1984, Liverpool, and the Superbowl
As I was reading the first chapter of 1984, the two minutes of hate stuck out to me. It seems like such an odd thing to force people to watch, yet it consistently elicits such a visceral reaction from the viewers. The line
"In a lucid moment Winston found that he was shouting with the others and kicking his heel violently against the rung of his chair." The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but that it was impossible to avoid joining in."
This moment seemed oddly familiar to me, in a not-so-dystopian way. Watching my father yell at the screen during the Liverpool Man City game Sunday morning, and the Superbowl later that night, I thought about this moment in the book. Though very different, and not so politically charged, these images seemed to elicit such violent reactions, even though obviously they have no effect.
Ironically, we do worse after big rival matches than the characters in 1984 did during the Two Minutes Hate. We have had many riots and violent encounters based on these matches, which we have little to no control over. Though we are not forced to watch them and live different lives to that of the characters in 1984, I wonder if these phenomena are somewhat the same at a base layer.
Do we continue to watch, follow, and put immense value into these things we can't control because we are conditioned to? Do we find comfort in our position, not affecting these teams or players much, bonding with others who share rivals? Why do we continue to yell at screens that cant hear us? is it just human nature?
These are some of the things that I think about both reading 1984, and watching recent sporting events, to which I have no answer.
Do you ever find yourself yelling at screens and why? Do you think the mob yelling in Two Minutes Hate resembles people
watching sports?
YES. I was thinking about the Superbowl in connection with the Two Minutes Hate as well! I think an unscrupulous leader could take that kind of fervent emotion normally reserved for sporting events and turn it into a nationalistic fervor easily. (And yes, I yell at screens a lot.)
ReplyDeleteA rare comic that sees Susie and Calvin getting along. I love. Regarding the parallel to sports team rivalries, as someone who doesn't profess allegiance to any sports team of any kind, it might be too easy for me to say that it's a little silly to see people basing their happiness off of one group of people being a little better at kicking the ball around. Personally, I love to watch soccer matches without having any bias towards one team or another, and just appreciate the way each team works together. (This works better if the teams are good.) I will say, though - when you try to channel the energy of one team and root for them, it's FUN. So I think there's some human nature of wanting to be in an exclusive group that applies to sports fandom and the Two Minutes Hate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that this cult display of passion has a place in our current world, through sports. Even more than just watching sports games at home, when people watch them at a home arena in person it reminds me even more of the 2 minutes of hate, since the mob mentality appeals to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI get triggered sometimes when I'm playing video games and I take it out on the screen. I guess its a combination of letting out frustration and also not being afraid to say a thing or two when online vs in-person. I think it does resemble watching sports, but I did not make that connection. I think that is very cool!
ReplyDeleteOutside of the other example of sports, I think that a less common thing is yelling at characters in a movie or TV show. If people around me are getting mad at a certain character it kind of sparks something that makes you mad about them too or if everyone is rooting for that one guy are you really going to be hating on him? Less of a mob mentality, but if anyone is passionate about something there's bound to be some emotion aimed at the screen.
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