Aiming low and the dumbing down of public life

*Bear with me on this one gang*

There seems to be a trend in media and culture and general public life towards dumbing down, or rather, pandering to the lowest common denominator. It’s something I’ve been especially aware of in the last 12 months, particularly with the UK General Election last May, and with the current US primary season underway.

During both campaigns I’ve failed to resist making comparisons to President Bartlett’s campaign for a second term (BARTLET FOR AMERICA!) in The West Wing. To win the campaign Toby persuades the President not to speak down to the electorate, but to appeal to the best and smartest side of them. He proceeds run and win a campaign which aspires to what we could be and what we could achieve, by appealing to our better angels. This seems like how we should all aspire to be; it’s certainly how I’d like to think of the media in an ideal world.

But alas, the West Wing takes place in an ideal, parallel universe in which Rob Lowe is a beautiful liberal hero (Can I PLEASE switch to that Universe?). Instead we have David Cameron winning an election by basically repeating the phrase, “long term economic plan” until our ears bleed, and Donald Trump winning primaries by praying on fear and bringing out the worst of us. The result? Those who can see through the slogans and partisan point scoring to see complex issues and solutions, are completely turned off politics. It’s so frustrating because it makes it hard to tell if anyone actually knows what they’re doing, if even the smartest politician dumbs themself down (Ed Miliband, I'm looking at you). Where did the bravery, optimism and hope that brought us the NHS, the New Deal and the United Nations disappear to?

I could (and have done) write an essay on politics and popular culture so this is the last I’ll say on the matter I promise! For years politics wasn’t really affected by popular culture. It was in a realm above it, and saw itself as far too important to involve itself in such matters. But in the age of mass media the overlap is seemingly impossible to avoid. It’s escalated to the level of Donald Trump, who is clearly a reality TV show contestant, and you can almost hear the sinking hearts of the GOP elite as this begins to dawn on them. But again, I’ll save that for another day before I get carried away! Back to the media and stuff.

It’s hard to quantify when the shift towards dumbing down culture began- partly due to my being born in 1993 and the difficulty in studying the whole of the media, which is huge, but I’ve got an inkling the rise of neoliberalism from the late 1970’s onwards has something to do with it (it usually does).

I link this to neoliberalism simply because it gave rise to two media explosions; 24 hour news and later talent shows such as Britain’s Got Talent. Both are examples of mass media which have become global cultural phenomena. To be successful on both a national and international scale- something only possible due to recent technology- they must appeal to a huge audience. This need to appeal to wider and wider audiences I think goes some way in explaining the dumbing down of media.

So, how does this relate to neoliberalism? Executive’s attempts to appeal to as many people as possible is no accident. It’s part of the marketization of culture which has resulted in culture having to justify its existence through its ability to make money. Currency of culture switched to money rather than art for the sake of art. Basically, they’re so scared to exclude anybody they end up aiming low enough that they catch all.

But this raises two questions, why do executives feel they should appeal to our lowest; why not aspire to elevate the public? And secondly, why does low brow culture now appeal everyone, including elites?

1.    I’m not a psychologist but I imagine this just comes from fear. Writers must be under unbelievable pressure to produce commercially successful shows, so taking a leap of faith must be too risky. Imagine if we could all BE BRAVE?

2.    The upper classes used to be cultural snobs i.e., they were exclusively into Opera and classical music, but now they’re more like cultural omnivores with a truly democratic taste being most desirable (that’s why I don’t mind saying I like One Direction and Billie Holiday for example). I think this is one of the key changes. Whereas ‘trash’ TV used to be frowned upon- it’s low brow after all- it’s now embraced by upper, middle and working classes.

So if you’re on my wavelength, it’s starting to look like we have a chicken and egg situation on our hands. What came first; the democratisation of culture or its dumbing down? *I wish I had chosen this as my dissertation question. Better late than never* In politics we’ve seen a race to the centre since the 1990’s, and the same is true of the media. In politics, the hope is to appeal to as many people in the middle ground as possible (where most people are) to win as many votes as possible. In the media the aim is to appeal to as many people as possible and offend as few people as possible to make as much money as possible. Ta- daaaaaaaaa! We got there in the end didn’t we.

 In my follow- up I will ask, ‘Are the world’s media and political elite just needy people pleasers craving acceptance from as many of us as possible?’

