Folklore and pop culture are interchangeable in the rear-view mirror of history. It can be difficult to discern which if any were reality. Methods of storytelling have changed. For millennia the fireside tale ruled supreme. In the late 1970’s my Dad lamented the removal of the coal burner from our fireplace despite the savings that would be made by having the gas fire and radiators installed. “It’s the end of an era,” he declared. I thought nothing of it at the time. I was too young to be nostalgic and I got to make the old coal bunker into a den. It was a cultural shift. Our focus went from the fireplace to the very small TV in another part of the room, as it did for millions of others.
Long before technology allowed mass broadcasting, the written word gave the reader the opportunity to pause the action over a timescale of their own choosing. Books, pamphlets, newsletters, newspapers and magazines bought the outside world into our homes. Comic books were especially beloved in my house. I vaguely remember old people complaining about youngsters reading too much. Radio broadcasts (now podcasts) free up the hands and eyes changing the audience back to listeners. Cinema and television demand fuller attention. Moving pictures immerse the viewer. Stage productions in front of live audiences require greater suspension of belief. Graphic novels are not hampered by the special effects budget or the physical limitations by the actors and stunt performers. Regardless, there is always someone curating the story – editors, directors, writers, and a dozen other job descriptions decide what entertainment gets in front of us. We have more choice than ever before – but it is a different sort of choice. Wandering into a book shop or video store took time. An internet search engine accesses millions of options in an instant. Does anyone scroll past page one of the results? Are they better options? Less random, more curated?
New technologies using computer generated images weave different sorts of reality. Imagination is the currency required both from creator and audience. Between is advertising. Many TV cartoons of my childhood turned out to be profitable vehicles for toy manufacturers. The stories hooked us, adverts showed the playthings and shops dutifully stocked them. Complex algorithms now feed our interests. There is no escaping the targeting. If it’s free, your attention is the product.
Artificial intelligence is said to be growing exponentially in capability. It can produce a story based upon available data and the direction of the enquirer. Can it discern historical fact from folklore? Is it required to? It is designed to gain and feed attention – the currency of advertisers. Mainstream TV villains and professional wrestling heels often find Joe Public hostile in real life situations. If discerning humans can’t tell the difference between an actor and a character what chance the robots?
We get to choose what we believe in, how we behave and the stories we tell about it all. Circumstances limit our opportunities and life behind the screens is becoming more usual. It’s never too late to choose action over passivity. Move about a bit more in the locality and meet real people to find common interest.
Your story isn’t finished, there is more to do. When technology fails or becomes unfashionable there is a place by the fireside where you can tell your tale. Just for that night. Next day, it will be time to do something else.
See you down the road.
