Porno riots.

    They say we are always being watched. Some argue it is governments that sneak into our houses and into our lives using technological devices. Others suggest it is big, private organizations in need of our data. The fact is that our privacy is no longer ours and it is at the mercy of those who may use it against us.

    But all the information that billions of privacies in the world can provide is of little or no use without a proper classification. We are then being filed into categories according to our likes, practices and routines. One of these classifications may include the use we make of pornography. Do you watch porn? If so, how often?, What kind of porn?, and so on. Then if the answer to the first question is Yes, and the answer to the second question is quite often we may be labelled harmless. Why? Because porn is harmless by definition. Porn is about the show and not about understanding the complexities of the human encounter.

    Derived from this, some analysts have come out with the term Porn Riot to describe a trend in 21st century society where the show is used to prevent critical thinking from developing in the spectator’s mind. The journalist Miquel Ramos writes about it . He tells us how his dad angrily turns off the TV after days of being exposed to images of violence coming from anywhere without understanding a thing of what was going on.

    The complexity of the reality is reduced to a show where violence takes the leading role. Turn on your TV and check my thesis. I recomend you TV5 as the top example but the other channels follow. By reducing the conflict to images of violence, to scenes of the goodies against the baddies, we are creating confusion and thus, reducing the possibility of understanding. If we do not understand it, then it is almost impossible that we can reach an agreement, not to mention a solution.

VOCABULARY

1. Write one of the words in bold next to each definition:

happen ___________

to enter a place quietly and in secret. __________

not be able to protect yourself from something or someone ___________

2. How can you translate this sentence?

“the show is used to prevent critical thinking from developing in the spectator’s mind.”

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

3. What does harmless mean to you as used in the text?. Why do you think governments and multinationals like harmless people?

1. People who are not violent.

2. People who are not very interested in politics.

3. Those who do not participate in riots or demonstrations.

4. Choose the sentences that best summarise the text. Then discuss your choice.

1. We live in a society where having control over people means to keep them poorly informed.

2. Many people like porn and that is bad because when the authorities kinow it they classify you as a pervert.

3. Porn, in the sense used in the text, means keeping the appearance and hiding the important information.

4. Governments are corrupt so they want to control the information that we get.

5. Miquel’s dad didn’t understand what was going on in Catalonia because nobody explained it to him.

6. People get stressed and angry because they are exposed to violence.

EXTRA

1. Find an image online to illustrate the text. Show them to the class and justify your choice.

2. Do you get the same information everywhere?, on TV, twitter, facebook, Instagram, etc?

3. Give examples of videos you have recently seen online which show how information can be manipulated by the media.