Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Killing Us

A Beautiful Rebel, part of my On Busses photo series

I had a wonderful conversation last Sunday with a friend of mine. We meet along with one other friend, for coffee talks on a regular basis. He is Oxford educated, taught eastern philosophy and is now at Microsoft and she is a former Pilates instructor married to an MD who came to the US at the age of 4. We have the best chats. Time flies as we learn and appreciate each other and what we bring to the table. I highly recommend this do-able act of sharing, caring.

I had brought up the schizophrenic nature of modern culture that is connected to the current sociopathic economic model that systemically built what can only be called USA Inc.. Step by step, over time, i think western culturel became immersed in a machine designed under the influence of a faux Darwinian legacy. This justified creating wealth for the few at the expense of the many and the environment. Now we are experiencing the chaos of the reality check.

However:

As major media is controlled by the largest benefactors of the crusty, old dysfunctional machine we are unfortunately still inundated with messages from the source of the problem. Even as corporations recognize their environmental errors they seem reluctant to face up to the emotional, physical, spiritual, social health and welfare of an interrelated, connected living system we call Earth.

So, in the course of the conversation my friend asked for the link to "Killing Us Softly" a video lecture of the series on women and advertising. I had mentioned the Madonna/Whore dichotomy that American women are still plagued with ( i know, hard to believe that silliness is still around!) and the schizophrenic culture that swallows it without knowing what exactly is in the bite.

Killing Us Softly #2, #3 and #4 are all worthwhile and a great way to start understanding the consumer model of economics. Thank you Jean Kilbourne for your pioneering work.

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