Spitting Image

The distortions of political figures are quite scary to look back on, as the program is something I'am too young to have any memory of. I disagree with the elevation of political status becoming almost celebrity in today, with last year's first broadcast of a "live election", involving the provoked bickering of Clegg, Brown and Cameron becoming a continuation of Spitting Image, even though it stopped production in 1996. By pitting three opposing party leaders together in one room, we as an audience have been waiting, slamming our cutlery on the table and bating for an outbreak of conflict and fistycuffs. I suppose from my perspective this brings to light a new form of entertainment for the dead-eyed and dazed Briton to gawp over, because it's funny. We don't care about the end result, we just want to see who comes out worst off, that's the primal way or brains are hard-wired to seek entertainment, with crave it like a moth to the flame. Even the newsreader is a celebrity, or just take a look at Piers Morgan.
      We've grown in to a vegetated state of remix culture and addicts desiring the finest, the best, the funniest, the biggest and the brightest. I think this contributes to why we laugh in the face of politicians. How can we expect any type of progress as a country when we can't stop pointing and laughing at  "poshos" in suits with red briefcases in front of Number 10?
       The TV is the teacher and the Newspaper a child's fairytale. We revert to a childs mind when informed, as it is the boldness of our reaction to current affairs we revel in. Laugh at the dunce and cry at the catastrophe. That's entertainment.
       We are offered a narration that we presume to be fact over the footage that is strategically edited outside of live transmission. See what they want you to see.

The BBC evidence this on an article availabe online,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8652354.stm.
       
"It's hard to draw general conclusions at the end of such a detailed and closely fought three-part contest - particularly so close to polling day. The battle over bankers and their bonuses included some of the sharpest exchanges during the first half. All three clearly feel that this is an area where there is still lots of anger out there, and bucket-loads of potential votes. But the dividing lines were hazy.
Not so during the next phase of the clash - when things sparked to life during the row over inheritance tax and tax credits. Here we saw Gordon Brown make another attempt to sign the Lib Dems up for a joint attack on the Tories. Was this Labour's strategy during this final debate? To give those watching a clear idea of the common ground that could exist between Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown if there's an inconclusive result at the end of next week."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8621119.stm

For me, Spitting Image is where this begins, the humiliation of both national and international govenrment, and even the Royal Family.