15 December

Nothing reveals our culture more than disaster. The event has to be turned into a movie/TV show, it has to be narrativised. The culture of the feels, people need to be emotional to be engaged. Emotion precedes action. There’s competition for attention. Preferably with a part for the teller in the “I was there” genre, setting out some connection to the event, no matter how tenuous. Not a community response but a series of roles for individuals, in the event, even as an extra. Everything is emotion dialled up to 11. Heroic or tragic. Symbolism abounds, we ‘stand with’ people in sympathy, rather than act calmly prior to disasters to prevent them. Drama Queens to the max. Even watching it on TV threatens our mental health, because the whole thing is like a reality show.