Kids entered the premises of Greek state-owned ERT (television) bandying a slogan loosely translated as, "stop watching (TV) and start walking (the streets)".Amen!
Amen.
The revolutionary intifada has yielded at least one spark of common sense. Life seen through Greece's trash tv is depressing indeed. It is also very polarising and reductionist; cops are bad, non-cops are good, teacher's pets are bad, it's us against them (without any "them"), it's all their fault, down with authority (except mine). In other words, "Stereotype thy name is television".
Of course, all channels hastened to deplore this "undemocratic" act. Amazingly, so did some newspapers! So, what else is new?
The truth of the matter is, few (if anyone) in Greece dare challenge the media, esp. tv, despite distorted news reporting, thinly disguised short-cuts to programming, relentless tabloid content fed under the banner of "serious news and analysis". The "you know who I am?" syndrome seems deeply rooted in many contemporary Greeks; there is also a certain pomposity that comes with it. Both these traits are rampant on TV; one needs only watch the analyses and random pontifications by all and sundry whose face appears on the screen, to get sufficient grip in a very short time.
For that and more, yay to the banner -- even if storming other peoples' workplace may not be the most elegant way of doing it.
Just a thought: what would TV have to say if it were the police entering the building with a similar banner???
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