of doom & gloom features!

[mogwai]

I'm going to start subscribing to the "Sooty and Sweep" magazine.

It's very upbeat, with great pictures

[Pruni]

Message withdrawn

[mogwai]

you can hve louis if you keep your hands off Bono...deal?

[Pruni]

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[mogwai]

he's exactly my height.

You saw him at a party

I'm sorry?

And you didn't, you know....insist on giving him one????

[Pruni]

Message withdrawn