Essay/Term paper: The entertainment universe

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Religion

The Entertainment Universe


You are walking down a crowded street on a gloomy evening when you come
upon a mass of people listening intently to the preaching of a man. The man has
an up-side-down cross branded on his forehead. He is screeching his recitation
at the people in a demented angry voice. His lessons consist of the following:

Pathetic lives, every second someone
dies. Delightful is the sight of
repention. No destiny, just a certain
death. In pain inducing lies salvation.
Never repent...
In the name of Satan I condemn this
image of god...
All christians are destroyed. Unguided
by the light. The Satanist rejoice.
Revocate me!... Revocate the
agitator.1

Perhaps most disturbing about the situation is the look of utter
devotion many of the young people in the crowd have in their eyes. They believe
this mans thoughts and ideas and look to him for guidance.
As the intensity of the situation elevates the mass of people begin to
violently slam into each other in a chaotic ceremonial dance. The purpose of
the dance is to cause and endure as much physical pain as possible. The dance
eventually gets so extreme that a young man in the crowd snaps his neck and dies.

The man does not stop his ravings and the crowd doesn't stop their dance.
Instead the man becomes entirely deranged, screaming at the body of the young
man that he is now going to hell where he rot in flames of agony for eternity.
The crowd roars and the man laughs.
What do you suppose would now transpire? At the very least the man and
the crowd would be arrested. More than likely there would be several charges of
third degree murder laid, certainly with several convictions. The preacher would
most likely be taken to a hospital for a psychological examination, be diagnosed
a paranoid schizophrenic, and be placed into an institution for the criminally
insane for the rest of his life.
The event described above did occur, the man recounted does exist and
the ritual dance and corresponding death did transpire. However, no charges
were pressed, no psychological evaluations were made, the victim was simply
given a funeral and the matter was dropped.
The account above was able to occur because it took place in a universe
completely apart from that of the civil universe - the entertainment universe.
In the entertainment universe their is practically no law and no limitation.
Anything and everything goes. Rape, murder, graphic torture scenes, child
molestation, all this and more are a common theme. The discourse of the artists
is exhibited to the mass populace in movie theaters, prime time television and
auditoriums filled with thousands of people.
The lunacy is able to occur because we control it. It's the mass
populace that buys the records, watches the movies and pays the salaries of the
artists. It's what we want to see, hear and feel because the entertainment
universe consists of our very own nightmares and dreams. It is that which we
desire most but can't have. It is the freedom and anarchy we all long for. The
mass populace at large are the ecclesia of the entertainment universe.
The entertainment universe is spread and taught to the populace through
it's own unique priesthood - the media. Without the media the universe would
not have the ability to expand and influence at such an enormous level and hence,
without the media the entertainment universe would not enjoy the freedom it
relishes in. The media also serve as the law enforcers of what little code
exists within the universe. The media tell the public the actions of the
entertainers, watching their every move, mistake and good will and it is the
media alone who have the power to destroy an entertainer. Moreover, it is the
media which influences the public and it is the public which sustains the
universe and its ability to exist.
In conclusion a very powerful and bizarre universe has been revealed and
labeled as the entertainment universe. The universe has within it the symbols of
freedom, anarchy and the ability to portray the lives which we the populace
dream of. Many rituals are present including the dance known as moshing and the
divine presence with which the public regard the entertainers. The universe
creates the myth of paradise and perfection and hence creates a definite cosmos
where those within it are able to live an existence entirely different from that
of any other universe. Moreover, the artists have a unique self-identity and
self-perception from which they identify themselves and the public identify them.
A very powerful aspect of this universe is the media, which is not only a
distinctive symbol, but also the enforcers and priesthood of the cosmos. The
universe is sustained and able to exist through the support of the mass populace
or it's ecclesia, which is utterly reliant upon the media to decree what is good
and evil within the entertainment universe. The entertainment universe is a
thorough and complete example of how we as a species legitimate marginal
situations and relish in the freedom unavailable to the common man. However, the
freedom of the artist would not exist were it not for the dreams and wishes of
the common man.