Saturday, February 14, 2004
Oh my goodness I am feeling so immodestly pleased. Shamelessly delighted. You probably want to know what's making me so insanely happy right? Frankly, it's my Anat CA results. I feel so swollen-headed that it disgusts me. This is not right. I feel almost immoral. Okay shall not say more or I will find rats in my shui2 jiao3 mian4 on Monday.
Lalala PDP today was pretty OK, but we only saw 2 patients, one of which had a congenital defect of the right upper limb due to thalidomide. Can't remember what the defect is called - asked Dr da Costa twice but still forgot..sigh. I think Dr da Costa is quite a good doctor, but I feel somewhat that the large size of the group is restricting the extent to which we can learn things. It certainly felt more hands-on in Dr Tagore's group. But, I am not in a position to complain. After all, I suppose we should be thankful that he actually turned up for once, haha.
I think it is a very sad thing that the American Idol 3 preliminary rounds (or whatever you call them) can only allow 2 out of 8 people to move on to the next round because some of these people are really talented and it just so happens that chance placed them with others who are far more outstanding than they are. It is terribly painful to watch the disappointment on the faces of those who do not get to advance. The more terrible thing is watching the other contestants (for whom the results have not been revealed) trying to put on a mask of sympathy but failing miserably. Their faces tell you: One more person rejected! That means more chances for me. It is not something we can escape from, this less pleasant facet of human nature, but to showcase it on television is indicative of our definition of entertainment.
I suppose everyone has heard the argument before about reality television programmes and how they always seem to showcase the worst side of people for the sake of "entertainment". I agree, it is deplorable, the lengths the producers go to to extract the worst of human nature and parade it at the cost of the pride that every human being should have. And yet, they would not be able to go on producing these programmes if there were no one watching them, and thus, ultimately, these shows exist because we watch them. It reminds me of the poem I read in Sec Two that asked Who is the one who makes the bomb. That in itself exhibits the real dark side of our personalities, that we delight in watching other people fight, cry, and be debased. It is the gladiator match all over again, sans blood and gore, but as grisly, in a metaphorical sense.
And all of us just sit back and laugh, jeer, and make derogatory comments about other people from the comfort of our homes. We expostulate on the merits of reality television, and pretend that we are more saintly than those we see on television. I am not for a moment fooled. For I know that if I were to be in the same position as any of those people in reality television programmes I would probably do the same. And that is what disturbs me most, knowing that in effect, I possess just as much as anyone on the street the ugliness that I perceive amusing on a television programme. And we call ourselves a civilized species. That does not stop me from watching reality programmes, though, for I fully acknowledge the facet of my personality that delights in the voyeurism that is reality television. I think that if we think ourselves too perfect, it makes our flaws all the more unacceptable, and eventually that drive for perfection is perfectly able to drive one mad.
And all that hoohah about William Hung. Seriously, I enjoy a quick laugh out of imitating him just as I do out of imitating everybody, but I question the frenzy in idolizing him. Maybe I'm too innocent, but I would like to think that expressions of adulation are sincere and not mocking in nature, but when you have someone like William Hung being loved by countless people worldwide you start questioning the sincerity of their praise. To me it is all a little too much, too over-the-top, too frenzied. It reeks of mockery and not-so-subtle sarcasm. And I think it is really going a bit too far. But that is just my opinion. I'm not sure I'm above taking part in the mockery, so it is probably too high-handed of me to proclaim judgement on others. But even if it is amusing, we should know where to draw a line and not go too far with what is obviously a joke made at the expense of a person who also possesses dignity (but probably not the virtue of seeing his own flaws).
Avaris / 2/14/2004 04:04:00 PM
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