Asperger's Diary

Life through the lens of Asperger's Syndrome.

Lynne Soraya is the nom de plume for a writer with Asperger's Syndrome. See full bio

April 5, 2008,

Does TV Have To Be Mean To Be Seen?

Caustic comments, humiliating putdowns, callous behavior. Lately, mainstream media seems to depict the worst in human nature.

American Idol was originally pitched as the "Search for a Superstar." Now it seams that the mainstream attraction is the cruel tongue of Simon Cowell, ripping the hopefuls to shreds. Similar bad behavior seems to be the attraction of celebrity cook Gordon Ramsey's shows Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.

Talk shows like the Jerry Springer Show or Maury Povich always put me in mind of a bloodthirsty crowd in a Roman Coliseum. Even court shows aren't complete without the condescending, "Shut up, you're an idiot" tone.

On the wildly popular show The Sopranos, we watched a pregnant 18 year old girl brutally beaten to death, dismemberments, and countless people getting "whacked." Shows like Oz have similar violence and death counts. From an outsider's perspective, I have to wonder, is this really the embodiment of mainstream values?

In a world which routinely characterizes those on the the autistic spectrum as "lacking empathy" by definition, I struggle with the evidence of widespread lack of empathy in the mainstream culture. Is this really the exemplification of "normal" empathy, or simply the extreme end of the (non-autistic) spectrum?

Have we become so inured to callous behavior that it's are now considered commonplace? Does TV have to be mean to get seen?