Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
I'd like to point out that contrary to the received, careless, mainstream-media narrative that suggests an "Orwellian" situation is bad, most of Oceania was doing just fine. It certainly wasn't terrific if you were a Party member, but may I remind you all that 85 percent of Oceania were proles?
Left to themselves, like cattle turned loose upon the plains of Argentina, they had reverted to a style of life that appeared natural to them, a sort of ancestral pattern. They were born, they grew up in the gutters, they went to work at twelve, they passed through a brief blossoming period of beauty and sexual desire, they married at twenty, they were middle-aged at thirty, they died, for the most part, at sixty. Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbours, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling, filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult. A few agents of the Thought Police moved always among them, spreading false rumours and marking down and eliminating the few individuals who were judged capable of becoming dangerous. No attempt was made to indoctrinate them with the ideology of the Party. It was not desirable that the proles should have strong political feelings. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working-hours or shorter rations. And even when they became discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontent led nowhere, because being without general ideas, they could only focus in on petty specific grievances. The larger evils invariably escaped their notice.
How was that so bad, really, for most of Oceania? How, in fact, was that different from most of human existence throughout history? Orwell is actually pretty damned patronizing about those proles--as if it's so distasteful to have a life of physical work, patriotism, caring for a home and children, films, football and beer. Does he really think an infusion of "general ideas" would have improved this situation?
It's time to put our shallow anti-Oceania bias to the side and confront the facts, wouldn't you say?
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Aug '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Oh, Claire, you're so subversive!
Apr '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
It's time to put our shallow anti-Oceania bias to the side and confront the facts, wouldn't you say?
How very well said. I'm going to pour myself a Gin'n'cloves cocktail and settle in for the night as I comfort myself with that double-plus good belly-feel Romney presidency.
Jul '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
BEER! Somebody mention BEER?
Jul '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
I don't think Orwell was patronizing to the Proles. Winston Smith and Julia are planning a life of anonymity amongst them until their capture by the police.
May '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Oh my God that's my life!!! Save one word, the man was a prophet:
"Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer, and, above all, Ricochet....."
May '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Big Claire is Watching You
Jan '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Yes, that's "pretty damned patronizing" and condescending. I believe Orwell's point was, however, was that bereft of an infusion and/or understanding of "general ideas" the proles were rendered easy prey of the State and the Party: they mostly rather meekly accepted the hardships imposed upon them from above, and when they did get upset about something they focused their attention, energy and anger on "petty, specific grievances". His opinion was less hatred of the people and more hatred of their susceptibility to such rather effortless control.
Mar '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Hmm, yes, that does sound rather like Ameritopia - Mr Orwell was only off by a few decades.
Sep '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Ask me that again after the Two Minutes Hate.
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Ajax Telamônios
Yes, that's "pretty damned patronizing" and condescending. I believe Orwell's point was, however, was that bereft of an infusion and/or understanding of "general ideas" the proles were rendered easy prey of the State and the Party: they mostly rather meekly accepted the hardships imposed upon them from above, and when they did get upset about something they focused their attention, energy and anger on "petty, specific grievances". His opinion was less hatred of the people and more hatred of their susceptibility to such rather effortless control. · 4 minutes ago
His description is not that far off of a description of Turkey. In fact, that's why I was shocked to read it--because the truth is that Turkey is Orwellian--in many important senses of the way the term is usually used--but not that bad. It's bad if you're in the 15 percent.
May '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Maybe the unexamined life is the only one worth living...
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
(Shocked to re-read it, I mean, and to see that the way I'd read it before didn't quite look the way it does when I read it now.)
Jan '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
It may be bad for Turkey's fifteen percent in that the other eighty-five still retain some measure of rebellious spirit. However, in Oceania that spirit had been pretty much crushed completely: if all that was required was an appeal to "primitive patriotism" to demand more from the proles, and if their scintilla of rebellious spirit was vented upon petty grievances, then it sounds like things were going quite well for Oceania's fifteen percent.
May '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Claire - A bit off topic but...I know the Turks and the Greeks have centuries of animosity between them. How is the Greek financial crisis covered in the Turkish press? Are they getting their two minutes of hate in?
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
EJHill uses the finest version of "1984" ever filmed - and yes, I'm counting the TV version with Eddie "Green Acres" Albert. (Really.) In the John Hurt version, the prole's life isn't too keen, since London seems gutted by war, and the niceties of life are in short supply. Yet the proles sing and do their laundry and carry on.
The movie also has a remarkable national anthem for Oceania, a perfect synthesis of Soviet style and English sensibility. Behold the aesthetics of Oligarchical Collectivism:
Let's visit that Two-Minute hate, and see how the sheltering hymn to BB gathered up the hate into salvation and release:
It's one of the most depressing movies ever made, but it's brilliant. And yes, that Inner Party fellow in the front row is exactly who you think he is. Burton's last film.
Apr '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Perhaps it is not that bad, but then again for most of the history of the world that has been the state of man. I think Orwell like many liberal people of his day believed man could be more than just a menial laborer in the work force of some uncaring supervisor. The political system of Oceania does not allow for anything else for a prole. There are worse things than being a surf, and perhaps, all things considered it is not such a bad life, but should it be the only life? That is what I see in 1984 for the proles. The proles of 1984 can not even dream of another existence, and those that do are eliminated.
The world on 1984 is one where even those things which are good, family, work, beer, football and patriotism have been twisted into tools of oppression. The things they love are being used by their evil masters bind them in perpetual poverty and want. What could be a greater evil than to bind the soles of men with those things that should in fact should fulfill them. I doubt that the proles are happy, they just don't know why.
May '10
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
George Orwell exhibited the soft bigotry of prole expectations.
May '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Just when I think Claire is being subversive and provocative and a bunch of other words popular on campus, she pops up with earnest-sounding repetitions of the core statement that the 85% are okay, really, while it's the 15% who have the hard task of making the society run while dodging the many pitfalls of a security state.
Perhaps this is all just too clever for me, so I will simply ask: Claire, are you (A) actually making that case about the 85% and the 15%, while couching it in some witty banter, or (B) is the whole thing tongue-in-cheek?
Finally, for those who wish to critique my faulty parallel, heard ya.
Dec '11
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
I'd still prefer Harrington's Oceana to Orwell's.
Feb '12
Re: Confronting the Mainstream Media Bias About 1984
Mmm.. Sounds like 'life south of the picket wire' that is, the Purgatoire river.. ie Tough going. Wonder what is was like north of the picket wire? Purgatory is some strange place waiting for heaven to open and so is Oceania, a quasi future Obama land of false promise and no hope. Indeed, a land of no hopers.. Dead as.