life as sport
Who won today? Cameron or Clegg? Coronation Street or Eastenders? Will Strictly knock X-Factor off the podium? Is the pope on a sticky wicket? Will the bankers score another own goal? Something has happened in recent years as the sports commentary and euphemism has become a metaphor for our entire society. It may be the fact that I invariably listen to BBC Five Live but the way I hear it every subject now appears to be discussed in an increasingly one dimensional manner – winners and losers.
Tune into the media during a party conference, read an analysis of a televised debate, switch on for a review of the film you’ve just missed, and you’ll find the classic sports template: the running commentary, the interactive pie-chart graphics, the experts’ debate and the endless post-game analysis. Everyone has an opinion and the more polarised and contentious, the more black & white, the better. Consensual agreement? Pah, that’s a nil-nil draw! Give me a contentious 2-0 victory any day of the week.
This ‘sportification’ of life could easily be interpreted as merely a media manipulation technique but as we are constantly being ‘dumbed down’ I reckon we need reminding which side we’re on and exactly who we should be rooting for.
