A video in response to the eerie blend of trash TV, tabloid populism and military propaganda. You may not like hogwash telly like the X-Factor, but until now you thought it was harmless fun and politically neutral. Maybe so. But when said trash is pumped into every living room and, with a hand from The Sun, becomes the vehicle for vintage military propaganda to be soaked up by the whole country, things turn a little more disturbing.
This fantastic blend of mass television, tabloid indoctrination, populism and political brainwashing appeared, as you already know, in the guise of Heroes, a vomit-inducing Mariah Carey-song as covered by the X-Factor finalists. You've probably heard it a thousand times already. Tons of publicity allowed it to stay at number one for weeks in November and it's still on course for the Christmas chart-topping slot.
Its message is that British soldiers are heroes - by default. No matter what they're up to. Because they're 'our boys'. Our boys who've been spending five years invading another country, ripping it to shreds, torturing, and overall writing one of the most shameful pages of modern British history.
While you enjoy the young talents making a meal of each note, take a peek at this video compiled by Irish site eirigi. In the words of Organized Rage, "due to pressure brought to bear by the British government the video has been censored by various video hosting sites", so try and post it wherever you can.
Viewer discretion is advised as some may find some of the scenes contained within this video disturbing.
While you enjoy the young talents making a meal of each note, take a peek at this video compiled by Irish site eirigi. In the words of Organized Rage, "due to pressure brought to bear by the British government the video has been censored by various video hosting sites", so try and post it wherever you can.
Viewer discretion is advised as some may find some of the scenes contained within this video disturbing.
6 comments:
And have you noticed how the few rambos who are heard saying "But at least we got rid of a dictator and gave them democracy" are those who normaly dont give an absolute flying one about dictators?
ANd look down at those who do as 'hippies'.
Nice democracy we gave the Irakis. One protested against Bush and has been severely beaten in jail and forced to apologise.
Definitely worth as many as possible blogging this. Good post to go with it, Claude.
I dunno... far be it from me to defend either Cowell or Carey, but having sat through as much of the song as I could stand, I found nothing particularly militaristic in the actual lyrics, just a load of vapid unimaginative self-help platitudes about finding one's own inner strength etc.
So, dull, annoying R&B tosh, yes; but unless the final verse dramatically shifts focus, propaganda no.
Anonymous,
It's exactly people like you they they hold by the cojones and they're squeezing even harder and you don't even notice. you prolly think someone is tickling your left ball or something.
No-one's saying the X-Factor track Heroes is like a Screwdriver song or that it's "MILITARISTIC". It's inoffensive, cheesypop, bankrolled by the Sun and it's radio friendly. And the video and the whole marketing operation was pitched around "our Heroes" in Iraq and Afhganistan.
Open your mind, mate.
Spot on, Anita.
It's the veiled message behind the apparent innocent pop video that worries.
The 'militaristic' message is tucked between a shot of Diana Vickers, one of that malnourished geek, and one of our brave soldiers.
In the meantime. Who's gonna do a video for the 5 million displaced in Iraq and the one million dead?
Is it hero or heroes?
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