The Rot has set in.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
Oh BH, I know you mentioned before you don't mind her. So I understand if you can't see why I think her actions are rot.

I know. And you're entitled to your opinion about her too. I don't hold it against you.

If people didn't applaud or value this letter and the things she has done, instead focusing on more fruitful endeavors ( I don't know but maybe even gardening or volunteering with down syndrome kids to go horse riding.... anything ) I wouldn't think that it was a society in decay.

Have a read. No, she doesn't brag about her philanthropy, but she has given millions to charity. Kim K's Charitable Contributions

*I'll blow you a duck face kiss, as I adore you BH.

I love you, too!

I am always surprised that people are surprised that we live in the world we do. Didn't anyone else read any speculative fiction in any form when growing up. Pretty much everything was predicted in some way before hand in various pieces of fiction.

I guess that is why I am more comfortable than most in this insane world of the now. Because I have been living in it through books and other forms of media since I was a child. Its not like anything going on now is truly new. Even Kim Kardashian.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
a reply to: olaru12

I have always admired your dedication to your craft and creativity

Thank you! I wish I could say our projects don't contribute to the cultural rot, but some of them certainly do!
I deserve some of the condemnation that we in the media richly share.

I don't think so.

Everyone needs entertainment and escapism. We all have different preferences to where we get that. And there is no repulsion from my end to people who work in the entertainment industry. Hell I've worked with a few of them..Your craft is one of creativity, yes to "have it seen" but for the most part you work hard to create visual stories and don't simply sit like a narcissistic pretty idiot. Vastly different.
(not saying you aint pretty )

a reply to: KyoZero

Who the heck is Kylie Jenna?...another one?

Kardashians... like that one song that you can never get out of your head when you hear it. Or herpes. Both analogs work. Something that you never wanted to get stuck with and yet, here we are.

It's a sad day when you can sit back and think "I remember when it was just Paris Hilton who was famous just for being famous..."

Now we've got so many reality TV "fame for fame's sake" people that I honestly cannot begin to name them all. The only reason I can even name a couple of the Kardashians is that they tend to date a lot of athletes.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

Did you lose your tin foil hat?

originally posted by: hefficide
The only reason I can even name a couple of the Kardashians is that they tend to date a lot of athletes.

LOL! And the only reason I can name a few athletes is that they dated Kardashians.

To me, most professional athletes and the state of professional sports in this country are much more a sign of "rot" than the Kardashians. To each his/her own, I guess. Imagine that.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

Didn't watch the vid - read your OP and when it's name cropped up I realized you were referring to the stupid bitch married to the tool.

Aim't nobody gwat time fo dat

A lot of people are obsessed and in love with themselves...Kim K. is just another one...sad thing is young girls want to emulate her narcissism.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

It's set in years ago and spread all over the world. Sometimes I want off the ride. The fun house stopped being fun years ago.

a reply to: grainofsand

It looks that way. Good for them no?

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: grainofsand

It looks that way. Good for them no?

I'm pretty neutral about it to be honest, I don't know any of the 'celebrities' I hear people talking about on UK 'reality' shows, let alone those in the US.
People like that don't cost me anything and presumably their main source of income comes ultimately from advertising in the programmes and appearance fees etc.

I find the whole thing bizarre though, listening to people talking about 'celebrities' like they are their friends or something, it makes me wonder how hollow some peoples lives must be to fill the void with folk who are famous for being famous.
...if it makes folk happy then good luck to all concerned, but I think it is an indication of a very shallow society.

a reply to: grainofsand

I didn't even know who Lorde or Iggy Azeala were until I saw the South Park episodes referencing them. I just don't care about the pop world and know that paying attention to them just feeds their egos.

Also, of course society is shallow, but this is nothing new. Society has always been shallow. To expect society to be deep is just silly. For one, being a deep thinker requires higher IQ and statistically half the population is below average intelligence. For two, people LIKE turning their brains off. Before we had the pop world, there were penny novels which were basically just slasher porn. Speaking of porn, pornography has been around forever. We have porn from Ancient Egypt. The fact of the matter is, decrying the state of society because a bunch of people do something that you view as shallow is just stating the obvious. People are just being human. American didn't MAKE them shallow, they just are.

