Monkey Business, Fake Boobs & Violence

Her green plastic watering can, for her fake chinese rubber plant, in the fake-plastic earth. That she bought from a rubber man, in a town full of rubber plans, to get rid of itself,

and it wears her out, it wears her out, it wears her out.—Radiohead (Fake Plastic Trees)

I love this song and it's relevant to today's topic.

Last night I was fortunate enough to find something worth watching, on the six thousand channels offered on cable TV. If cable television isn't the most perfect representation of all that is wrong in our culture and economy, nothing is. Thousands of choices of differently packaged, nothingness. Different faces selling the same garbage, telling the same lies, telling the same jokes, while trying to put a new spin on an old pile of crap. The well has run dry, folks. We've nothing to offer. We shy away from what is great and focus on "DRAMA." Entertainment delivers the worst of the worst of humanity and we, like non-food, eat-it-up-alive! The Kardashian sisters? Really? Jersey Shore? Entertainment appeals to the lowest common denominator. The viewers seem to watch drama and gore! I flicked from one channel to the next, landing on different dramatic situations that would send any rational person running for the door. What keeps these stations afloat or these programs airing? Our culture keeps in business, the very companies which supply poison to our bodies and minds. Whether the product is physical or just entertainment is irrelevant. The poison that is entertainment is truly a phenomenon. Look at what the human mind has achieved throughout history. Now look at what dominates televisions and movie theaters. It's embarrassing.

We created the technology that captures and records human history! Language and writing! We've created story telling! Art! We invented the internet! The satellite! The space ship! The submarine and better. We can now explore the very depths of the ocean floor. Something we've not been able to do, thus far! All the amazing things we can teach and broadcast, which could contribute to the growth and expansion of the human mind, and we choose "The Real House Wives Of Orange County!" Really? The worst of our behavior, the worst aspects of our personalities, the lowest activities of the mind; this is what we televise! This is what we choose to document? To commit to the digital domain? This is what movies are made about! Well, most of our movies. I know that drama is at the foundation of entertainment. It began with the ancient Greeks. Yet their version of drama had important lessons for living at the basis of all they created and enjoyed. Our DRAMA is about the destruction of people, places and things! We love fear. We love misery. We love the "psycho!" We love a good problem. And most of all, we love doom & gloom. Why not peace & harmony? Love? Too boring?

The purpose for today's blog is not to rant about cable TV or the quality of our entertainment world. It is to tell you about this great show I managed to find, last night. Sandwiched between some robot looking, airbrushed, plastic person selling me something, "I apparently can't live without!" And a bunch of bone heads, destroying the very culture I came from, as they talked about their muscles and fake boobs and the importance thereof! The topic on the show I watched, was the Bonobo Gorilla and its relation to the human being. Supposedly, we share traits from the Chimpanzee and the Bonobo. Two very important traits which practically make up the two major components of human behavior. The Chimp gives us our territorial nature, violence, war, killing, male domination over every female in the group, etc. Those are a few of the examples. There are subtleties in the Chimp behavior that we also possess. Chimps are not all violent and possess a great many qualities, like the human being. Cross the Chimpanzee and you will meet a warrior. They are somewhat more "high-strung" than their relatives, the Bonobo's.

The Bonobo's seem to be a far more mellow kind of gorilla. They seem almost more pensive, or thoughtful. These creatures almost never battle or fight among themselves or with other groups of Bonobos. Conflict is resolved almost as quickly as it arises. Bonobo's seem to prefer calm interaction to anything else. They are not necessarily more intelligent than the Chimpanzee but they are more emotionally advanced. More aware of the "other." More considerate, perhaps. The Bonobo is a lover not a fighter. They are prone to engage in sexual activity when reproduction is not the goal. They are more like humans in this respect. We seem to be among very few animals that have sex for the sake of it, rather than strictly for reproduction. At the onset of a conflict, it will appear as if they will become violent and without a moments notice engage in love making, instead. This can last for only a few seconds at a time, however. This constant release of tension seems to keep the group in a relaxed state of being. The differences between the two species are many. There are many similarities as well. Still the human being is more closely related to the Bonobo than the Chimp. We share some genetic history with both creatures from somewhere around nine-million years ago. This is interesting on so many levels.

