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Keep The Politics Out Of Our Media?

Posted By Brandon S. On Thursday, March 2, 2017

Do you promote that they keep the politics out of your *insert something you enjoy here*? Because, I am right with you.

Allow me to say something nice about Donald Trump (I am asking permission because some people on the internet do not want me to even do that) and point out how he is a president who made politics so interesting that it is creeping into other channels.

This is the first time I’ve seen so many shows which have nothing to do with politics add in their own two cents on the issues. People apparently cannot help but talk about what to do about this country—and who should oversee it. And, for some, this chatter has become rather annoying: me included.

Media and art (as the two do have a history of working together) exist to fill many human needs, but one of them is escapism. Some people need a way out of the stressful world for a stretch of time. And certain popular creations and services promote you do just that.

And you can’t blame those people. Life can need a little escaping from sometimes, even if you have a nice pleasant job in Clearwater like working at Kara Lynn’s Kitchen or Buzzazz Business Solutions. So, it is understandable why people get mad when all the stuff from the outside world comes right into their bubble of quiet.

But should we take stuff like that out of parts of the media and art? Should the world of books and movies and videogames and radio and such contain a section labeled like a new food product as “free of real life political drama and scandal”?

I guess, if you want to stretch my question’s implications out, I am asking whether trigger warnings, and safe spaces, and curated “safe media” and all the other things certain right-leaning people hate should exist. Should we promote a place free of “challenging media”?  

My answer: yes. Absolutely. I often shy away from digging in my heels and outright stating a political opinion, but yes: we should have places where politics and all other manners of upsetting things should be non-existent.

Now, ignorance is never a good thing. But I don’t fault someone who just wants to spend a night watching something happy, and free of stress. I promote someone can get some peace when it is truly needed.

As a caveat, I’ll be the first to admit this “safe media” idea shouldn’t find use all the time, in every place. Not an enforced rule on existing groups and productions. I don’t promote a dystopian “happy time”. But if we are a country built on the economic model of supply and demand, then clearly such a thing is in demand—and someone should supply if they don’t already.

Stress and the overwhelming stimuli inherent to a technological age can get to anyone. No matter how strong mentally someone is, they may one day want silence about all that is happening in Washington or on Wall Street.  

And yes, you could simply disconnect from all technology for a little while. It’s not like that’s not a choice, and that is fine if someone needs it. But how hard is it to produce one or two things, or offer a room, or a special day, created with someone getting a grip on life and being calm in mind.

What I’m saying. What I am trying to promote: is our minds, like our bodies, deserve an occasional vacation.

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com