Come on, isn't there SOMETHING that you enjoy doing that doesn't require critical brain thinking? Something like watching a Transformers movie, waste time on social media, party, etc? We all have our guilty pleasures. Again, the singling out a singular action from the population to try to label the society as shallow is useless. We are all shallow to an extent, and not to mention, just because we have a shallow behavior doesn't mean we are always shallow. Honey Boo Boo may grow up to be a scientist for all you know.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I am aware of Lorde from her track 'Royals' last year or so, heard it on the radio while working, quite liked it, so I don't really count her as one of those 'celebrities' because she is an artist, actually creating something.
Iggy Azeala, I Googled I and still don't know who she is.

I don't discount music solely because it is 'pop' or in the charts, I judge a track on it's own merit. Videos don't influence me either as my exposure to pop music is from the radio when working, and it is boring as without tunes to sing badly with the lads.
As for who these folk are though, half the time I haven't a clue unless I've enjoyed their music enough to buy it.
...but 'reality' tv about people just living their life, nope, don't get it at all and doubt I ever will.

*Edit*
Just seen your ETA.
Of course I don't think a whole society is shallow, just the majority. I think that about the majority of folk in the UK as well.
I think if an alien visited Earth and looked at the most popular newspapers, magazines, tv programmes or whatever is trending on social media they would think we were shallow.
I enjoy entertainment of course, acting, comedy, music, festivals, you name it, but the celebrity devotion thing is what I think is shallow.
If I get a mechanic round to fix my car I don't give a toss about who he's sleeping with, which nightclubs he is seen at or whatever, I care about the quality of his work. Same with any athlete, actor, musician, comic, and anyone else.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I am aware of Lorde from her track 'Royals' last year or so, heard it on the radio while working, quite liked it, so I don't really count her as one of those 'celebrities' because she is an artist, actually creating something.
Iggy Azeala, I Googled I and still don't know who she is.

They are both pop singers.

I don't discount music solely because it is 'pop' or in the charts, I judge a track on it's own merit. Videos don't influence me either as my exposure to pop music is from the radio when working, and it is boring as without tunes to sing badly with the lads.

My point wasn't about quality of music. It was just about shallowness in general. I just brought up the two pop singers as examples of people in the pop world that I was unaware of for a time.

As for who these folk are though, half the time I haven't a clue unless I've enjoyed their music enough to buy it.
...but 'reality' tv about people just living their life, nope, don't get it at all and doubt I ever will.

When it comes to music, I just listen to the music. I rarely care about who the person making it is. Though keep in mind, most pop stars put on a persona and the person you see in the media isn't who they are in real life. Even their lyrics aren't necessarily representative of their opinions.

I think the ADD drugs are actually TAD drugs (targetted attention direction) drugs.

I see it all around me. I feel almost isolated at work because people are talking
about things on TV and celebrities and I know nothing about it...I'm still not quite
at the point of accepting the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy, but then
again, I did open this thread then didn't I?

I think being socially shallow is easier and less complicated and that's why people
keep up with the Kards and the like...safe conversation.

This is one of my fav quotes by somebody...

Small minds talk about people. Avergae minds talk about events.
Great minds talk about ideas.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I'd rather be saturated by someone of value. She does affect society, perhaps not my little home and family, but step past my front gate, the influence is there.

Don't we all?
Sadly that isn't life - most mainstream music is crap, most popular literature is crap and most 'famous people/celebs' are idiots who are complete self absorbed a-holes.
Anyone on tv with a shred of decency, intelligence and who tells the truth and speaks of higher things and deeper truths is soon removed and replaced by airheads and script-readers.
Anyone in music with a real message and something to say gets no airplay and their message is silenced.

The game is rigged and this is the world we live in.

a reply to: stargatetravels

Very well-said! It is the reality of the day. And the more we realize that, and are watchful of it, the more we can be aware of it and the less effect it has on us as "observers" of the phenomenon. Most of the input from media appeals to the lowest common denominator of society. The less-educated, non-thinking, easily-amused portion of the population.

If we "buy into it" and think Kim Kardashian and the rest are somehow special or better than us, that's our fault. And I think giving attention to her letter to herself, as if it's any different than ANYONE'S letter to themselves, means we're buying into it on some level.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

By acknowledging them, even in as much as this OP, you unwittingly contribute to them. The clicks from this thread actually make them money.

It's funny, it's similar to the rap thing. I made an observation about 20 yrs ago, late in high-school it occured to me that rap music was essentially a pyramid/chain letter. The chain letter where each person sends a dollar back to the previous person.

Initially the majority of hiphop artists are near broke, but they rent flashy cars and gold chains and flash a bunch of borrowed money in music videos to make them cool. After the video they are still broke, but people buy the albums and it makes them rich.

Perhaps it is time to do something about the thorn in our side.