This may seem like an odd way to begin a discussion on nobility (aspiring to become a higher personification of oneself), but... I'm watching 'The Voice' on television tonight, something I don't typically do. I love live performances and great singing but the show chops up the entertainment a little too much for my liking. And let's face it, all those commercials are despicable are they not?
But tonight I'm struck by something else about the show. What is with the boxing ring and the 'VS' between contestant names? Does even something as feel good as aspiring-singers-giving-it-their-best have to be so adversarial? As each of the contestants entered the 'ring', they then had to face off, in each other's faces as they sang.
There is something subliminal in all of this. And it's not just The Voice. Most of what we see on television, since the days of The Survivor and Everybody Loves Raymond, are people pitted against one another. Must we be entertained by people treating each other badly? Not to mention the relentless barrage of reality shows (most of which are scripted by the way).
Seems to me we are missing something. Where has nobility gone? I bet kids today think 'nobility' is the Earl of Grantham on Downton Abbey and nothing more. It's time for television to wake up.
"I believe that every right implies a responsibility;
every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty."
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960)
p.s. Downton Abbey is a great show. PBS continues to lead the pack in quality entertainment!