In the Chimp communities it seems their behavior is more dramatic and more animated. While the Bonobo seems to be far more mellow and contemplative. More in tune with nature and what is. The Chimp seems restless in comparison. Even their young play more violently and act out their violent nature. The human being is supposedly more closely related to the Bonobo than the Chimp. Yet we act more like the Chimp, most of the time. In so many ways, we seek drama. We are attracted to conflict, debate, ego based behavior, fighting, battle and war. Even our young role play using conflict, fighting, battle or war. We see peace as impossible and war as solution. Why do we only see that which does not work. Why is it so difficult for us to see that solution is inherent in all problems? There is an easy answer to this question. Because most "real" solutions are not the solutions desired by one or more of the interested parties. It seems that all leaders really want, is a "profitable solution." Remember, Chimps are power driven. This includes territory. Their solutions are based on growth and dominance over other's. The Bonobo's is based on harmony. They are often observed socializing with different groups of Bononbo gorillas with little of no conflict. In fact, they most often meet and socialize with no battle or conflict, whatsoever. And can exist in harmony with others for the majority of their lives. Once again, profit drives behavior and we feed the machine (the entertainment community) with information, through viewing this garbage. Guilty pleasures, they call it. I say forget the guilt and move right into calling it "destructive pleasures."

Why do we choose the way of the Chimp? Is it so deep within us that we unconsciously descend to this lower form of intelligence when challenged. Can we not rise to a more harmonic solution, using our brains to bring us solution. This would only cause growth and understanding and not perpetuate relentless war and violence. Can we not see a mutually beneficial solution to human conflicts? Once again I must ask, aren't we the one's with the big brains? Is there something we are overlooking? Can it have something to do with how we live or what we nourish our bodies with? Do we need more evidence than what is already smacking us in the face. Both our common ancestors live primarily on fruits and vegetation. The Chimp does consume some meat. This is almost entirely through warfare. As if to show true domination or victory. Our species is very much like the two gorilla species. Yet we have become, primarily meat eaters. We eat flesh. Perhaps if we didn't we would not seek war or domination. Is there a genetic trigger in the devouring of an animal and digesting it. Does this engage our "war mechanism?"

On some level this is total domination. To eat, digest and defecate an animal. Is domination over that animal. A major component to eating flesh is this: Increased production of testosterone in the human body, when meat is introduced. We already know that testosterone increases violence in people. We feel it in sporting events and bars filled with spectators, watching "the game." The information is under our noses. Yet we don't want to acknowledge it. We almost want to ignore this important information. Forget the vegetarians argument or the green movement's agenda. How about this? IT'S TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MEAT NO LONGER SERVES THE HUMAN SPECIES. I tend to see humans meat eaters as second generation cannibals. Is it possible we are all suffering from "MAD HUMAN'S" disease?

Okay, you don't have to give up eating meat today or ever, if this is your choice. Just consider eating meat in a more conscious way. Maybe you find that meat brings you physical comfort. Or that living without meat seems like a bleak existence for you. Okay, try this. Eat it only when you really feel you need it. Rather than eating it at every meal. You'll see, in no time, that you need far less than you think. I have friends that eat meat just a few times a week and are healthy, happy people. Have it three times a week and combine it with vegetables and see for yourself. You will feel better. One hundred percent of the people I've worked with, feel better when they decrease meat consumption. Everyone who stopped eating meat, feel better, one-hundred percent of the time. I am not including vegetarians or vegans in this. I am talking about people that replaced red meat with fish or organic chicken. Baby steps will do it. Little by little. I write this stuff because I believe in stimulating thought in people. If just for that moment of "hey, I never thought about it that way." This is my goal. To shed light on these topics, which seem to be missed by most. I make sweeping statements because I believe the need for exaggeration exists because of the false and exaggerated claims made in support of what I know to be wrong and harmful. Media exaggerates to sell their lies. So people like me must use exaggeration (through examples) to stimulate a change in tide. I rely on factual information for content.

People, there is no reality on TV. I don't care what they tell you. IT'S NOT REAL! IT'S ALL SCRIPTED! Like the gigantic, ugly, fake-plastic boobs, smacking us in our plastic faces, from our plastic computers, and our dead trees, turned into people magazine, so we can see more FAKE, PLASTIC ABSURDLY, UGLY BOOBS! SO ARE THE LIES! I'm not saying we're in this predicament because we eat meat. I'm saying we need to do what we can to change our focus. Be more like the Bonobo. Or simply, to see the inherent beauty in everything, as it is. To see we are also peaceful as well as warring. To embrace peace and make that our obsession. Rather than war, murder, profit and plastic surgery. Or more so, the drama around these very topics. Life is full. We should never be bored. If you're bored, you're watching too much TV! The human mind is infinite and beautiful. Boredom stems from living in a one-dimensional world, seeking drama as nourishment. This empty pursuit will leave you bored, restless and empty. Which then sends you out into the world like a "junky" seeking more! Except, we are starting to see the "more" as life. Not illusion. Missing, greatly the beauty and infinite wonder of life itself. Bored with life? Me? I'm just scratching the surface!

Be well.

Tom DeVito