Floating in my Head..

I heard a story on NPR the other day that Farmville is expected to rake in over a billion dollars this year. We're talking about a social network game that's engineered in such a way as to have it's primary purpose getting people addicted to the game. We're talking addicted to the point where people fork over hard-earned money for a free game.

I hear stuff like this, and I struggle with cynicism.

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I've just about given up on network television. Not that I was ever into it hardcore. However, I have had a handful of shows that I'd remained loyal to & hung on the storylines. And some of those shows have delivered in the end. Even when I saw the ending of LOST, I felt fulfilled.

But the more I thought about it, something bugged me. This was a show that postured itself in such a way that it engaged big questions. And it led on to it's loyal viewers that it was more than a show: it was a framework in which to find meaning, if only you could sort through the various mysteries. And then, at the apex of the finale, when Jack meets his father in the Church, the big message is... "let go." Here all these loyal viewers had hung on every far-fetched story-line, every turn, every enigma -- and the big take-away was a message from the producers to the audience through a character saying, "It's time to let go." Because ultimately the show was a six-season-long vehicle to show us commercials. If we watch the show, we watch the commercials the network shows. And the network makes money. So the show is written in such a way as to attract & hold the unswerving affection of it's viewers. And the deeply emotional character arcs, the plot turns that so move the audience, and the captivating mysteries are manipulative ploys to get you to tune back in next week.

And after 29 years of living, it just doesn't sit well with me. "Let go." Why? So I can latch on to the latest creation designed to get me to tolerate advertisements?

I think about stuff like this, and I struggle with cynicism.

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And I see ads for the new shows hitting the airwaves this fall. And the ads are designed in such a way as to excite me, and they do just that. I get hyped up by the hype machine. And it disgusts me, and even makes me kind of disgust myself.

And I think about stuff like this, and I struggle with cynicism.

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I re-tweeted a story early this month that the new normal is people walking away from their mortgages and buying iPads. Folks have more cash-flow freed up now that they don't have a house payment, so they're able to buy the latest cool electronic toy.

And I think about stuff like this, and I struggle with cynicism.

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I listen to the news stories about & the interviews with socio-political provocateur Glen Beck. I try to have a conversation with people about the Ground Zero mosque, and it ends up with people assuming I'm a bigot. And I see the latest poll numbers about the President, and what people believe his religion is. And I struggle with cynicism.

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Honestly -- I didn't know where all this was going until I started writing all of this out. But once it started pouring out, a verse sprang into my mind. Like a slap to the head and an instruction: "Snap out of it, you dummy."

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is righteous, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things

So maybe I shouldn't think about all those things anymore. And if that happens, maybe I won't struggle with cynicism so much either.

I had a good Bible class teacher who taught me that verse -- Philippians 4:8. He's a good guy, and is now a hard-working Elder in the Church. I suppose I'll start there. I'm thankful for him...