Bread and Circuses

The ancient Romans had a neat trick to keep the restless mob of citizens placated. First, they kept the mob fed with looted grain from conquered lands in a form of ancient welfare. Then, they kept them entertained with chariot races at the Circus Maximus and gladiators at the Colosseum. This worked well for the Roman government.

Nowadays, much of the same thing is happening. The masses find placation in football games, NASCAR, and professional wrestling. The serious issues of the day are overlooked in favor of discussions about players and teams. Now, this all seems pretty damn harmless until you witness something like the riots in Vancouver after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup. These are people who tolerate all sorts of tomfuckery from their government, but they have a social meltdown over a fucking game.



I gave up watching televised sports sometime ago, and I have noticed some changes in my life regarding how I relate to others. Without sports as a safe topic, my conversations become deeper and more meaningful. They can also be controversial. I realize that sports are a useful tool in quelling such controversy. It takes people's minds off what really matters.

I wondered if the same thing was true for other forms of mass entertainment such as music or movies. But look at the revolutionary nature of musicians from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan to U2. Certainly there is frivolous pop music, but it does't last in the culture in the same way that a Neil Young song does.

Film is another form of media that can inform and enlighten. Drama also has a long history of social and cultural impact from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde to Samuel Beckett. Then, there is art and even architecture. These things seem much weightier than sports.

Some sports figures have been political. Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali spring to mind. But then again, pro wrestler the Iron Sheik was also political. The fact is that the impact of these people was mostly outside of their respective arenas. They were simply reflecting the bigger issues of their day.



Sports are a social quaalude. They serve to keep people quiet. I don't think sports are entirely worthless since they are fun to play and contribute to physical fitness. But on the pure ground of something you watch for entertainment, sports are worthless. They dull the mind and divert the consciousness of society.

I gave up being a spectator when it came to sports. Spectators are people that watch instead of people that participate. That is the point. The aim of spectator sports is social and political disengagement. I recommend that people turn off the ESPN and turn on the CNN. Play basketball instead of watching basketball. Spend that time reading books and getting in shape.

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