Reclaim the Night MCR 2016

The reclaim the night movement dates back to 1970’s Yorkshire, when the Yorkshire ripper 

was on the loose and fear and uncertainty led to women being discouraged to venture out at night. Since then women around the world have marched in defiance of the culture of victim blaming and shame which is present in nearly all developed societies, and of the injustice of soaring sexual violence figures which are ignored again and again. The aim of the movement is simple- to reclaim the public space which fear and uncertainty has taken away from women.

Manchester’s march has always been a huge success, but this year marked the biggest turnout yet. I first went to the annual march as a student 3 years ago, so I was shocked to see how much the movement has grown and what it has become in such a short time. The speed at which the event has grown only hints at the level to which the community is affected by sexual violence. In the large student community incidents of rape are common, particularly during fresher’s week. I wouldn’t hesitate to bet that if you asked every student in Manchester, they would all know someone affected by sexual violence or harassment. In the city centre, the waiting list for rape crisis support treatment is 6 months.

In spite of these dire circumstances, the movement to reclaim the night is overwhelmingly positive and optimistic about the future. The movement is as diverse as it is powerful- led by women, men, and families. The march is such a sight to behold- and so it should be; thousands of women painted in glitter, singing chants, waving placards and shouting at the top of our lungs. The standout message was this: Sexual violence can no longer be passed off as a freak occurrence; it is an epidemic that we cannot continue to ignore.

Have a look at some of the amazing work Rape Crisis Manchester do with limited resources here!

Sunday best: Breakfast

If you know me, you’ll know that I bloody love Sundays. I have done for as long as I can remember. Some of my favourite memories have taken place on Sundays. There’s something so special about waking up to a noticeably quieter world, being able to stop and appreciate the light streaming through the window, and listening to the birds sing. I cherish that Sundays have the magical power to slowly turn a quiet, plan free day into an adventure, in a way that no other weekday can.

I hereby dedicate this segment to all things Sunday! A kind of shrine, if you will, to the best the week has to offer. First up, breakfast.

My weekday breakfast has consisted of porridge and fruit for about 2 years now, so at the weekend I like to change things up a bit. I know, crazy. I give you,  peanut butter blueberry toast. It’s exactly what it says on the tin. If you’re not quite convinced by the name (I don’t blame you), perhaps the pic below will entice you?

It’s the easiest breakfast ever and kind of needs no explanation, so I’ll just go through the basics. This beauty consists of peanut butter on toast- I go for a relatively healthy chunky peanut butter by Whole Earth (£3.19 in all good supermarkets), but any nut butter will do- followed by a blueberry compote (I say a compote, but I literally just microwave some blueberries with a drop of water for a minute) and voilà, you've got yourself a delicious and nutritious start to the day. If you have a sweet tooth, why not add a drop of honey on top and smother it all together? Yum.

Told you it was easy! It takes 2 minutes max to prepare and is in the true spirit of Sundays- I can’t think of a better way to start your day of rest!

The Graduate's guide #2: Freshers

Your first week at Uni can be really overwhelming and a bit of a sensory overload. Here’s a short do’s and don’ts list from someone who’s been through it and made it out the other side.

1.    Say Yes…to parties, breakfast, societies, pre-drinks, fancy dress, pizza.

2.    Be brave…Freshers only happens once and you don’t want to go into your first semester having missed out. Go crazy while you can. That being said, don’t feel pressured to do anything you know you don’t feel comfortable with or will have long term consequences. If it isn’t your thing Freshers doesn’t last forever- you will make it to the other side!

3.    Take photos of everything…you’re likely to have large chunks of freshers which you have no recollection of, so take photos at every opportunity. Laughing at them in the morning with your new friends is a great way of bonding!

4.    Fill your room with reminders of home…I suffered horrible home sickness out of the blue in freshers, and I think it’s because I didn’t make my room homely enough from the get go. I sort of half-heartedly finished it as the week went on. If I could do it all again, I would get my room looking cosy and perfect with help from the ‘rents before they leave. You don’t want to end up crying in what is ultimately a prison cell, trust me.

5.    Remember everyone really is in the same boat…everyone feels nervous and a bit overwhelmed at least once during their first few weeks at Uni (some are just better at hiding it) and everyone will ‘admit’ it weeks, months or years later. So no matter how long it takes you to settle, don’t suffer in silence!

6.    Find your flatmates before you arrive…most Uni’s by now will have facebook pages for each hall/accommodation so you can find your new flatmates. It’s so great to recognise people’s faces when you walk through the doors, and to know you’re not going into the complete unknown. You may even be bezzies before you meet.

7.    Have your wildest nights sooner rather than later…most people actually have stuff to do, places to be, and important people to meet in the first week after freshers. So at least give yourself Sunday to recover. You don’t want to be that person who throws up in the first lecture.

The Graduate's guide to...the Labour leadership election

If you’re in the loop with current affairs you may have noticed that the Labour party is in the midst of electing a new leader, after Ed Miliband- to the dismay of the ‘Milifandom’- resigned in May following his party’s electoral defeat at the hands of both the Conservatives and the Scottish National Party (SNP). While much of the media may be succeeding in convincing you that the Labour party is falling apart from within, I thought I’d take a closer look at the candidates and the main political issues so far.

Yvette Cooper…if you grew up under New Labour like me, Yvette Cooper’s name is probably familiar- even if you’re not sure why. Along with her husband, Ed Balls, Cooper has been a prominent figure in the Labour party since her election as one of ‘Blair’s babes’ (uggggh, the feminist in me is screaming) in 1997. She later served in Gordon Brown’s cabinet and has since risen through the ranks to serve as both Shadow Foreign and Shadow Home Secretary. Cooper certainly has the backing of those in the party who share her New Labour background; most recently, the much- loved Alan Johnson declared his support for Cooper, and she also has the backing of The Guardian. While being a party favourite isn’t always enough to win, she has been included in the Woman’s Hour list of 100 most powerful women in the UK, so I think we all know she’s a winner whatever happens.

Andy Burnham…Andy Burnham is a fellow northerner, so I instinctively like him more than the rest. But all regional bias aside, Burhman has been MP for Leigh since 2001, and played a played a big role in the emergence of a second Hillsborough inquiry, after pushing the disaster onto the Parliamentary agenda in 2009, and also served as shadow health secretary. But while he isn’t one of the 100 most powerful women in the country, he does have a killer set of eyebrows; move over Cara Delevingne. You may have heard him repeatedly saying he would unite the party if he became leader, but- much like the word ‘biscotti’ in the Great British Bake- off- he’s said it so many times it’s started to lose its meaning. (But my aunty met him and said he was really nice).

Liz Kendall… Liz Kendall is probably the least well- known by the general public. Despite this, she is seen as an emblem for moderate, centre ground politics, and the antithesis to the more radical Jeremy Corbyn (we’ll get to him in a minute) But frankly, all you need to know about Liz Kendall is that she called out a sexist reporter and told him to “fuck off” after he asked her a question about her weight. It’s no surprise then that David Miliband has praised her ‘plain speaking’ and ‘political courage’. If anyone scares David Cameron, I’m gonna say it’s this bad ass bitch. In the words of Tina Fey, “Bitches get stuff done”.

Jeremy Corbyn…if you haven’t heard his name by now, seriously where have you been? There is no excuse. Unlike the other candidates, Jeremy Corbyn’s political career has been defined by radicalism- to say the least, which has sometimes got him into trouble. I’m talking about his questionable definition of terrorism and his dodgy relationship with the Jewish community. Support for Corbyn is clearly support for Labour’s roots, but many fear these roots are completely unelectable in contemporary Britain, including Gordon Brown, who says Corbyn goes against the party’s duty to have an electable leader to offer hope to the most vulnerable. Recently this view has been challenged by the man’s surprising popularity among young lefties, who feel Corbyn has the direction Labour desperately needs. The list of Labour figures who have warned against Corbyn is getting a bit long; is support for Corbyn a case of misdirected anger?

While I’m not (quite) old enough to remember the Labour leadership contests of the 1980’s, it does seem like since Blair, the main issues of leadership contests have been more and more inward- looking. Instead of debating education, health, and important foreign policy, candidates have outlined what Labour ought to be and who it ought to be for in the 20^th Century. Even though Labour’s turmoil is exhausting to watch, there’s no doubt it’s a vital part of having a purposeful and electable opposition. When will this soul searching end? I can’t even.

Are you eligible to vote?

If so, who are you planning on voting for?

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